[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-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",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_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",6608111,"mediaKeyId","2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975","parentId",2941195,"title","Today’s House Judiciary Committee votes: roundup of bills moved and outcomes","audioSeconds",13742,"startMs",676000,"endMs",14418000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975&start=676&end=14418","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975/thumbnail_676000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6608111/Tennessee/Todays-House-Judiciary-Committee-votes-roundup-of-bills-moved-and-outcomes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608111-a9e82895aa122d58243230f2def42571/orig.mp4?Expires=1773621746&Signature=WeqP0MyFA7XO6A01BZ8ytuBNZsNUNqTpWBR3uS6uIue5kmJj9awAWEugfn0FwZJ7Xig6Hkhkn7qSmynwPZXz1nKeYfUWko6ZXqzBoSBD2Q2pre0BbfTFrXJ3ak40zfMwYkiQPlGk-i6ReSMet1HR-xk5-fwMOWKj48DmeRo3rAigIiuO1~0ILiLZrW9pfnAW83CoTw-2leuIH9glXmyhM9wH-ha8M023DuQCxinSTzx43wxHlwKwtJ60iU~r~U8BlJS3H3efxtoe1e4gfZN8wpT~1LYnRbudltILqFlTutO~YBIJlCoPwFaCYHFMuDlv34W0Ohx8QJFW3w1~pFLd1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","The House Judiciary Committee conducted a long session with multiple bills considered. The committee adopted amendments and recorded formal votes moving several bills to follow‑up committees or to calendar and rules. Items that the committee formally acted on with recorded votes during this session include the following (titles are committee summaries, outcomes reflect the committee record):

- House Bill 785 (bail bonding reporting fee / quarterly clerk reports): Advanced to calendar and rules (vote reported: 14 ayes, 1 no, 1 present not voting). Transcript: early segment.

- House Bill 1010 (clarify removal proceedings — allow DA to appoint another DA/assistant to pursue removal actions): Advanced to calendar and rules (16 ayes, 3 noes).

- House Bill 1204 (DUI reforms: license suspension increase for refusal, on‑site oral fluid testing, sentence corrections): Sent to finance/ways and means (14 ayes, 5 noes, 1 present not voting).

- House Bill 10150/1050 (nuisance business enforcement, prima facie nuisance after repeated arrests at a location): Advanced to calendar and rules (vote recorded: 17 ayes, 1 no, 2 present not voting). The bill’s language establishes a threshold of arrests within a time window and a notice process to property owners and occupiers.

- House Bill 873 (protect firearm and related manufacturers from recognition of foreign judgments): Advanced to calendar and rules (17 ayes, 5 noes).

- House Bill 5 (private wrongful‑death cause of action for abortion pills mailed into Tennessee): Moved to health committee (14 ayes, 6 noes).

- House Bill 580 (Debbie Marie Domestic Violence amendments / GPS monitoring standards): Moved to calendar and rules (20 ayes, 0 noes). The amendment clarifies show‑cause hearing procedures if monitoring is interrupted and sets baseline standards for providers.

- House Bill 361 (clarification: judges may issue protection orders in domestic violence cases): Advanced to calendar and rules (20 ayes, 0 noes).

- Several smaller bills and procedural items were moved to calendar and rules or other committees (expungement cleanup, retaliation/retaliation‑related statutes, technical corrections). Where formal recorded roll calls were taken, the tallies above reflect the committee minutes.

