Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SB1117 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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2	2	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
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4	4	SENATE BILL 1117
5	5	By Lamar
6	6
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8	8	SB1117
9	9	002630
10	10	- 1 -
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12	12	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16
13	13	and Title 18, relative to reports related to the
14	14	operation of courts.
15	15
16	16	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
17	17	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 18, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
18	18	adding the following as a new section:
19	19	(a) The clerk of each court exercising criminal jurisdiction shall compile a
20	20	monthly report of all fines and fees assessed by the court in the previous month. The
21	21	clerk shall submit the report to the administrative office of the courts on or before the
22	22	fifteenth day of each month for the period covering the preceding calendar month.
23	23	(b) The report submitted pursuant to subsection (a) must include:
24	24	(1) The court that assessed the fines and fees;
25	25	(2) The case number;
26	26	(3) The date the fines and fees were assessed;
27	27	(4) The amount of the assessment;
28	28	(5) Whether the assessment is a fine or fee, or both;
29	29	(6) The code citation for the principal crime for which the defendant was
30	30	convicted or found in violation;
31	31	(7) The due date for an assessment that does not have a payment plan;
32	32	(8) Whether the assessment, at the time of conviction, included a
33	33	payment plan;
34	34	(9) The total length of the payment plan in months, if a payment plan is
35	35	included;
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40	40	(10) Whether the assessment has been paid in full;
41	41	(11) Whether the assessment has a remaining balance that is not due;
42	42	(12) Whether the assessment has a past due balance and by how many
43	43	days;
44	44	(13) The amount of the interest or penalty for failure to pay as due;
45	45	(14) Whether the initial assessment has been reduced, restructured, or
46	46	forgiven completely; and
47	47	(15) The demographic information of the defendant, including indigent
48	48	status.
49	49	(c) As used in this section:
50	50	(1) "Fee":
51	51	(A) Means financial obligations assessed by a court exercising
52	52	criminal jurisdiction; and
53	53	(B) Includes court costs and other charges used to fund the
54	54	criminal justice system and other government services; and
55	55	(2) "Fine":
56	56	(A) Means punitive financial sanctions assessed by a court
57	57	exercising criminal jurisdiction; and
58	58	(B) Includes:
59	59	(i) Financial penalties for traffic and other code violations,
60	60	misdemeanors, and felonies; and
61	61	(ii) Financial obligations assessed as condition of
62	62	probation or parole.
63	63	SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16, Chapter 3, Part 8, is amended by
64	64	adding the following as a new section:
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66	66
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69	69	(a) The administrative office of the courts shall create and maintain a statewide
70	70	database and searchable public website that compiles the reports received by the office
71	71	pursuant to SECTION 1.
72	72	(b) The administrative director shall provide a summary of the reports received
73	73	pursuant to SECTION 1 within thirty (30) days of the end of each fiscal year to the
74	74	governor, the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and
75	75	the attorney general and reporter.
76	76	(c) The administrative director may include in the summary submitted pursuant
77	77	to subsection (b) recommendations to improve statutes, rules, and policies to better
78	78	ensure the imposition, collection, and expenditure of criminal fines and fees are reported
79	79	and done in a manner that is fair to citizens, particularly those who are economically
80	80	disadvantaged and most vulnerable to excessive fines and fees.
81	81	SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.