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Committee advances bill raising penalties for repeat driving without a license to class A misdemeanor
Summary
Senate Bill 375, which would raise repeat offenses of driving without a valid license to higher-class misdemeanors, passed the Transportation and Safety Committee and moves to Finance; supporters cited public safety while the committee limited its review to safety-related content.
The Tennessee Senate Transportation and Safety Committee voted 6-3 to advance Senate Bill 375, a measure that would increase criminal penalties for driving without a valid driver’s license.
Sponsor Senator Rose told the committee the bill would make driving without a license a Class B misdemeanor, and a second or third offense would elevate the violation to a Class A misdemeanor. Currently driving without an appropriate license is a Class C misdemeanor, the sponsor said. He and staff also cited a five-year average of roughly 14,979 convictions statewide for driving without an appropriate license.
The sponsor acknowledged the bill carried a sizeable fiscal note, including an estimated $7.5 million impact tied to increased local jail time associated with Class A misdemeanors. Committee members were reminded that, under committee practice, the body’s review should focus on safety content rather than fiscal impact; the bill was advanced to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee for the fiscal review.
Senator Pote raised a practical question about temporary failure to carry a license. Legal staff clarified that an absent-but-valid license is handled under a separate provision (cited in the hearing) and that Senate Bill 375 would apply where a person has not been issued a valid license (or lacks any valid license from another state). The committee voted to move the bill forward; the clerk recorded 6 ayes and 3 noes.
With the committee vote, the bill will go to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee for the fiscal review required for penalty-class changes.