Several measures attracted longer public hearings (for example HB 8 11, HB 3 22, HB 11 31, HB 5 76) and are summarized in separate coverage. Committee action on the bills above does not mean final passage; most were referred to additional committees or the calendar for full House consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Judiciary Committee\tApr 9, 2025\t10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The House Judiciary Committee considered numerous bills; this roundup lists formal actions the committee took on multiple measures including referrals, amendments adopted and recorded vote tallies.","taxTitle","Judiciary, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",79849,"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},6608116,"Committee rejects proposed presumption of 50/50 parenting time after lengthy debate and public testimony",2706,9250000,11956000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975&start=9250&end=11956","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975/thumbnail_9250000.jpg","/articles/6608116/Tennessee/Committee-rejects-proposed-presumption-of-5050-parenting-time-after-lengthy-debate-and-public-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608116-1613277c29b766e22d8443572ee9df1e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773621746&Signature=cRQs2oajlmE4gLA2ZgiiyVfqJsdbjjQ9Va-5w3D~boKQ7zDNcZDJvHqfHsG4U1GS1nwyeK5m0Lvnx5Wep81loWCz2NxllzhYo0WBSWGkvjf4mE1vHaHgy0xjgahg3Loy0waZkg6K3aDBt3S1FKkdfyCd3~UcogymRUwuGGMOT9lB7l5J6jHNSgg67g3zmJ-Tt80xm7b~XYjoui3liqIpGt3HSIJo3c-8ndKFw6O1-MFfzGdWqaPkBgOR4oOBR7ZYfreEObU50OmghEcOcx1TxfNp-D~m8Vw8uvBn8QCixTdjjXkMYbCp4FnV0IOwnWJO~fXcueonf~ZNHvcznRxxWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Bill 11 31, a contentious measure that would have set a rebuttable presumption that joint legal custody and equally shared parenting time are in the child’s best interest “whenever possible,” failed in the House Judiciary Committee after an extended public hearing and legal debate.

Sponsor Representative Parkinson said the bill simply sets a starting point for custody cases and does not bind judges, adding that the measure was intended to prioritize both parents’ involvement “whenever possible.” He argued that the presumption would provide a neutral baseline and encourage parental cooperation.

But opponents — including family law practitioners, the Tennessee Bar Association Family Law Committee and domestic‑violence advocates — urged the committee to reject the approach. Family law attorneys and judges told the committee judges already maximize parenting time under current law and that imposing a presumption risks undermining individualized “best interest” determinations. The Tennessee Bar Association’s family‑law chair testified that judges and practitioners across the state opposed the bill and warned it could produce unintended effects, including discouraging victims of domestic abuse from seeking divorce or protection.

Public testimony included parents and mental‑health professionals who described both personal experience and research on shared parenting. Some clinicians told the panel that shared parenting shows benefits in many cases, while advocates for survivors of abuse and parents with substantiated protective issues warned the presumption could endanger children or coerce reunification in unsafe circumstances.

After debate the committee voted 3 ayes, 16 noes, 2 present not voting. The bill failed to advance.","House Bill 11 31, which would have established a rebuttable presumption favoring equal shared parenting time and joint legal custody as a starting point in custody determinations, failed in committee after emotional testimony and legal concerns about one‑size‑fits‑all effects on child safety and judicial discretion.",{"_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},6608121,"Committee advances bill to create statewide board to oversee bail bondsmen; industry advocates and critics debate scope",1294,13130000,14424000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975&start=13130&end=14424","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975/thumbnail_13130000.jpg","/articles/6608121/Tennessee/Committee-advances-bill-to-create-statewide-board-to-oversee-bail-bondsmen-industry-advocates-and-critics-debate-scope","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608121-5672fed375cf5889ceb74a6cd7766bc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773621746&Signature=ITBiX8UpTGBtKXoeFpg5VhjtsmW-lWIXq-pnjBxcWABTc5qtJl-3rDlourP~wih~d-Hvv8kQnaDP5H2QR1l36Bak6f9zCwYilLybajQuLCTLRUKWFjkpbAHlbwFRiPPXl92ZnETBn8C4r9FkOOZOZE17KgoYiaTsdAIL00FttE6qYA9dFpI18in1Hu5cyfChpca0HFoqXMAf9svKVXjAw37fmyaMhhAzPkb43sir~nbq4ykI6m-tGlETmEklGu7-t9QwgwhWaGpxZoGWL6e2CZJ5o4EZZm-fOXPkzJzqLKbt4Q56dOfdrfFbgtzr4RXSfTIk8bTd3WQgYbsJsBVATQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A House committee voted to advance House Bill 5 76 to government operations after a debate over whether oversight of professional bail bondsmen should be centralized under a Department of Commerce and Insurance board.

The bill would create a seven‑member Board of Professional Bondsmen, require biannual filings from bonding companies and agents, and transfer investigative and disciplinary authority over licensing from the courts to the board while preserving judicial authority in individual jurisdictions. The bill also would bar a bondsman from simultaneously owning a GPS monitoring company and prohibit withdrawal from a bond because of a contract breach in some circumstances.

Supporters argued the board would create consistent oversight across judicial districts and allow better tracking where a bonding business has had disciplinary issues in another county. Rick Nagel, representing a bonding company, told the committee that centralized filings and a single regulatory point would improve transparency and reduce data fragmentation.

