HB 528 - SB 464
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 16, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Natalie Dusek | Email: natalie.dusek@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 528 - SB 464
SUMMARY OF BILL: Requires professional bondsmen and agents of insurance companies
who are making appearance bonds in criminal cases to assess a premium fee of no less than five
percent of the amount of the face value of the bond.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-11-316(a), professional bondsmen and agents of
insurance companies making appearance bonds of a criminal nature shall not assess more
than 10 percent of the amount of the face value of the bond for premium fee and related
charges, and the premium fee and related charges shall not be assessed but one time during
the first 12 months of the pendency of the charge and indictment in either the trial court or
any lower court.
• The proposed legislation requires bondsmen and agents to assess a minimum fee of not less
than five percent nor more than ten percent of the face value of the bond in criminal cases.
• Establishing a minimum fee of five percent of the face value of an appearance bond in
criminal cases is not expected to significantly impact the number of defendants who are
able to secure an appearance bond.
• Any fiscal impact to local incarceration is therefore estimated to be not significant.
• Any other impacts resulting from establishing the minimum premium fee will be borne by
private parties.
• Any fiscal impact to state or local government is therefore estimated to be not significant.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director