# Tennessee HB 2251: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 17 and Title 40, relative to criminal magistrates. Tennessee HB 2251, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 17 and Title 40, relative to criminal magistrates., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-05-26 (Effective date(s) 05/19/2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2251-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Tennessee HB 2251 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 17 and Title 40, relative to criminal magistrates. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-02-02 - Last action: 2026-05-26, Effective date(s) 05/19/2026 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Judges and Chancellors - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 9 (234 yes, 17 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Pilot criminal magistrates in busy counties: benefit, low. The law creates a pilot for criminal magistrates in the ten counties with the highest criminal caseloads, based on the comptroller’s annual weighted study. By December 1, 2026, the Administrative Office of the Courts notifies each eligible county’s legislative body. After notice, a county may pass… - What these magistrates can do: benefit, low. Criminal magistrates handle arraignments and initial appearance hearings and set initial bonds. They decide if a defendant is indigent. They can accept guilty pleas for misdemeanors and Class D and E felonies. They issue search and arrest warrants and run preliminary hearings. They also review coll… - Counties fund four-year magistrate posts: cost, low. A criminal magistrate serves a four-year term and may be removed by a majority of judges with criminal jurisdiction. Counties must pay the magistrate from the county general fund. A majority of the county’s elected judges with criminal jurisdiction set the pay, and the county legislative body must… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - (none) ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-23 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/23/2026 | pass | 28 | 5 | | | 2026-04-21 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/21/2026 | pass | 25 | 6 | | | 2026-04-21 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/21/2026 | pass | 25 | 6 | | | 2026-04-13 | House | FLOOR VOTE: CONSENT CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2026 | pass | 94 | 0 | | | 2026-04-09 | House | HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-04-07 | House | HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2026-04-01 | House | HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE | pass | 10 | 0 | | | 2026-03-25 | House | HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE | pass | 17 | 0 | | | 2026-03-11 | House | HOUSE CIVIL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE | pass | 7 | 0 | | ## Actions (36) - 2026-05-26: Effective date(s) 05/19/2026 - 2026-05-26: Pub. Ch. 1017 - 2026-05-19: Signed by Governor. - 2026-05-07: Transmitted to Governor for his action. (House) - 2026-05-05: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2026-04-30: Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. (House) - 2026-04-23: Passed Senate, Ayes 28, Nays 5 (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA1065) (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Motion to reconsider adopted. (Amendment 1 - SA1065) (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Lift tableing motion (Senate) - 2026-04-22: Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/23/2026 (Senate) - 2026-04-22: H. nonconcurred in S. am. no. 1 (House) - 2026-04-21: Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 25, Nays 6 (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA1065) (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. (Senate) - 2026-04-14: Received from House, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2026-04-13: Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. (House) - 2026-04-13: Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0 (House) - 2026-04-09: H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/13/2026 (House) - 2026-04-08: Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026 (House) - 2026-04-07: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee (House) - 2026-04-01: Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/7/2026 (House) - 2026-04-01: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee (House) - 2026-03-25: Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026 (House) - 2026-03-25: Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee (House) - 2026-03-25: Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee (House) - 2026-03-18: Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026 (House) - 2026-03-18: Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026 (House) - 2026-03-11: Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026 (House) - 2026-03-11: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee (House) - 2026-03-04: Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/11/2026 (House) - 2026-02-05: Assigned to s/c Civil Justice Subcommittee (House) - 2026-02-05: P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee (House) - 2026-02-04: Intro., P1C. (House) - 2026-02-02: Filed for introduction (House) ## Bill text - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc1017.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB2025.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB2251.pdf) - SA1065: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA1065.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 2204: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 38, relative to compensation of law enforcement officers. (failed) - HB 2210: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 4; Title 58 and Title 67, Chapter 4, relative to disaster response. (failed) - HB 2223: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, relative to fireworks. (failed) - HB 2091: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 9, relative to off-highway vehicles. (failed) - HB 2023: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-24-109, relative to the victims assistance assessment. (failed) - HB 1967: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 55, Chapter 10, relative to leaving the scene of an accident. (failed) ## Sources - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc1017.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB2025.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB2251.pdf) - [SA1065 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA1065.pdf) ## Related - [HB 2204: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 3…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2204-2025-2026) - [HB 2210: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 4; Title 58 and Titl…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2210-2025-2026) - [HB 2223: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, relative to fireworks.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2223-2025-2026) - [HB 2091: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 9, relative to off-…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2091-2025-2026) - [HB 2023: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-24-109, relative to the vi…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2023-2025-2026) - [HB 1967: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 55, Ch…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB1967-2025-2026) - [Tennessee bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee/bills) - [Tennessee state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2251-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).