Courts - As enacted, enacts the "Violent Criminal Court Act." - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55. Companion bill has been assigned Public Chapter Numbe, the official text

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~tate of m;ennessee

PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 937

                                                  HOUSE BILL NO. 1268

                                     By Representatives Scarbrough, Harris

                                        Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 846

                               By Senators Taylor, Gardenhire, Rose, Stevens

         AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 1O; Title 16; Title 37; Title
38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55, relative to criminal justice.

          WHEREAS, the General Assembly recognizes that a critical need exists in the thirtieth
judicial district for additional criminal justice resources because of an increase in violent crime;
and

          WHEREAS, from 2018 to 2024, the number of homicide offenses in the thirtieth judicial
district increased by thirty-three percent, and the number of aggravated assault offenses
increased by forty-one percent; and

          WHEREAS, a task force was created by President Donald Trump to combat crime in the
thirtieth judicial district, and the task force operations have resulted in thousands of arrests,
straining the criminal court system in the thirtieth judicial district; and

          WHEREAS, it is the intent of the General Assembly to increase the efficiency of the
criminal justice system by adding additional criminal courts to the thirtieth judicial district for the
purpose of handling violent crime cases; and

          WHEREAS, the goals of the violent criminal courts created by this act include:

                    (1) Increasing case management efficiency;

                    (2) Expediting criminal case processing by increasing trial capacity;

                    (3) Reducing caseloads for prosecutors and public defenders; and

                    (4) Increasing public safety through more expeditious case processing; now,
          therefore,

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

          SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "Violent Criminal Court Act."

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 16-2-506(30), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:

                    (F)

                              (i) Effective September 1, 2026, there are created in the thirtieth judicial
                    district two (2) additional criminal courts to be designated as violent criminal
                    courts. The governor shall appoint a person to serve as judge of each of the
                    violent criminal courts, and each person so appointed shall serve in that capacity

               until September 1', 2028, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified.

                    At the August 2028 general e:lection, the qualified voters of the thirtieth judicial
                    district shall elect, in accordance with § 16-2-505, one (1) person to serve as
                    judge of each violent criminal court created by this subdivision (30)(F)(i). The
                    person so elected at the August 2028 general election shall hold office until
                    September 1, 2030, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified.
                    Thereafter, the judges of the violent criminal courts shall be elected for a full
                    eight-year term; and
HB1268
                              (ii) The presiding judge is directed to address caseload backlogs in the

                    criminal courts by transferring cases involving criminal offenses set forth in § 40-
                    35-501 (aa), (bb), and (cc) to the violent criminal courts for disposition;
          SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

                                                                2
         HOUSE BILL NO. 1268

PASSED:  April 22, 2026

                         CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                      RANDY MCNALIY
                         SPEAKER OF THE SENA

,-tL ~ APPROVED this          2026
         day of

   ~u<.

BILL LEE, GOVERNOR