Tennessee Senate bill in Session 114.
Status: failed. Latest action: April 23, 2026.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-24-109, relative to the victims assistance assessment.
If a county elects to establish a program to assist victims of crime, present law requires the clerks of all courts of general sessions, circuit and criminal courts, municipal courts exercising general sessions court jurisdiction and any other court exer cising similar criminal jurisdiction to collect a victims assistance assessment of $45 from any person who does or is any of the following: Enters a plea of guilty. Is found guilty by a judge or jury. Enters a plea of nolo contendere. Enters a plea pursuant to diversionary sentencing. Is found to be criminally responsible as principal for the commission of a criminal offense, except for crimes that have a maximum fine of less than $500 and no imprisonment. Is found to be criminally responsible as principal for the commission of a criminal offense, except for violations of the motor vehicle laws, excluding DUIs or reckless driving, where the reckless driving was proximately caused by the use of an intoxicant. This bill increases from $45 to $125 the victims assistance assessment placed on an individual as outlined above. ALLOCATION OF ASSESSMENT Present law requires that the first $3 of the $45 assessment be paid to the clerk of the court imposing the assessment for processing and handling. The remaining $42 must be transmitted to the county in which the offense occurred, for the exclusive use of the victims assistance program previously designated by the county legislative body. This bill, instead, requires the first $15 of each assessment to be paid to the clerk of the court imposing the assessment for processing and handling. The remaining $110 must be transmitted to the county in which the offense occurred for the exclusive use of the victims assistance program previously designated by the county legislative body. ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 2085 FOR HOUSE BILL 2023, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2085, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that such clerks of court are authorized, not required, to increase the victims assistance assessment to up to $125. This amendment further clarifies the first $15 of each assessment must be paid to the clerk of the court for proc essing and handling and the remaining amount must be transmitted to the county in which the offense occurred for the exclusive use of the victims assistance program previously designated by the county legislative body. ON APRIL 23, 2026, THE SENATE NON-CONCURRED IN HOUSE AMENDMENT # 1 .
| Date | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-22 | Introduced | Bill introduced |
| 2026-04-23 | Status | failed |
| 2026-04-23 | Latest Action | Passed H., Ayes 77, Nays 16, PNV 0 |