# Tennessee SB 1225: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal offenses. Tennessee SB 1225, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal offenses., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-05-18 (Effective date(s) 05/05/2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB1225-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Tennessee SB 1225 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal offenses. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-02-06 - Last action: 2026-05-18, Effective date(s) 05/05/2026 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Criminal Offenses - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (166 yes, 22 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stronger self-defense protection for human trafficking victims: benefit, medium. Effective upon becoming law, Tennessee adds a self-defense protection for human trafficking victims. The law presumes victims reasonably feared immediate death or serious bodily injury when using force intended or likely to cause either. The force must target someone committing or attempting a cove… - Obstruction rules now cover more blocked passageways: cost, low. Effective upon becoming law, Tennessee expands a criminal-justice rule covering highway obstruction to include obstruction of other passageways. People blocking those passageways now fall within that rule's scope. The supplied text does not explain the rule's further legal consequences. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Paul Bailey (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Janice Bowling (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-16 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Concur House Amendment # 1 4/16/2026 | pass | 25 | 3 | | | 2026-04-14 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/14/2026 | pass | 79 | 13 | | | 2026-03-19 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Adopt Division 2 Division of Question Amend# 1 by Senator Gardenhire 3/19/2026 | pass | 27 | 5 | | | 2026-03-19 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/19/2026 | pass | 28 | 0 | | | 2026-03-09 | Senate | SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE | pass | 7 | 1 | | ## Actions (25) - 2026-05-18: Effective date(s) 05/05/2026 - 2026-05-18: Pub. Ch. 886 - 2026-05-05: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2026-04-23: Transmitted to Governor for action. (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2026-04-21: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2026-04-20: Enrolled and ready for signatures (Senate) - 2026-04-16: Concurred, Ayes 25, Nays 3 (Amendment 1 - HA0988) (Senate) - 2026-04-15: Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/16/2026 (Senate) - 2026-04-14: Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/16/2026 (Senate) - 2026-04-14: Passed H., as am., Ayes 79, Nays 13, PNV 6 (House) - 2026-04-14: H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0988) (House) - 2026-04-14: Subst. for comp. HB. (House) - 2026-03-23: Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk. (House) - 2026-03-19: Engrossed; ready for transmission to House (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 28, Nays 0, PNV 5 (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0621 Division two), Ayes 27, Nays 6 (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0621 Division one), Voice Vote (Senate) - 2026-03-17: Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-09: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 1 (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026 (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-10: Introduced, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2025-02-06: Filed for introduction (Senate) ## Bill text - HA0988 (Substitute), 2026-04-14: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0988.pdf) - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0886.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1225.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB1225.pdf) - SA0621: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0621.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0855: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 13; Title 29; Title 54; Title 64; Title 65; Title 68 and… (signed) - SB 0539: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13; Title 48; Title 49; Title 67 and Title 68, relative to low-income housing. (signed) - SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal law. (signed) - SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes. (signed) - HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 1987; Chapter 74 of the Private Acts of 1995; Chapter… (signed) - HB 2670: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 2004; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative t… (signed) ## Sources - [HA0988 (Substitute) (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0988.pdf) - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0886.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1225.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB1225.pdf) - [SA0621 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0621.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0855: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; T…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0855-2025-2026) - [SB 0539: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13; Title 48; Title 49…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0539-2025-2026) - [SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Titl…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0254-2025-2026) - [SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0198-2025-2026) - [HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2666-2025-2026) - [HB 2670: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 8…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2670-2025-2026) - [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-SB1225-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).