Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly

Tennessee HB2309: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29 and Title 39, relative to criminal conduct.

Status: Chaptered, May 27, 2026

Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary Present law provides that a person commits the offense of vandalism who knowingly causes damage to, or the destruction of, any real or personal property of another or of the state, the United States, a county, a city, or a town knowing that the person does not have the owner's effective consent. In addition to any sentence imposed for the offense, the court must include an order of restitution for any property damage or loss or cleaning and restoration expenses incurred as a result of the offense. This bill requires, in addition to any sentence imposed for such a violation, if the offense occurred at a house of worship, the court to also include as part of the sentence a fine of no less than two times the total amount of any property damage or loss or cleaning and restoration expenses incurred by the house of worship as a result of the offense. ON MARCH 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2468, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:  Provides it is a Class E felony offense when a person at a house of worship, by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction to ingress or egress to or from a house of worship, intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person's freedom of movement, or attempts to injure, intimidate where the person has a reasonable apprehension of bodily injury to themselves or another, or interfere with another lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the right of religious freedom under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or Article I, § 3 of the Tennessee Constitution. A Class E felony is punishable by one to six years in prison and the possibility of a fine up to $3,000.  Provides it is a Class E felony offense when a person intentionally damages or destroys or attempts