Criminal Offenses - As enacted, increases the penalty for assaulting a first responder from a Class A misdemeanor with a mandatory fine of $5,000 and a mandatory minimum of 30 days incarceration to a Class E felony with , the official text

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                            PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 1104

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1900

   By Bailey, Lowe, Harshbarger, Seal, Hatcher; Mr. Speaker McNally; Jackson, White, Pody,
    Yager, Haile, Gardenhire, Bowling, Crowe, Walley, Hensley, Massey, Rose, Southerland,

                                                                 Taylor

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 2428

       By Capley, Powers, Sherrell, Atchley, Hawk, Hale, Russell, Cepicky; Mr. Speaker Sexton;
   McCalmon, Grills, Keisling, Vital, Greg Martin, Hakeem, Helton-Haynes, Shaw, Todd, Lamberth,
   Garrett, Raper, Alexander, Eldridge, Hill, Renea Jones, Tim Hicks, Moon, Gary Hicks, Crawford,
    Doggett, Vaughan, Gillespie, Leatherwood, White, Boyd, Littleton, Haston, Moody, Hurt, Rudd,

                         Baum, Lankford, Maberry, Slater, Reeves, Terry, Bricken, Davis

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to first responders.

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

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-116(c)(1), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting:

                    (A) Assault against a law enforcement officer or first responder under subsection (a)
          is a Class E felony, and shall be punished by a mandatory fine of ten thousand dollars
          ($10,000) and a mandatory minimum sentence of sixty (60) days incarceration. The
          defendant is not eligible for release from confinement until the defendant has served the
          entire sixty-day mandatory minimum sentence.

                    (B) Assault against a nurse under subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor, and shall
          be punished by a mandatory fine of five thousand dollars ($5,000) and a mandatory minimum
          sentence of thirty (30) days incarceration. The defendant is not eligible for release from
          confinement until the defendant has served the entire thirty-day mandatory minimum
          sentence.

          SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 1900

PASSED:  April 22, 2026

                         ..             RANDY Mc

                         SPEAKER OF THE SE

                         CAMEROtl'SEXTON, SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

A'} CYh APPROVED this a;J.wL day of     2026

         ~(-Gr_
                    BILL LEE, GOVERNOR