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SB2327 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal offenses.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Gardenhire, Martin G
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on how the state will fund any additional costs to local governments and whether this law affects existing free speech laws.

Amends Tennessee Law on Interfering with Religious Places

This bill changes Tennessee law to redefine religious places as 'religious assemblies' and increases penalties for interfering with these places from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of religious places from 'religious institution' to 'religious assembly'.
  • Increases the punishment for interfering with religious activities from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who attend or work at churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship in Tennessee.
  • Law enforcement officers who will enforce the new law.
  • Courts that will handle cases involving violations of this law.

Terms To Know

Class A misdemeanor
A more serious type of crime than a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in prison or a fine up to $2,500.
Religious assembly
A place where people gather for religious activities such as churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the state will fund any additional costs to local governments.
  • It is unclear if this law will affect existing laws about free speech near religious institutions.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB2264

Plain English: The amendment creates a new law that makes it illegal to intentionally disrupt religious gatherings with offensive behavior.

  • Adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 3, defining the offense of interfering with a religious assembly.
  • Defines 'religious assembly' as including churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship.
  • States that intentionally disrupting a religious gathering by making offensive utterances or gestures is a Class A misdemeanor.
  • The amendment does not specify what constitutes an 'offensive utterance' or 'gesture'.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2327

Plain English: The amendment creates a new law that makes it illegal to intentionally disrupt religious gatherings with offensive behavior.

  • Adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 3, defining the offense of interfering with a religious assembly.
  • Defines 'religious assembly' as including churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship.
  • Classifies this offense as a Class A misdemeanor.
  • The amendment does not specify what constitutes an 'offensive utterance, gesture, or display.'

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  2. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  3. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 4

  4. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0926)

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  7. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/9/2026

  8. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  10. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0

  11. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  12. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  13. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  14. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  15. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  18. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  19. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  21. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  23. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  24. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  26. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/11/2026

  27. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026

  28. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  30. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  31. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/4/2026

  32. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  33. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  35. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  36. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  37. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  38. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  39. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  41. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2327, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Removes that
a church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship
is defined as a
"religious institution"
in the bill and defines, instead, such places as a "religious assembly."



Increases the penalty for the offense from a
Class B misdemeanor
to

a
Class A misdemeanor
, which is
punishable by up to 11 months, 29 days in prison, a fine up to $2,500, or both.



Clarifies that i
f conduct that is a violation of
the bill
is also a violation of
a
ggravated criminal trespass, then the offense may be prosecuted under either, but not both, statutes
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2264
By Martin G

SENATE BILL 2327
By Gardenhire
SB2327
012208
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 40, relative to criminal offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 3, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) A person commits the offense of interfering with a religious institution if the
person acts to intentionally obstruct, disturb, or interfere with the activities of the religious
institution by making an utterance, gesture, or display in a manner that is offensive to the
sensibilities of an ordinary person, either within the place where the meeting is held, or
so near it as to disturb the order and solemnity of the activities.
(b) As used in this section, "religious institution" means a church, temple,
synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship.
(c) A violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.