Criminal Offenses - As enacted, specifies that, in regard to the criminal offense of desecration of a venerated object, "desecrate" includes, but is not limited to, the removal of objects from a place of burial by a pers, the official text

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~tate of \leennessee

PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 626

                                                  HOUSE BILL NO. 1731

                             By Representatives Wright, Doggett, Moon, Davis

                                       Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 1841

                           By Senators Briggs, Bowling, Jackson, Reeves, Rose

          AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 46, relative to places
of burial.

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

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-311, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:

                    (c) As used in this section, "desecrate" includes, but is not limited to, the removal
          of objects from a place of burial by a person other than a family member of the
          deceased, an authorized representative of the cemetery, an employee of the department
          of environment and conservation's division of archaeology in the ordinary course of the
          employee's duties under title 11, chapter 6, or persons otherwise authorized by law to
          remove such objects.

          SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.
         HOUSE BILL NO. 1731

PASSED:  March 9, 2026

                        CAMERON"SEXTON,SPEAKER
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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                                        RAND~C0 NALLY

                        SPEAKER OF                sENATE

APPROVED this J.(pfL. day of yV\ Cl¥<~  2026

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BILL LEE, GOVERNOR