AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 55, relative to criminal offenses involving motor vehicles.
Summary
SB2370 amends Tennessee’s vehicular homicide statute to create a new basis for the offense when a driver is operating at an “extreme and excessive rate of speed,” defined in the bill as traveling more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Under the bill, if a death results from this level of speeding, the conduct would qualify as vehicular homicide.
The bill also specifies the penalty for vehicular homicide committed under this new speeding-based provision: a Class B felony. The act would take effect on July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill would expand Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-213, by adding a new vehicular homicide trigger tied specifically to excessive speeding. It would create a clearer statutory standard for prosecutors and courts by defining “extreme and excessive rate of speed” as more than 20 mph over the posted limit, and it would place resulting offenses in Class B felony status. The measure affects drivers whose speeding causes a fatality and could increase criminal exposure in fatal crash cases involving high-speed driving.
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 to reflect a public-safety approach focused on deterring dangerous speeding and strengthening penalties for fatal crashes caused by excessive speed.
Contention
The main potential point of contention is the bill’s bright-line definition of “extreme and excessive rate of speed” as more than 20 mph over the limit. Supporters may view that threshold as a clear and enforceable standard for serious dangerous driving, while critics could argue it is either too broad or too rigid for varying road and traffic conditions. Another possible issue is the severity of making such conduct a Class B felony when a death occurs, which raises questions about proportionality and prosecutorial discretion.