Opponents, including representatives of the Tennessee Association of Professional Bail Bond Agents, said the bill risks squeezing smaller, locally based bail firms and creating overlapping regulators. Nathan Ridley of the agents’ association warned the board could create conflicts with judges and judicial districts that currently handle bond approval and discipline; he said the industry already returns large numbers of defendants to custody and that the locally administered system works in practice.

Sheriffs and district attorney representatives supported a measured reform. Mike Donovan of the District Attorneys’ Conference said the bill would “streamline” authority and help identify problematic operators that move across county lines. Sheriff representatives said bondsmen are critical partners in returning defendants who jump bond and praised many agents for their cooperation.

After testimony, the committee voted to send House Bill 5 76 as amended to government operations (14 ayes, 3 noes, 1 present not voting).","House Bill 5 76, which would establish a Board of Professional Bondsmen under the Department of Commerce and Insurance and change discipline and filing requirements for bail agents, moved to government operations after testimony from sheriffs, prosecutors, bondsmen and critics.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6608126,"Committee advances bill creating human smuggling crimes and a misdemeanor for harboring; witnesses warn of vagueness and school impacts",1359,4319000,5678000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975&start=4319&end=5678","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975/thumbnail_4319000.jpg","/articles/6608126/Tennessee/Committee-advances-bill-creating-human-smuggling-crimes-and-a-misdemeanor-for-harboring-witnesses-warn-of-vagueness-and-school-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608126-5f1994c7b91e4a89a3655d2c4745d3b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1773621746&Signature=dBnVOkror2GzumMkGewTdFndJskYFGcWr-1POe-Fe33MO20NzcJRtJWzjPO6Y4jBGJxfFcj~PB8TF87KTqgv1P0UckCTM-7AEbvSnaV-WOx5bZ4SDAMbKF0RzyIvVeXF0oAldvgiKACGxCZWKYLVzotfx53-drtaEmDsko4eMCQCafXdSsUalYrNS~iafCgJUECiunql4bGy9i24xz-4mus6S-RHO3AaN6UUGZrON8-VScH0Dp2oigQLe5DbozxmhpjRLYAcHnB-O7MJNtpkmRJuBi21HOjTmPOcrkjnvTxDpYdCD~PYnzJHSmJLjR7OmIxQ21pnqT0C14O2QuBBLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Judiciary Committee voted to advance House Bill 3 22 to the finance committee after a long hearing that included testimony from law enforcement, legal counsel and multiple public witnesses who said the bill's broader language risked criminalizing routine assistance.

Sponsor Representative Todd said the measure would create the criminal offense of human smuggling — with a class E felony for smuggling and a class A felony for aggravated smuggling involving victims under 13 — and a separate misdemeanor for harboring or hiding an unlawfully present individual. The bill also includes an exclusion for licensed attorneys and health‑care providers acting at licensed facilities.

Supporters included prosecutors and former prosecutors who said the bill fills gaps in existing trafficking laws by focusing on cross‑border smuggling methods and the commercial motives behind forced labor, sexual exploitation and other trafficking. Legal counsel for the committee explained that the harboring provision criminalizes ‘‘harboring or hiding or assisting another in harboring or hiding’’ someone the person knows or should have known is unlawfully present, while listing limited exceptions for attorneys and medical settings.

Opponents urged caution and sought clarifications. Johanna Cohen, a Robertson County resident, said she opposed the bill on moral grounds and recounted a household example in which an undocumented woman stayed with her family when her parents were unable to care for her; Cohen said the bill could criminalize that help. Ashley Warbington, who said her husband is undocumented, said the law’s vagueness could turn ordinary acts — driving a spouse to a doctor’s appointment, translating school forms, letting a child’s friend into one’s home — into crimes.

Legal staff told lawmakers the bill’s exceptions apply to attorneys licensed in Tennessee and to health‑care providers in licensed facilities or practice sites; the committee discussed the limits of those exceptions, including whether school staff, counselors or out‑of‑state attorneys would be protected. Counsel also said the harboring offense is a class A misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $1,000 per person harbored, and the smuggling offenses are felonies.

After testimony, the committee voted to send the bill, as amended, to finance and ways and means. Sponsors said prosecutions would still be fact‑specific and courts would have discretion; opponents warned the bill could chill routine community and faith‑based assistance and produce constitutional preemption questions.

