Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HB0937 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2		-	SENATE BILL 1211
3		-	By Oliver
	2	+	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
4	3
5	4		HOUSE BILL 937
6	5		By Glynn
7	6
8	7
9	8		HB0937
10	9		001097
11	10		- 1 -
12	11
13	12		AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
14	13		Title 40 and Title 41, relative to voting rights.
15	14
16	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
17	16		SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-106, is amended by deleting
18	17		subsection (a) and substituting:
19	18		(a) The registration of a person is purged:
20	19		(1) At the request of the voter;
21	20		(2) Ninety (90) days after a name change for any reason, except by
22	21		marriage or divorce;
23	22		(3) If the voter dies; or
24	23		(4) Upon written confirmation from the voter that the voter has changed
25	24		the voter's address to an address outside the county of registration or has
26	25		registered to vote in another jurisdiction.
27	26		SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-106, is amended by adding the
28	27		following as new subsections:
29	28		(i) Upon receiving information that a person has been convicted of an infamous
30	29		crime as defined by § 40-20-112 from the state coordinator of elections, the district
31	30		attorney general, United States attorney, clerk of the court that entered the conviction, or
32	31		other source upon verification by the clerk of the convicting court, the administrator of
33	32		elections shall place the registration in suspended status.
	33	+	(j) Voter registrations that are suspended pursuant to subsection (i) are not
	34	+	included in a county's total of registered voters. The administrator of elections shall
	35	+	report suspended voter registrations to the state coordinator of elections.
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35	37
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38		-	(j) Voter registrations that are suspended pursuant to subsection (i) are not
39		-	included in a county's total of registered voters. The administrator of elections shall
40		-	report suspended voter registrations to the state coordinator of elections.
41	40		(k) The state coordinator of elections shall maintain a list of suspended voter
42	41		registrations and a list of restored voter registrations.
43	42		SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-116(12), is amended by deleting
44	43		"had your full rights of citizenship restored by a court" and substituting "a certificate of final
45	44		discharge from supervision".
46	45		SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-139, is amended by deleting the
47	46		section and substituting instead the following:
48	47		(a) A person who has temporarily forfeited the right to suffrage because of a
49	48		conviction of an infamous crime is eligible to vote automatically upon confirmation that:
50	49		(1) The person has completed the sentence imposed upon conviction for
51	50		an infamous crime, including any parole or probationary period; or
52	51		(2) An appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final
53	52		judgment reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.
54	53		(b) For purposes of subsection (a), a certificate of final discharge from
55	54		supervision or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate court of competent
56	55		jurisdiction is sufficient proof to the administrator that the person fulfills the above
57	56		requirements as to the offense specified on the certificate of final discharge or judgment.
58	57		(c) The state coordinator of elections shall formulate a uniform procedure for
59	58		automatically verifying the registration eligibility of any person convicted of an infamous
60	59		crime and updating the appropriate administrator of elections of any changes to the
61	60		suspended voter registration list under § 2-2-106. Upon receiving sufficient verification
62	61		of the person's eligibility to register, the administrator must allow the person to become a
	62	+	registered voter or reactivate the person's voter registration in the same manner and in
	63	+	accordance with the same laws or rules as any other citizen of this state.
63	64
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65	66		- 3 - 001097
66	67
67		-	registered voter or reactivate the person's voter registration in the same manner and in
68		-	accordance with the same laws or rules as any other citizen of this state.
