Tennessee House Bill HB1367

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/12/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to law enforcement activity.

Summary

HB1367 requires Tennessee law enforcement officers, beginning January 1, 2026, to tell a person the reason for a traffic stop or pedestrian stop before asking questions related to a possible criminal offense or traffic violation. The bill applies to officers who initiate the stop and is aimed at making the basis for the stop clear at the outset of the encounter. The bill includes a narrow exception allowing the officer to withhold the reason for the stop if the officer believes disclosure is necessary to protect life or property from an imminent threat. The act takes effect upon becoming law, with the operative stop-and-explain requirement delayed until 2026.

Impact

The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 38, Chapter 3, Part 1 by creating a new statutory duty for law enforcement during traffic and pedestrian stops. It would change police procedure statewide by requiring officers to state the reason for the stop before investigative questioning, subject to an imminent-threat exception, and would affect law enforcement agencies, officers, and stopped individuals by establishing a new enforcement standard and potential basis for training or policy updates.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears procedural and reform-oriented, with a focus on transparency in police-citizen encounters rather than on expanding criminal penalties or enforcement powers.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the new requirement that officers disclose the reason for a stop before questioning, which could be viewed by supporters as a transparency and accountability measure and by critics as a constraint on officer discretion or investigative practice. The exception for imminent threats may also be a point of discussion, because it gives officers discretion to withhold information when they believe safety is at risk.