Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates the offense of intentionally impeding or obstructing a member of the division of protective services from ingress to, egress from, or movement about a location where the member is , the official text

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                       ~tate of \!tennessee

                          PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 84

                                                  HOUSE BILL NO. 120

  By Representatives Lamberth, Cochran, Hulsey, Sherrell, Burkhart, Scarbrough, Todd,
                                                              Hawk

                                       Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 1303

                     By Senators Johnson, Taylor, Jackson, Pody, Rose, Stevens

         AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and Title 39, relative to criminal
offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 16, Part 5, is amended by
adding the following as a .new section:

                    (a) As used in this section:

                              (1) "Division of protective services" means the division of the department
                    of safety established under § 4-3-2006, and includes any member of the
                    Tennessee highway patrol, commissioned member of the office of homeland
                    security, or other state or local law enforcement officer who is actively engaged in
                    supporting the division's operations; and

                              (2) "Person protected by the division of protective services" means any
                    person whom the division of protective services has been authorized by the
                    commissioner of safety to protect and is actively engaged in protecting under§ 4-
                    3-2006.

                     (b)

                              (1) A person commits an offense who intentionally impedes or obstructs a
                    member of the division of protective services from ingress to, egress from, or
                    movement about a location where the member is responsible for a person
                    protected by the division of protective services.

                              (2) A person commits an offense who intentionally refuses to vacate an
                    area where access has been restricted by a member of the division of protective
                    services for the purpose of maintaining the safety or security of the person
                    protected by the division of protective services.

                     (c)

                                (1)

                                         (A) Except as provided in subdivision (c)(1)(B), a violation of
                               subdivision (b)(1) is a Class A misdemeanor.

                                         (B) A violation of subdivision (b)(1) is a Class E felony if the
                               person who committed the offense was a threat to the safety or security
                               of the person protected by the division of protective services.

                               (2) A violation of subdivision (b)(2) is a Class E felony.

           SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.
                    HOUSE BILL NO. 120

PASSED:  March 13. 2025

                            CAMERetfl!SEXTON,SPEAKER
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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                                        -  D ~N AI.~.lrL"I\"1' N ____i_ci$__ .A I I V

                            SPEAKER OF THE SE:NJ

M o r ~ APPROVED this ~day of              2025

BILL LEE, GOVERNOR