SB 407 - HB 445
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
March 14, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Christine Drescher | Email: christine.drescher@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
SB 407 - HB 445
SUMMARY OF BILL: Authorizes a person, who has been convicted of an infamous crime,
to have their right of suffrage reinstated without having their full rights of citizenship reinstated.
Restores the right of suffrage on the effective date of this legislation to any person who forfeited the
right of suffrage due only to a felony conviction prior to January 15, 1973.
Establishes requirements for what a petition for restoration of rights of citizenship must contain,
and authorizes the court to request any additional proof as it deems necessary to reach a decision on
the petition. Authorizes the court to restore the petitioner’s right to possess a firearm, full rights of
citizenship, and right of suffrage separately from one another.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• As defined in the proposed legislation, “citizenship rights” and “rights of citizenship”
include the right to serve on a jury, the right of suffrage, the right to hold public office, the
right to execute a fiduciary office, and the right to possess a firearm.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-29-204, a person convicted of voter fraud, treason,
murder in the first degree, or aggravated rape after July 1, 1986, those convicted after July 1,
1996 of any degree of murder or rape, and those convicted on or after July 1, 2006 of a
felony in another state or federal court where the victim is a minor are never eligible to
register and vote.
• Restoring the right of suffrage for individuals with felony convictions prior to January 15,
1973 can be accomplished by utilizing existing Secretary of State personnel and resources.
• Any costs associated with compiling a petition for restoration of rights of citizenship, and
any costs associated with providing courts with any additional requested materials, will be
borne of private funds and will not result in an increase in state or local expenditures.
• The proposed legislation authorizes such a person to register to vote or vote if the person
has had their right of suffrage restored.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-29-105, a court may find and so order a person’s full
citizenship rights to be restored.
• The proposed legislation does not indicate any waiver or reduction of court costs or
application fees in cases where a court partially restores a person’s rights. Therefore, this
will not significantly impact local government revenue or operations.
SB 407 - HB 445 2
• Authorizing courts to separate the rights of citizenship will not cause any significant
operational impact, and can be managed within existing resources.
• The Secretary of State will be able to create and distribute the petitions and required forms
by utilizing existing staff and resources and without any increase in expenditures.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director