HB 931 - SB 859
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 9, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Arielle Woodmore | Email: arielle.woodmore@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 931 - SB 859
SUMMARY OF BILL: Establishes that a person’s use of force in self-defense is justified
when that force is used from within the person’s residence against an individual armed with a deadly
weapon who is unlawfully present on the person’s property and outside of the enclosed structure of
the person’s residence.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-11-611(c), any person using force intended or likely to
cause death or serious bodily injury within a residence, business, dwelling or vehicle is
presumed to have held a reasonable belief of imminent death or serious bodily injury to self,
family, a member of the household or a person visiting as an invited guest, when that force
is used against another person, who unlawfully and forcibly enters or has unlawfully and
forcibly entered the residence, business, dwelling or vehicle, and the person using defensive
force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry occurred.
• The proposed legislation creates a new justification of self-defense to include a person using
force intended or likely to cause death or serious bodily injury from within the person's
residence or dwelling when that force is used against an individual armed with a deadly
weapon who is unlawfully present on the person's property and outside of the enclosed
structure of the person's residence or dwelling.
• Any impact to local incarceration, the court system, or state incarceration resulting from
adding such presumption as a defense is estimated to be not significant.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director