AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to criminal offenses.
Summary
SB1129 creates two new criminal offenses in Tennessee law. First, it makes it an offense to knowingly obtain or exercise control over a motor vehicle without the owner’s effective consent, when done with intent to deprive the owner of the vehicle; that conduct is punished as theft based on the vehicle’s value. It also separately makes it a Class E felony to exercise control over a motor vehicle knowing the person does not have the owner’s permission.
Second, the bill makes it a Class A misdemeanor to possess a firearm that a person knows or reasonably should know is stolen. The bill allows the affirmative defenses already available under Tennessee’s stolen-property statute to be raised in prosecutions under this new firearm-possession offense. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill amends Title 39 of the Tennessee Code by adding new offenses related to motor vehicle theft and possession of stolen firearms. It expands criminal liability for unauthorized vehicle control and creates a separate misdemeanor offense for possessing a stolen gun, while tying one vehicle offense to existing theft sentencing provisions and value-based grading. The measure would affect vehicle owners, firearm possessors, law enforcement, prosecutors, and criminal defendants by providing additional charging options and penalties for conduct involving stolen property.
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 bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a law-enforcement-oriented approach aimed at deterring vehicle theft and the circulation of stolen firearms. The absence of recorded controversy in the supplied materials means the overall sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s apparent public-safety purpose.
Contention
The main policy questions raised by the bill are how broadly to criminalize unauthorized control of a motor vehicle and whether possession of a stolen firearm should be treated as a standalone misdemeanor offense. Potential points of contention could include the mens rea standards—especially the “reasonably should know” language for stolen firearms—and whether the new offenses overlap with existing theft or stolen-property laws. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided materials.