AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to criminal offenses.
Summary
HB2472 amends Tennessee’s criminally negligent homicide statute to expressly define certain failures to act as criminally negligent conduct. Under the bill, a person may be guilty of criminally negligent homicide if their criminally negligent conduct results in another person’s death. The bill specifically adds to that definition the failure or refusal to render aid to someone who is unconscious or in need of medical care when the person knows or reasonably should know that the condition arose after the use of a controlled substance.
The practical effect is to create a clearer basis for criminal liability in overdose or drug-related emergency situations where a bystander does not seek help or provide assistance. The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Section 39-13-212, and would take effect July 1, 2026. It targets conduct involving controlled substances as defined in Tennessee law and could affect individuals present during overdose incidents, as well as prosecutors and courts applying the homicide statute.
Impact
The bill narrows and clarifies Tennessee’s criminally negligent homicide law by adding a specific statutory example of criminally negligent conduct: failing or refusing to render aid to an unconscious person or someone needing medical care after controlled substance use. This would expand the circumstances under which prosecutors may charge criminally negligent homicide and could influence how law enforcement, defense counsel, and courts evaluate omission-based liability in overdose-related deaths. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-212 and does not create a new offense, but rather modifies the existing homicide framework.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the text alone, the bill appears to reflect a public-safety and overdose-response approach, with an emphasis on encouraging aid in medical emergencies involving controlled substances. The absence of discussion or voting history makes the overall sentiment difficult to gauge beyond the bill’s apparent intent.
Contention
The main point of contention likely concerns whether the bill appropriately criminalizes failure to act in overdose situations. Supporters would likely argue it promotes lifesaving intervention and accountability when someone knowingly leaves an unconscious person without help. Opponents may argue it could discourage people from being present during overdoses, create uncertainty about when a person “reasonably should know” medical care is needed, or expand criminal liability for omissions in emotionally charged emergency settings. No specific legislators or stakeholders are identified in the available materials.