[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,76,87,99],{"_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",6109002,"mediaKeyId","2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4","parentId",2765037,"title","Subcommittee advances overhaul of felony voting-rights restoration; critics say bill raises barriers","audioSeconds",2496,"startMs",964000,"endMs",3460000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4&start=964&end=3460","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4/thumbnail_964000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6109002/Tennessee/Subcommittee-advances-overhaul-of-felony-voting-rights-restoration-critics-say-bill-raises-barriers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6109002-53419bb09eeeb476333d74ed0bf0a073/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447627&Signature=KbYfF~V12bfED6s87YLW~XW5ytb8Uy22yPzZrcf7HhSSxLYgEh7mvhFXHdtt~Ch6q6GUO1hjoHHqnM055yrtctNpaXaNVSnGQLStbUwTzYgvZO-COc32NUhCOD0ZMQWwTjhnGCRgOp6j9p-IhuvW0jfj6wOAH1-yqk17QDtP5yTbvtY2wfokk1ePDM83OZQWPHFe4hsKVdk6Yhya1wVOIrbCXjWdTOvCAyFYSUpsirCTHZq2xdp8erGJSIDAFlzP8lHwgymtWTO~R0o54qyGs85mvW0Q3YxOEBZMPgJ3ogcoGbsRMWaRcSlQ1drzgndXFr2SCx~U3LiJxCZyVkduqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","article","Subcommittee members voted 7-2 on March 25 to send House Bill 4 45, a measure that would create a single judicial petition process for restoring voting rights after a felony conviction and separate restoration of gun rights from voting-rights restoration.

Supporters said the bill resolves confusion the courts created after the Tennessee Supreme Court’s decision in Falls v. Goins and standardizes the process statewide.

Representative Hulsey, the bill sponsor, told the committee the proposal ‘‘streamlines the process for restoration of voting rights’’ and separates gun rights from other rights so courts may restore voting rights without restoring firearms rights. Hulsey said existing disqualifications — for crimes such as murder, treason, official misconduct, certain crimes against minors and voter fraud — would remain and that petitioners must show they have paid restitution, court costs and current child support obligations before rights are restored.

The bill would require petitioners to file a single form with the administrative office of the courts and appear before a chancery or circuit court in either the county of conviction or the county of residence. It directs the administrative office of the courts to develop a standard petition form and allows a judge to sign an order without a hearing if supporting documentation is presented. The bill also changes the statutory presumption by requiring a petitioner to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that citizenship rights should be restored and expands notice to include the attorney general in addition to district attorneys and the U.S. attorney.

Opponents said the proposal would make a previously free, administrative process more complex and costly for people seeking to regain voting rights. Amy Pruitt, a legal assistant who said she helps prepare petitions, said judges, court clerks and local election officials are ‘‘confused’’ by recent changes and that HB 4 45 ‘‘will ultimately make it more difficult for people with a felony conviction to vote.’’ Keeda Hanes, an attorney with FreeHearts, told the committee the preponderance standard and the additional notice and service requirements would erect new hurdles and create larger caseloads for rural courts and overburdened district attorneys.

Public commenters gave concrete examples of problems under current practice: lost probation or court records that prevent petitioners from proving eligibility and hundreds of people contacting restoration programs for help. Dawn Harrington, who regained voting rights in 2020 after nine years of navigating the process, said the bill ‘‘adds more procedural barriers rather than removing them’’ and warned that filing and service costs could total several hundred dollars for some petitioners.

Officials from the Division of Elections told the committee they support clarifying the statutory standard and said much of the bill reflects existing documentary requirements. Mark Goins, the coordinator of elections, and Janet Kleinfelter, special counsel to the Division, said the bill does not require traditional civil‑process service on the attorney general or other offices; rather, it requires clerks to provide notice, and the administrative office will create standard forms and sample orders to ease implementation.

The committee adopted an amendment before the final vote (the bill reported ‘‘as amended’’ in committee). The motion to send HB 4 45 as amended to the full House Judiciary Committee carried on a 7‑2 vote.

