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SB1955 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to criminal offenses.

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Lowe, Grills
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
Deferred to Summer Study
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on what kind of aid must be provided, leaving this aspect open for interpretation by courts.

Criminally Negligent Conduct Law

This law changes Tennessee's criminal code to include failing or refusing to help someone who is unconscious or needs medical care after consuming drugs as criminally negligent conduct.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of criminally negligent conduct in Tennessee’s laws.
  • Includes failing or refusing to render aid to another person who is unconscious or in need of medical care and knows or reasonably should know that the condition occurred due to drug use as criminally negligent conduct.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who fail to help someone in need of medical care after consuming drugs
  • Law enforcement agencies responsible for enforcing new criminal offenses

Terms To Know

Criminally negligent conduct
Actions that show a disregard for the safety and well-being of others, leading to serious harm or death.
Unconsciousness
A state where someone is not aware of their surroundings due to drugs or other causes.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies if the person knows or reasonably should know about the need for aid and that it's related to drug use.
  • It does not specify what kind of help must be provided, leaving details up to interpretation by courts.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Deferred to Summer Study

  3. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  4. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  5. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  6. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  7. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Judiciary Committee

  8. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  9. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/10/2026

  10. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026

  11. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  12. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  13. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  14. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  15. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  16. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  18. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  19. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 2472
By Grills

SENATE BILL 1955
By Lowe
SB1955
011158
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to criminal offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-212, is amended by deleting
subsection (a) and substituting:
(a)
(1) Criminally negligent conduct that results in death constitutes
criminally negligent homicide.
(2) As used in this subsection (a), "criminally negligent conduct” includes
failing or refusing to render aid to another who the person knows or reasonably
should know is unconscious or in need of medical care, and the person failing or
refusing to act knows or reasonably should know that the unconsciousness or
need for medical care occurred after the consumption of any controlled
substance, as defined in § 39-17-402.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.