Committee action: House Bill 3 22, as amended, moved to finance and ways and means by recorded vote (16 ayes, 6 noes).","House Bill 3 22, creating human smuggling offenses and a misdemeanor for harboring or hiding unlawfully present individuals, moved to finance after extended public testimony. Supporters framed it as targeting traffickers and smugglers; opponents warned the bill is vague and could criminalize routine acts by hospitals, schools and family members.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6608130,"Tennessee committee advances bill allowing lawsuits against nonprofits that house undocumented immigrants after testimony from faith leaders",248,1444000,1692000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975&start=1444&end=1692","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2941195-3efa56a38b633cb0bca3f9ff0e997975/thumbnail_1444000.jpg","/articles/6608130/Tennessee/Tennessee-committee-advances-bill-allowing-lawsuits-against-nonprofits-that-house-undocumented-immigrants-after-testimony-from-faith-leaders","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608130-c9ca4dd812e052a2c838f56bdd5995e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1773621746&Signature=XbPq1fkCN-1MXBaujkotjlczi3Wt~f4fUFFr0DBr6JxuK8262TNwCuAHuqOzTE1cTW3E5~kBhzNgO92zfEP4CBHJch5L9Xv5M2cZYg3P9mogzxn4c4wg6vYhyjq~BSCnzwRCDaoGnvJPSCBsBNlU9pXVpKtc0n3uSg~oxjZcOpGVi57r9XjfAEM6RF63~wApwv0LFVWfCF0hsw5GceCJbDzTi1yOT4ajTw62LOtgfdWlyQtFJAvaEhVN2pNXKLg7XUfffuZiqKvysLvRsOzxakb0ududaz50o40FXsaAAtSNLE5jBJ~Mme1yo32Ph1uQepcr27CbdcAByKXmPz2x-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Tennessee House committee voted to advance House Bill 8 11, a measure that would let crime victims sue charitable organizations that knowingly provide long-term housing to people the organizations know are unlawfully present in the United States.

Supporters said the bill restored civil liability where the General Assembly had previously removed it. Representative Joe Grylls, speaking for the bill, said the statute that granted immunity to charities in 2022 should be rolled back so groups can be held to the same negligence standard as others.

Several faith-based and charitable witnesses told the committee they opposed the bill. Lindsay Crinks, a minister and co‑founder of a statewide homelessness coalition, said that although the bill’s language now excludes temporary emergency shelters, it still “is too vague when it comes to defining negligence” and could chill religious ministries that connect people to permanent housing. Crinks told the committee that her organization has “never had a negligence claim.”

Other witnesses raised constitutional and practical concerns. Witnesses warned the bill could expose volunteers and faith groups to litigation for helping families or providing translations and said existing federal housing rules and the 2022 law already shaped liability boundaries.

Supporters, including the bill sponsor, said the measure targets organizations that knowingly help people circumvent immigration laws in order to obtain long‑term housing and does not affect emergency shelters, the Red Cross, or temporary housing. Representative Grylls said the statute would not impose vicarious liability for crimes committed later by tenants but would allow negligence claims where charities breached a duty of care that led to harm.

The committee voted to send the bill, as amended, to calendar and rules. The roll call recorded 15 ayes and 6 noes.

What happens next: If placed on the calendar, the bill would go to the full House for debate. Committee members repeatedly asked whether the bill would expose long‑standing charitable practices to new liability and whether the law restored by the measure simply returns the state to pre‑February 2022 civil‑liability law.

Votes at the committee: The committee recorded a final vote sending House Bill 8 11, as amended, to calendar and rules with 15 ayes and 6 noes.","A House committee moved House Bill 8 11 to calendar and rules after hours of testimony from nonprofit and faith-based leaders who said the bill would expose their organizations to negligence claims for helping people obtain long-term housing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Today’s House Judiciary Committee votes: roundup of bills moved and outcomes

Committee rejects proposed presumption of 50/50 parenting time after lengthy debate and public testimony

Committee advances bill to create statewide board to oversee bail bondsmen; industry advocates and critics debate scope

Committee advances bill creating human smuggling crimes and a misdemeanor for harboring; witnesses warn of vagueness and school impacts

Tennessee committee advances bill allowing lawsuits against nonprofits that house undocumented immigrants after testimony from faith leaders