AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to burglary.
Summary
HB0555 revises Tennessee’s burglary statutes by changing the offense of burglary to a Class D felony. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39 to simplify the burglary classification language and updates Title 40 provisions governing the criminal record expungement/sealing index to conform to the revised burglary offense reference.
The measure also makes a technical correction to the statutory cross-references in Title 40 so that the recordkeeping provisions align with the updated burglary classification. The act applies only to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026, meaning it does not retroactively affect prior convictions or pending cases based on earlier conduct.
Impact
The bill changes the penalty classification for burglary under Tennessee law by expressly designating burglary as a Class D felony and revising related criminal records provisions in Title 40. It affects prosecutors, defense counsel, courts, and criminal record administrators by updating how burglary is charged, recorded, and referenced in the state code for offenses occurring on or after the effective date.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support, advancing through subcommittee and committee votes with strong majorities and passing the House floor by a wide margin. The available vote history suggests general agreement with the bill’s approach and little visible opposition, though a small number of no votes on the floor indicate some limited disagreement.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be the policy choice to reclassify burglary as a Class D felony and the associated criminal justice implications, such as sentencing severity and downstream effects on criminal records. While most legislators supported the bill, the recorded no votes suggest some concern about the change’s impact on punishment or related criminal justice policy, even though no committee transcript is available to identify specific arguments.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65, relative to weapons.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65, relative to weapons.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65, relative to firearms.