AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal justice.
SB1928 makes several changes to Tennessee criminal justice law, primarily focused on victims’ rights, restitution, and related procedural protections. First, it amends the courtroom exclusion rule in Title 40 to clarify that certain people may not be excluded from proceedings, including a natural-person party, a designated representative for a non-natural-person party, a person essential to presenting a party’s case, and a crime victim or the victim’s chosen representative if the victim cannot attend.
The bill also expands the definition of “victim” for restitution purposes. Under the amended restitution statute, a reciprocal insurer that has compensated a subscriber for losses caused by an offense is treated as a victim to the extent of the payment made, and a law enforcement agency that spends money to buy controlled substances or contraband during an investigation is also treated as a victim. In addition, the bill adds certain offenses to the list of crimes that can support a civil cause of action or related remedy when the offense directly causes serious bodily injury or death, specifically evading arrest and specified forms of vehicular homicide.
SB1928 further amends the law governing release eligibility and related criminal procedure by adding victims, as defined in the victims’ rights statutes, to the list of persons who may be considered in the relevant statutory provision. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and applies broadly to criminal justice administration rather than creating a new standalone offense.
The bill appears to have received generally favorable treatment in committee, as reflected by the Senate Judiciary Committee’s 7-2 recommendation for passage and referral onward. The available record does not include detailed debate, but the structure of the bill suggests support for strengthening victim participation and clarifying restitution rights, alongside some possible concern about expanding who qualifies as a victim and how criminal procedure rules apply to law enforcement and insurers.
SB1928 would amend multiple sections of Tennessee Code Annotated in Titles 29, 39, and 40, affecting courtroom attendance rules, restitution definitions, and victim-related criminal procedure provisions. It broadens statutory protections for victims and their representatives, expands who may be treated as a victim for restitution purposes, and adds evading arrest and certain vehicular homicide offenses to a statutory list tied to serious bodily injury or death. The bill would therefore affect criminal defendants, victims, insurers, law enforcement agencies, and courts applying victims’ rights and restitution statutes.
The available voting history suggests the bill was viewed positively in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it advanced by a 7-2 vote. No transcript excerpts are available, but the committee action indicates majority support for the bill’s victims’ rights and criminal justice changes. The two dissenting votes suggest some reservations, likely about the scope of the amendments or the policy implications of expanding statutory definitions and remedies.
The main points of contention likely center on the bill’s expansion of the term “victim” to include insurers and law enforcement agencies, which may be seen as broadening restitution rights beyond traditional crime victims. Another possible area of debate is the limitation on excluding victims or their representatives from proceedings, which could raise concerns about courtroom management or defendants’ rights in some cases. The addition of evading arrest and vehicular homicide to the serious-injury/death provisions may also have prompted discussion about how far the law should extend civil or procedural consequences for those offenses.