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House approves reporting requirement for bail-bond companies to centralize oversight
Summary
The House passed a bill requiring bail bond companies to file regular reports with county court clerks and creating an audit process for the Department of Revenue to detect overextension and unpaid fee collection. Supporters said the bill closes enforcement gaps; questions focused on frequency and federal obligations.
The Tennessee House approved a measure designed to centralize reporting and oversight of commercial bail-bond companies and to help the Department of Revenue detect overextended license limits and uncollected statutory fees.
Representative Howell (chair of the committee handling the bill) said the proposal requires bail-bond companies to file quarterly reports with the court clerk so the Department of Revenue can audit whether a bondsman is overextended and whether the statutorily required $12 fee per bond is being remitted. Howell told the floor the bill responds to cases in which audits discovered a bondsman was far over the approved limit after the owner’s death.
Representative Dixie asked whether quarterly filings would meaningfully improve information sharing among county clerks and whether a statewide centralized system was planned. Howell said the bill creates a reporting framework that the Department of Revenue can use to obtain county clerk data and conduct audits; he said some bonding companies already self-report but that some do not and the bill addresses that gap.
Questions and concerns Representative Larry Camper asked whether mandatory deductions for monitoring or other obligations would take precedence over child-support garnishments and how the new reporting obligation would interact with existing obligations owed by defendants or system participants. Sponsors said the bill does not change precedence of other legal obligations and that it is designed primarily to enable audits and fee collection oversight.
Vote and outcome The House passed the measure on third and final consideration; the clerk recorded the roll and the House chair declared the bill had received the constitutional majority.
What the bill does - Requires quarterly reports from bail bond licensees to county court clerks and gives the Department of Revenue auditing authority to verify license limits and fee remittances. - Formalizes a $12-per-bond reporting and remittance verification process.
Implementation notes - Sponsor said the Department of Revenue will aggregate county data and audit licensees; the bill does not itself create a statewide IT system but instructs agencies on reporting and auditing responsibilities.
Next steps Bill passed the House and will proceed to the next steps in the legislative process.