69	68		SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-11-202(a), is amended by deleting
70	69		subdivisions (16) and (17) and substituting instead:
71	70		(16)
72	71		(A) Devise and furnish to the clerks of the circuit and criminal courts a
73	72		form to be used for notifying county election commissions of the fact that a
74	73		registered voter has been convicted of an infamous crime and therefore has a
75	74		suspended voter registration. The form must include the voter's name, race, date
76	75		of birth, and social security number, if available; and
77	76		(B) Devise and furnish to the department of correction a form to be used
78	77		to notify the county election commissions of the fact that a suspended voter's
79	78		sentence has been completed and the voter is eligible for automatic restoration
80	79		of the voter's right of suffrage pursuant to §§ 2-2-139 and 40-29-202;
81	80		(17) Instruct the administrators in each county to:
82	81		(A) Suspend the registration of any person who is registered to vote in
83	82		the administrator's county when notified that the person has been convicted of an
84	83		infamous crime; and
85	84		(B) Restore to the voting rolls any person whose registration has been
86	85		suspended in the administrator's county when notified that the person has
87	86		completed the sentence or received a copy of the final judgment reversing the
88	87		person's conviction of all infamous crimes;
89	88		SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-11-202(a), is amended by adding
90	89		the following new subdivisions:
	90	+	(20) Maintain a list of individuals whose right of suffrage has been suspended for
	91	+	conviction of an infamous crime;
	92	+	(21) Maintain a list of individuals whose right to suffrage has been restored; and
91	93
92	94
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95		-	(20) Maintain a list of individuals whose right of suffrage has been suspended for
96		-	conviction of an infamous crime;
97		-	(21) Maintain a list of individuals whose right to suffrage has been restored; and
98	97		(22) Develop and implement a program to educate attorneys, judges, election
99	98		officials, appropriate staff under the department of correction, including parole and
100	99		probation officers, and members of the public.
101	100		SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-19-143, is amended by deleting the
102	101		section and substituting:
103	102		(a) A person who has been convicted of an infamous crime, as defined by § 40-
104	103		20-112, is not permitted to register to vote or vote at any election until the person has
105	104		completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period, pursuant to § 40-
106	105		29-202, or an appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment
107	106		reversing the person's conviction of all infamous crimes.
108	107		(b) A person who has been convicted in another state of a crime or offense
109	108		which would constitute an infamous crime under the laws of this state, regardless of the
110	109		sentence imposed, shall not register to vote or vote at any election in this state until the
111	110		person has completed the sentence, including any parole or probationary period or an
112	111		appellate court of competent jurisdiction has entered a final judgment reversing the
113	112		person's conviction of all infamous crimes.
114	113		SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-20-112, is amended by deleting
115	114		the section and substituting:
116	115		A criminal offense designated as a felony at the time of conviction is an infamous
117	116		crime, and a person convicted of an infamous crime is immediately suspended from
118	117		exercising the right of suffrage. A person so convicted is not disqualified to testify in any
119	118		action, civil or criminal, by reason of having been convicted of any felony, and the fact of
	119	+	conviction for any felony may only be used as a reflection upon the person's credibility
	120	+	as a witness.
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124		-	conviction for any felony may only be used as a reflection upon the person's credibility
125		-	as a witness.
126	125		SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105, is amended by deleting
127	126		subdivision (b)(1)(A) and substituting:
128	127		(A) Receiving a pardon, except where the pardon contains special conditions
129	128		pertaining to the right of suffrage or the right to possess a firearm;
130	129		SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105(b), is amended by
131	130		deleting subdivisions (3) through (6) and substituting:
132	131		(3) A person eligible for restoration of citizenship pursuant to subdivision (b)(1)
133	132		may request, and then must be issued, a certificate of restoration upon a form
134	133		prescribed by the coordinator of elections, by:
135	134		(A) The pardoning authority; or
136	135		(B) An agent or officer of the supervising or incarcerating authority;
137	136		(4) A person issued a certificate of restoration must submit either a certificate of
138	137		final discharge from the appropriate supervising authority or a certified copy of a
139	138		judgment of an appellate court of competent jurisdiction to the administrator of elections
140	139		of the county to be eligible to vote. Upon receiving a certificate of final discharge from
141	140		the appropriate supervising authority or a certified copy of a judgment of an appellate
142	141		court of competent jurisdiction, the coordinator of elections shall issue a voter
143	142		registration card entitling the person to vote; and
144	143		(5) Before allowing a person convicted of an infamous crime to become a
145	144		registered voter, it is the duty of the administrator of elections in each county to verify
146	145		with the coordinator of elections that the person is eligible to register pursuant to this title
147	146		and title 2.
