SB2146 • 2026

Judicial Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17; Title 18; Title 22; Title 23; Title 24; Title 25; Title 26; Title 27; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to the Violent Criminal Court Act.

Crime Elections

Active

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

Sponsor: Rose
Last action: 2026-02-05
Official status: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information about the impact on public safety or crime rates, so this claim was removed.

Violent Criminal Court Act

This bill creates two new violent criminal courts in Tennessee's 30th judicial district to handle cases involving certain violent crimes and provides additional resources for prosecutors.

What This Bill Does

Creates two new violent criminal courts in the 30th judicial district starting September 1, 2026.
The governor appoints judges for these courts until August 2028 when voters will elect permanent judges who serve eight-year terms.
Directs presiding judges to transfer cases involving specific violent crimes to the new violent criminal courts.
Provides the district attorney in the 30th judicial district with four additional assistant positions and two more investigator positions starting September 1, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

People involved in violent crime cases in Tennessee's 30th judicial district.
Judges appointed to serve in the new violent criminal courts.
District attorney general of the 30th judicial district and their staff.

Terms To Know

Violent Criminal Courts: Specialized courts created to handle cases involving certain violent crimes.
Caseload Backlogs: A buildup of pending court cases that need to be addressed.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the new courts will affect overall case resolution times.
It is unclear if additional funding will be provided for these changes beyond the creation of new positions and courts.

Bill History

Date Tennessee General Assembly
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Effective September 1, 2026, this bill creates in the 30th judicial district two additional criminal courts to be designated as violent criminal courts. The governor shall appoint a person to serve as judge of each of the violent criminal courts, and th
e person so appointed must serve in that capacity until September 1, 2028, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified. At the August 2028 general election, the qualified voters of the 30th judicial district must elect one person to serve as
j
udge of each violent criminal court. The person so elected at the August 2028 general election must hold office until September 1, 2030, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified. Thereafter, the judges of the violent criminal courts must
be elected for a full eight-year term.

TRANSFER OF CASES

This bill directs the presiding judge to address caseload backlogs in the criminal courts by transferring cases involving certain criminal offenses to the violent criminal courts for disposition.

ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY POSITIONS

Effective September 1, 2026, this bill provides that the district attorney general of the 30th judicial district is entitled to four assistant district attorney positions and two criminal investigator positions that are in addition to those positions pro
vided in present law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

<BillNo> <Sponsor>

SENATE BILL 2146
By Rose
SB2146
010221
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
Title 8; Title 16; Title 17; Title 18; Title 22; Title 23;
Title 24; Title 25; Title 26; Title 27; Title 37; Title
38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to the Violent
Criminal Court Act.

WHEREAS, the General Assembly recognizes that a critical need exists in the thirtieth
judicial district for additional criminal justice resources because of an increase in violent crime;
and
WHEREAS, from 2018 to 2024, the number of homicide offenses in the thirtieth judicial
district increased by 33%, and the number of aggravated assault offenses increased by 41%;
and
WHEREAS, a task force was created by President Donald Trump to combat crime in the
thirtieth judicial district, and the task force operations have resulted in thousands of arrests,
straining the criminal court system in the thirtieth judicial district; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the General Assembly to increase the efficiency of the
criminal justice system by adding additional criminal courts to the thirtieth judicial district for the
purpose of handling violent crime cases; and
WHEREAS, the goals of the violent criminal courts created by this act include:
(1) Increasing case management efficiency;
(2) Expediting criminal case processing by increasing trial capacity;
(3) Reducing caseloads for prosecutors and public defenders; and
(4) Increasing public safety through more expeditious case processing; now,
therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "Violent Criminal Court Act."

- 2 - 010221

SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 16-2-506(30), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(F)
(i) Effective September 1, 2026, there is created in the thirtieth judicial
district two (2) additional criminal courts to be designated as violent criminal
courts. The governor shall appoint a person to serve as judge of each of the
violent criminal courts, and the person so appointed shall serve in that capacity
until September 1, 2028, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified.
At the August 2028 general election, the qualified voters of the thirtieth judicial
district shall elect, in accordance with § 16-2-505, one (1) person to serve as
judge of each violent criminal court created by this subdivision (30)(F)(i). The
person so elected at the August 2028 general election shall hold office until
September 1, 2030, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified.
Thereafter, the judges of the violent criminal courts shall be elected for a full
eight-year term;
(ii) The presiding judge is directed to address caseload backlogs in the
criminal courts by transferring cases involving criminal offenses set forth in § 40-
35-501(aa), (bb), and (cc) to the violent criminal courts for disposition;
(iii) Effective September 1, 2026, the district attorney general of the
thirtieth judicial district is entitled to four (4) assistant district attorney positions
and two (2) criminal investigator positions that are in addition to those positions
provided pursuant to subdivision (30)(B);
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.