AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to criminal offenses.
Summary
HB2298 amends Tennessee’s criminal code to expand the language used in the state’s aggravated assault statute. Under current law, the relevant provision applies when an offense is “involved the use or display of a deadly weapon.” The bill changes that phrase to “use, display, or brandishing of a deadly weapon,” thereby expressly adding brandishing as a covered form of weapon involvement.
The bill also adds a new statutory definition of “brandish” to Title 39. Under that definition, brandishing means to wave or exhibit a weapon in a manner that a reasonable person would understand as a threat to use it. The act is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill would broaden the reach of Tennessee’s aggravated assault law by making clear that threatening conduct with a deadly weapon can qualify even when the weapon is not actually used or displayed in the more traditional sense. By defining “brandish,” the legislation provides guidance to courts, prosecutors, defense counsel, and law enforcement on how to interpret weapon-related conduct under Title 39. It would amend Tennessee Code Annotated sections 39-13-102 and 39-11-106 and could affect charging decisions, plea negotiations, and trial outcomes in assault cases involving weapons.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or partisan sentiment in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a targeted criminal-law clarification rather than a broad policy change. The absence of recorded opposition or support in the supplied context means sentiment cannot be reliably characterized beyond noting that the proposal is straightforward and technical in nature.
Contention
Because no committee discussion or vote history is included, specific points of contention are not documented in the available record. Potential areas of debate, however, would likely center on whether adding “brandishing” expands criminal liability too far or instead closes a gap in the aggravated assault statute. Stakeholders most likely to care include prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, law enforcement, and criminal justice advocates concerned with weapon-related offenses and statutory clarity.