	147	+	SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105(c), is amended by
	148	+	deleting subdivision (2) and substituting:
	149	+	(2)
148	150
149	151
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152		-	SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105(c), is amended by
153		-	deleting subdivision (2) and substituting:
154		-	(2)
155	154		(A) A person receiving a pardon may petition for restoration immediately
156	155		upon receiving the pardon; and
157	156		(B) The department of correction or the appropriate supervising authority
158	157		shall provide a person convicted of an infamous crime a certificate of discharge
159	158		upon the completion of the sentence imposed by the court, including any parole
160	159		or probationary period, for the infamous crime; provided, that a person convicted
161	160		of murder, rape, treason, or voter fraud is ineligible to register and vote in this
162	161		state;
163	162		SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-105(c), is amended by
164	163		deleting subdivisions (6) and (7) and substituting:
165	164		(6) A person whose right to suffrage has been restored pursuant to subdivision
166	165		(c)(2) shall submit a certified copy of the order or certificate of final discharge to the
167	166		administrator of elections of the county in which the person is eligible to vote. The
168	167		administrator of elections shall verify with the coordinator of elections that the certificate
169	168		of discharge was issued and, upon receiving the verification, shall issue the person a
170	169		voter registration card entitling the person to vote; and
171	170		(7) All costs for a proceeding under this subsection (c) to restore a person's
172	171		citizenship rights must be paid by the petitioner unless the court specifically orders
173	172		otherwise.
174	173		SECTION 13. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-202, is amended by deleting
175	174		the section and substituting:
	175	+	A person rendered infamous and temporarily deprived of the right of suffrage is
	176	+	automatically eligible for the restoration of the right of suffrage upon:
176	177
177	178
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180		-	A person rendered infamous and temporarily deprived of the right of suffrage is
181		-	automatically eligible for the restoration of the right of suffrage upon:
182	181		(1) The completion of the person's sentence, including any parole or
183	182		probationary period, and the person receiving a certificate of final discharge from
184	183		the appropriate supervising authority; or
185	184		(2) An appellate court of competent jurisdiction entering a final judgment
186	185		reversing the person's conviction or convictions of all infamous crimes and the
187	186		person received a certified copy of the judgment.
188	187		SECTION 14. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-203, is amended by deleting
189	188		the section.
190	189		SECTION 15. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-204, is amended by deleting
191	190		subdivisions (2) and (3).
192	191		SECTION 16. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-29-205, is amended by deleting
193	192		the section.
194	193		SECTION 17. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 41-51-301, is amended by adding
195	194		the following as new subsections:
196	195		(d) The department of correction shall provide an inmate upon the inmate's
197	196		release with:
198	197		(1) A certificate of final discharge pursuant to § 40-29-202;
199	198		(2) Written information on how to register to vote;
200	199		(3) The amount of restitution to the victim of the offense owed by the
201	200		inmate;
202	201		(4) The amount of court costs owed by the inmate; and
203	202		(5) The amount of child support owed by the inmate.
	203	+	(e) The department of correction shall provide a copy of the documentation
	204	+	under subdivision (d)(1) to the state coordinator of elections who shall update the
	205	+	appropriate administrator of elections pursuant to § 2-2-139.
204	206
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208		-	(e) The department of correction shall provide a copy of the documentation
209		-	under subdivision (d)(1) to the state coordinator of elections who shall update the
210		-	appropriate administrator of elections pursuant to § 2-2-139.
211	210		SECTION 18. On or before January 1, 2026, the coordinator of elections shall send a
212	211		certified letter and a voter registration application to the last known address of each person who
213	212		had a felony conviction after January 14, 1973, but prior to May 18, 1981, informing the person
214	213		that the person is eligible to vote, never lost the right to vote in this state, and does not need to
215	214		have the person's rights restored.
216	215		SECTION 19. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.