The bill now goes to the full Judiciary Committee, where members will consider the amendment and the broader statutory changes.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Criminal Justice Subcommittee Mar 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Subcommittee members voted 7-2 on March 25 to send House Bill 4 45, a measure that would create a single judicial petition process for restoring voting rights after a felony conviction and separate restoration of gun rights from voting-rights restoration.","taxTitle","Criminal Justice, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",30899,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6108988,"Criminal Justice Subcommittee: votes at a glance — March 25, 2025",0,558000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4&start=558&end=558","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4/thumbnail_558000.jpg","/articles/6108988/Tennessee/Criminal-Justice-Subcommittee-votes-at-a-glance-March-25-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108988-6417092bde13328dc7bf88e618cad79a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447627&Signature=PdWcHlsj-a3wHrpB8pCHPqgN3dyCQ0h2RB3N1k1sxKNWwVmLbzqHZPPSdJEsazHRPPHjD0PeAA5~kbRxXG0iu2GBfP8rqIYOlF5R38iX4UR7y3yE10ja3wTkhACQXjk3bmSiizAvWDaQcBvSnmOzmmQfMeO~OEGAUDbbysMqyiMedXz1bZVc0o3-QLqbjiIr79Hm4ENRnYQlyf4URJ-b3Q0MxEQIytE3BoTg-25R9wem2csRws4RbLW-gZ3B4or5NefUQQxtpMQeO-Kr1bX~Xw1KI7kSbR9eIlLnhZ6P5~DRVt9CXfokXzwcTlBNVnfqf3keNwxBto6uUibIJHQBqA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee took action on multiple bills on March 25. The list below summarizes formal committee outcomes and key details.

Votes at a glance

- HB 7 85 (bail bonding reporting): Sent to full Judiciary as amended. Committee vote recorded as 7 ayes, 0 nos, 1 present not voting. The bill would improve reporting and auditing of bail‑bond company obligations and the $12 fee remitted on bonds; committee adopted amendment code 4914.

- HB 4 78 (possession of a weapon on posted property): Sent to full Judiciary as amended. Committee adopted amendment code 6353 to narrow the offense and create an affirmative defense for lawful carriers who inadvertently enter posted areas; recorded tally 7 ayes, 1 no, 1 present not voting.

- HB 4 45 (voting‑rights restoration): Sent to full Judiciary as amended (see separate article). Vote recorded 7 ayes, 2 noes.

- HB 36 (geriatric‑inmate review): Sent to full Judiciary as amended; committee adopted amendment 6202 and later untimely amendment 6437 restoring judicial discretion on hearings; vote 8 ayes, 0 nos, 1 present not voting.

- HB 3 58 (GPS monitoring expansion): Referred to summer study for more detailed interagency and implementation review; clerk recorded 9 ayes.

- HB 6 25 (emergency detention presumption for certain mentally ill defendants): Sent to full Judiciary. Clerk recorded 8 ayes, 0 nos, 1 present not voting. The bill creates a rebuttable presumption for emergency detention and examination when a person charged with certain offenses meets specified criteria.

Rolled or taken off notice

- HB 8 50 (private property entry/warrant requirement): Rolled to the first calendar of 2026 at the sponsor’s request.

- HB 8 83, HB 6 61, HB 3 05, HB 12 04 and several other items were rolled to the House calendar or ‘‘to the hill’’ because sponsors were not present.

Procedural notes

- The committee adopted several amendments across multiple bills, including late‑filed and untimely amendments that were considered for HB 36 after legal staff explained the changes.

What happens next

Bills that advanced will be considered by the full House Judiciary Committee where additional amendments, debate and votes will determine whether they reach the House floor.

","Summary of committee actions: multiple bills were advanced to full Judiciary, several items were rolled, and one bill was sent to summer study. Listed outcomes reflect votes and brief descriptions of the measures.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6108992,"Panel advances bill allowing courts to refer certain geriatric inmates to parole review; adds judge discretion on hearings",592,3768000,4360000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4&start=3768&end=4360","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4/thumbnail_3768000.jpg","/articles/6108992/Tennessee/Panel-advances-bill-allowing-courts-to-refer-certain-geriatric-inmates-to-parole-review-adds-judge-discretion-on-hearings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108992-132363e565e26ab43bb94a366963dec0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447627&Signature=bJt6~dB4GLV-fPLh3ybULjydnJElTU7F79KiEr13jpTD3JGBxkWAjw1d7U-Yip~yBUo0w2eMk~qDMiScCQWR2KiNcZ1MJDzV9LuhYEPahsgTUHf~V6UaKrby2HDxPKQuD3eFHP4OIc-5Ld-xqS6S0r~vmUqoMAgB0wH0Z9BwGtWraXV9~2IXWevRh19ief7DzJkNctt-t-zVWST14DUjEbzFxu~DikEgD~BEbZrjxrtJQ-OA~b~yp5Q6gmLZfTnA26VYU9m59EANXjASI5IjO0hjznMaTnemq063yOP8UGGhFp6GpsIixFH221mtNjZu-UfaUj8JOd33dfCFaTsG4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted to send House Bill 36 as amended to the full Judiciary Committee after adopting amendments that lower the age threshold for a geriatric‑review process and preserve a judge’s discretion to hold hearings.

