[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6616336,"mediaKeyId","2853478-6cc87e7858e79d75409c587e64eeeaae","parentId",2853478,"title","Votes at a glance: Judiciary committee advances series of bills on bail, child protection, courts and public notices","audioSeconds",8226,"startMs",2569000,"endMs",10795000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2853478-6cc87e7858e79d75409c587e64eeeaae&start=2569&end=10795","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2853478-6cc87e7858e79d75409c587e64eeeaae/thumbnail_2569000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6616336/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-Judiciary-committee-advances-series-of-bills-on-bail-child-protection-courts-and-public-notices","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616336-b880a827efb000ad7d6e7942821767dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870103&Signature=VLri13fTUjvJXwcEelcGLgBy~KhW0-vqIahY006UCNoh9MkTyOWuG0th9nHjbcSxHuoqGU78nZJESxwLiCU~JDsMtrvfdsXcaER3OSGOswYMVMtlG9AjD9u~6nefPXszz-GwY-7wOsQ5HqVbMPHsyTumSzWtuj7CDY-BG4wueE1uDnlALmoMSYHlQoMgfIs5bQqTOQQkMYX2PSvs-mmb7S375K8SIc~D2Hql-HERU7z6onhy7IDZLaSuxa3iD69I0WQURt6RNcOPoHAV3wDMJM23fg6aPt2IbqMulXwEND72tGLynUrrd0w9R817cg61BnnuXTm5EuinnPULM5OkTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Judiciary Committee on March 12 voted on a package of bills covering bail procedures, penalties for violent offenses against children, deadlines for child abuse prosecutions, court filing fees, public‑notice rules and sexual‑assault evidence for minors. Most measures were advanced to the Senate calendar or referred to committee for fiscal review.

Votes and brief descriptions (committee action):

- Senate Bill 12 02 (bond exoneration procedures, amendment 45‑24): Committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill as amended to the calendar (recorded roll call: 9 ayes). Sponsor described a process for judges to hear petitions by professional bondsmen seeking release from obligations after demonstrating “good faith efforts” to locate defendants.

- Senate Bill 6 93 (increase penalty for intentionally injuring a child): Reported to Finance (9 ayes). Sponsor said the measure treats intentional injury of a child as a felony and maintains enhanced penalties for the youngest victims.

- Senate Bill 10 70 (extension of criminal and civil windows for child sexual‑abuse cases): Reported to the calendar (8 ayes, 1 present). The bill would extend prosecution and civil‑suit timelines for certain offenses to 30 years for crimes committed on or after July 1, 2025.

- Senate Bill 10 89 (increasing a $1 court cost to $2 to fund municipal judge training): Reported to Finance (9 ayes). Sponsor said the Administrative Office of the Courts requested the increase to restore funding for training.

- Senate Bill 12 33 (fentanyl sentencing and related provisions; committee amendments adopted): Reported to Finance (9 ayes). The committee adopted committee amendment 4,908 (adding a mandatory minimum 30‑day sentence for fentanyl possession with some treatment alternatives) and a second amendment (penalty enhancements for assaulting first responders) and advanced the bill.

- Senate Bill 4 33 (removing the word “unreasonably” from the criminal animal‑abandonment statute): Reported to the calendar (9 ayes); sponsor said the change is intended to make enforcement clearer for magistrates.

- Senate Bill 7 27 (changes to foreclosure public‑notice posting; amendment adopted): Reported to the calendar (5 ayes, 4 noes). The committee approved an amendment that transitions some required printed notices to online posting and reduces the number of printed notices in some circumstances; the sponsor said the amendment preserves private‑market posting and requires third‑party posting services to be registered with the Secretary of State.

- Senate Bill 9 20 (minor victim access to sexual‑assault evidence collection and extension of reporting duties): Reported to the calendar as amended (8 ayes). Sponsor said the change clarifies that forensic evidence collection for minors may proceed without parental consent while mandatory reporting to DCS and law enforcement still applies.

Several other bills were discussed and rolled or scheduled for future consideration. Where committee roll calls were recorded in the transcript, those tallies are reported above; if a roll call was not recorded in the transcript excerpt, the committee reported the measure by voice vote or unanimous consent according to the secretary’s notes.

For reporters: committee sponsors said they will seek follow‑up documents where requested (fiscal notes, AG opinions, or clarifying language) before bills reach the floor.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Judiciary Committee\tApr 2, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Judiciary Committee took votes on multiple bills at its March hearing. Several measures were advanced to the calendar or referred to other committees; one bond‑industry overhaul moved to Government Operations after extended debate.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29605,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6616341,"Judiciary committee approves bill to create state Board of Professional Bondsmen after hours of debate",3370,3600000,6970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2853478-6cc87e7858e79d75409c587e64eeeaae&start=3600&end=6970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2853478-6cc87e7858e79d75409c587e64eeeaae/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","/articles/6616341/Tennessee/Judiciary-committee-approves-bill-to-create-state-Board-of-Professional-Bondsmen-after-hours-of-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616341-825ecf88b84d65239542eb773b07285d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870103&Signature=FyC2ORZYUoY0Zx47iDt~cD2Yy5cRrXbV1gADhJ4L9vGcX3r-tgpAnhTurgIrnQpFEd7f~LT63sRz4M9fznoregOyhdLoQKtD2SURaf-0sDvkwjwzOQk-k-F~rSP2qE6qWyfkUwpH6RfXbfspubGAb0KhJeh5moiwrLYIoDspc4u2mr7-JE7IrB4c8HEuBd7Q2i6MrzseO~qoBGfci8Xo62m~A9ElBI5ifb~svo0~dB~04tZRiNBPsW-NH1Wa7utTjS0Fj6MKxonZ~Kw8lB1HbbE5bcWoAO09syUtbtN7YEsLg~epJpK7HcU44uBgzCwE6if961ufPc3X9o5ytyG4IA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","After extended testimony from sheriff’s officials, bail agents and prosecutors, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send Senate Bill 12 45—establishing a Board of Professional Bondsmen with statewide licensing and disciplinary authority—to the Government Operations Committee.

