Criminal Offenses

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on the requirement for reporting parties to preserve relevant records for at least five years, which was included in the candidate explanation.

Tennessee Law on Fraudulent Freight Theft

This bill changes Tennessee laws to make fraudulent freight theft punishable as property theft and outlines how reports of such theft should be handled by law enforcement.

What This Bill Does

• Defines fraudulent freight theft as taking, controlling, diverting, or disposing of cargo through deception, misrepresentation, impersonation, false pretenses, or identity fraud.
• Allows people to report fraudulent freight theft to any local police agency where the theft occurred or was discovered.
• Requires law enforcement agencies to accept reports and issue case numbers for fraudulent freight theft without requiring proof of ownership.
• Specifies that a report must include details about the parties involved, the cargo, vehicles used, and financial impact.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who commit or are victims of fraudulent freight theft
• Law enforcement agencies in Tennessee

Terms To Know

fraudulent freight theft

Taking, controlling, diverting, or disposing of cargo through deception, misrepresentation, impersonation, false pretenses, or identity fraud.

reporting party

A person who reports fraudulent freight theft to law enforcement.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact penalties for committing fraudulent freight theft.
• It is unclear how this amendment will affect existing civil remedies or insurance claims related to cargo theft.

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 13, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2466, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, provide that f
raudulent freight theft is punishable as theft pursuant to
present law pertaining to property theft
.

Fraudulent freight theft may be a continuing offense when multiple acts are part of a common scheme.

Fraudulent freight theft is a separate offense from breach of contract or civil disputes.
For purposes of this amendment,
"
f
raudulent freight theft" means the unlawful obtaining, control, diversion, or disposition of freight through deception, misr
epresentation, impersonation, false pretenses, or identity fraud
.

This amendment authorizes a
person
to
report fraudulent freight theft to a law enforcement agency in any of the following jurisdictions:



The location where the freight was tendered or picked up
.


The location where the fraudulent freight theft was discovered
.


The location where the freight was last known to be under lawful control
.


The principal place of business of the reporting motor carrier or railroad carrier
.


Any location where a material act of theft occurred
.

This amendment prohibits a
law enforcement agency
from
refus
ing
to accept a report solely on the basis that the physical theft did not occur within the geographic boundaries of the agency's jurisdiction.

This amendment authorizes a
reporting party
to
file a police report for fraudulent freight theft regardless of whether physical force or unlawful entry occurred.

Proof of ownership of the freight is not required at the time of filing
as long as
the reporting party demonstrates a legitimate contractual or financial interest.

The law enforcement agency
must
issue a case number upon receipt of a report that substantially complies with
this amendment as outlined below.

This amendment requires a
fraudulent freight theft report
to
include, to the extent reasonably available:


For each party involved: (i) the legal name, address, and contact information;
(ii)
United States department of transportation and motor carrier numbers, if applicable; and
(iii)
names and identifying information of known or suspected fraudulent actors
.



The following freight details:

(i) a description of the freight
;
(ii) bill of lading numbers;

(iii) pickup and delivery locations; and

(iv) date and time of tender, pickup, and last lawful possession
.



The following vehicle and carrier information:

(i) tractor, trailer, container, or other transportation equipment information;

(ii) license plate numbers and states of issuance;

(iii) vehicle identification numbers, if known;

(iv) the driver's name, telephone number, and driver license information; and

(v) for railroad carriers, equivalent information may be provided in lieu of
such
motor vehicle information
.



Any fraud indicators
.



Information on the financial impact of the freight theft
.

This amendment requires a
reporting party
to
preserve relevant records

for no less than five years from the date of the offense.

A law enforcement agency may request additional documentation reasonably related to the investigation.

Upon receiving a report of fraudulent freight theft
,
a law enforcement agency
must (i) a
ccept and document reports meeting the requirements of this
amendment; (ii) a
ssign a case number; and

(
iii
)
e
nter the incident into any applicable state or federal crime databases.
A
law e
nforcement agency
may
coordinate wit
h
(
i
)
s
tate law enforcement;

(
ii
)
f
ederal agencies;

(
iii
)
c
argo theft task forces; and

(
iv
)
r
ailroad police or other authorized railroad law enforcement personnel.

This
amendment requires that such a
fraudulent freight theft report filed with a law enforcement agency
to
be recognized as an official theft report for insurance and civil recovery purposes.

This amendment does not
preclude
a person
from seeking any civil remedy because
such
person files a report alleging fraudulent freight theft.

RULEMAKING

This amendment authorizes t
he department of safety to promulgate rules and forms
.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2139
By Marsh

SENATE BILL 2466
By Bailey
SB2466
012084
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 16; Title 17; Title 18;
Title 20; Title 22; Title 24; Title 25; Title 26; Title
27; Title 28; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40;
Title 43; Title 54 and Title 55, relative to cargo
theft.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-14-146(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(9) Enters a cargo container and removes merchandise.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.