Sponsor Senator Hale told the committee the bill would centralize oversight, provide standardized licensing and disciplinary procedures and improve information sharing across judicial districts. “The bill shifts much of the regulatory authority over the professional bondsmen from the courts to the newly established board…standardizing these practices will improve fairness and predictability in the bail process,” Hale said.

Supporters included Sheriff Joe Guy, who described multiple local investigations alleging misconduct by individual agents—cases he said a state board could address more efficiently—and Ken Holmes and Joel Mosley, who represent bondsmen and argued for consistent statewide rules and reporting. \"By creating a dedicated regulatory body, improving accountability measures, and ensuring fair and ethical practices, Senate Bill 12 45 will enhance public trust,\" Holmes told the panel.

Opponents and cautious advocates urged more work on the bill’s details. Bail agents and industry representatives said a new board should preserve local flexibility and criticized the draft for omitting rules for bounty hunters and for leaving some language unclear. Senator Roberts raised a constitutional concern about whether the amendment’s content embraced more than one subject under Article II, Section 17 of the Tennessee Constitution and asked for an expedited attorney‑general review if the amendment were adopted.

Prosecutors’ representatives said the change would not eliminate judicial authority; General Steven Crump, executive director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, said the bill preserves judges’ ability to deny or suspend a bondsman’s privilege to admit bail in a particular court if the court finds the bondsman’s conduct detrimental to a client or disruptive to proceedings.

After debate and several negotiated changes, committee members voted: 6 ayes and 3 no votes were recorded; the bill was reported to Government Operations with the sponsor’s commitment to provide proposed clarifications to committee staff and to consult the attorney general on the constitutional question.

What’s next: The sponsor asked industry and law‑enforcement groups to submit suggested revisions over the weekend; committee staff said members would seek a written AG opinion if requested.","Senate Bill 12 45, which would move much regulatory authority over bail bondsmen to a new statewide board while preserving local judges’ authority over courtroom access, passed out of committee after extended testimony from sheriffs, bondsmen and prosecutors.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6616347,"Senate committee advances bill creating civil and criminal remedies for AI \"deepfake\" impersonation",1117,1053000,2170000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2853478-6cc87e7858e79d75409c587e64eeeaae&start=1053&end=2170","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2853478-6cc87e7858e79d75409c587e64eeeaae/thumbnail_1053000.jpg","/articles/6616347/Tennessee/Senate-committee-advances-bill-creating-civil-and-criminal-remedies-for-AI-deepfake-impersonation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6616347-0433d7395d02918669bf82cb0e9f4378/orig.mp4?Expires=1770870103&Signature=f1JeGM-zXmmle64UT2aKFn5TgJlfuG7M7VN7-mrmQH9wMcflUfGs-GEPl8JWNTFsa968euMbLU7nx0pO-592t65ijW0j60ZE~8FAIbfCG2et58t7jxaAWUEREqAVJvuHT3Oe0iLwVkM8fSapqCgv5wXH4W0jrbHxbVdJrXt79~nwMahlZjBtP31WmEaP0CIBdIgab0XbpKZpLVqLHIn-2Ut0kh2OoCQrdwxGZ4Nv4bPGiwxpAKKppi1WfNSGE3LT70r6SEtlKmcoCzYcWYkLsy1bYRtuIb20MPSF8tGm7FJqkVrG8EAq4Jfb3yucByYSMibCamYllXs5fVAPa-XkJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 13 46, a measure that would create civil and criminal penalties for nonconsensual intimate deepfakes, was advanced to the Senate calendar after testimony from a witness who said the technology destroyed her sense of safety.

Bree Smith, a Sumner County meteorologist, told the Judiciary Committee she discovered fake social‑media accounts last fall that used her face and voice in sexualized images and videos. “Discovering these imposter accounts and seeing the very degrading images was devastating,” Smith said. She told senators the accounts were used to impersonate her followers and to solicit money.

The bill, sponsored in committee by Senator Yarbrough, was explained to the committee as intended to keep Tennessee law “in step with rapidly developing and changing technology.” The amendment adopted in committee defines relevant terms, creates a civil cause of action and permits equitable relief, sets a statute of limitations and creates a criminal offense for intimate digital depictions, according to the sponsor’s description.

Committee members asked how law enforcement would find anonymous offenders and whether the changes would meaningfully help victims. Senator Yarbrough and others said creating a criminal offense and civil remedies would incentivize investigations and give victims ways to pursue wrongdoing and compensation. “I think this is actually the first essential step to getting to that,” Yarbrough said when discussing enforcement and civil incentives.

The committee adopted the amendment and then took the bill up for a vote. The secretary recorded eight aye votes; the bill was reported to the floor calendar.

The measure does not specify particular technology standards or platforms and does not alter platform takedown procedures; it primarily creates private and criminal rights under state law. Supporters said the bill fills a gap because many victims now have little or no legal recourse.

What’s next: The bill, as amended, goes to the Senate calendar for further consideration by the full chamber.","The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send Senate Bill 13 46 to the calendar after testimony from a local broadcaster who said AI-generated impersonations used her image in sexualized and fraudulent posts. The bill, as amended, would create a civil cause of action, equitable relief and a new criminal offense for intimate digital depictions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Judiciary committee advances series of bills on bail, child protection, courts and public notices

Judiciary committee approves bill to create state Board of Professional Bondsmen after hours of debate

Senate committee advances bill creating civil and criminal remedies for AI "deepfake" impersonation