Vice Chair Davis, the bill sponsor, described the measure as a process for elderly inmates who meet medical and custodial thresholds to seek judicial review and possible referral to the Board of Parole. Under the bill as amended in committee, petitioners must meet specified medical criteria (for example, being within a year of expected life expectancy and having at most one daily activity impairment such as mobility or toileting), must have served a minimum custodial term (the draft increases the minimum to 10 years), and cannot be serving a sentence for certain violent crimes, first‑degree murder, facilitation of first‑degree murder, or life without parole.

The bill requires the petition to be filed in the court that imposed the conviction. A judge would review the TDOC risk assessment and other materials and may forward the matter to the Board of Parole for further review; the bill includes a victim‑notification requirement so victims may be informed and, if appropriate, appear before the court. A late‑filed amendment (code 6437) deleted a sentence that had said the court ‘‘shall not hold a hearing’’ and replaced it with a provision making hearings discretionary, a change sponsors said was intended to preserve victims’ opportunities to be heard.

Legal counsel for the committee and sponsor’s office explained the late amendment would not add required service costs because the bill contemplates notice by the court clerk in many cases. Committee members praised the change: Leader Lambert said restoring the judge’s discretion fixed what he called an important gap and praised the amendment as improving the bill’s fairness to victims.

The committee adopted the sponsor’s amendment (code 6202) and later approved the untimely amendment (code 6437) before voting. The clerk recorded the final committee vote as 8 ayes, 0 nos and 1 present not voting. HB 36, as amended, now moves to the full House Judiciary Committee.

","The subcommittee passed an amended HB 36 that allows judges to review petitions for geriatric inmates and refer eligible cases to the parole board; a late amendment restored judicial discretion to hold hearings and emphasized victim notification.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6108997,"Committee defers expansion of mandatory GPS bail monitoring to summer study after implementation concerns",461,4389000,4850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4&start=4389&end=4850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2765037-8e0f095a0c99894221992aafa83087c4/thumbnail_4389000.jpg","/articles/6108997/Tennessee/Committee-defers-expansion-of-mandatory-GPS-bail-monitoring-to-summer-study-after-implementation-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6108997-e90dc278c8d9a66968a06bd8d14b1543/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447627&Signature=Lmucf7V1nN9nguymLjFoPMMi5muRwZ0wjzWdU07WeP8SbffOI8YvBxYRSRwBdY6bPmzZahM94p1LdUEy0UQHzgCj2k2ERXOmN9VnT8nO4Eg4BS3k5fK9lqX0nJ6JCcKA-J7uNKuKKRQMvFGU-nzZ3O3ja90k8s9r7gV6Bf6fBJHcKqhYY3gKUUrahhV95l2xYtUvZeOQE7zTtaTiZNzhEGckCuI4AV~RQi~EtT8mlIziK~F7R~q--JxSruhBuNJrgNIoSWcwq-lQSD7PKONAyo~7gt-YclQs-THKcJ77-Ew7iiH~ZEFnHCcO-TKB~WljL2NYeGnMtrpt3lBkrfu01g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted to send House Bill 358 to summer study after members raised concerns that expanding mandatory GPS monitoring to a wider set of offenses could overwhelm courts and magistrates still adjusting to recent changes.

Representative Hardaway, the bill sponsor, described HB 358 as an expansion of existing GPS‑monitoring conditions that would require a court or magistrate to order a global positioning monitoring (GPM) device for persons arrested for specified offenses unless the court finds the person no longer poses a threat. Hardaway said expanded GPS would help prevent additional crimes by accused individuals released on bond and would assist law enforcement in linking suspects to post‑release criminal activity.

Leader Lambert and other members supported the public‑safety goals but urged caution, noting the judiciary is still implementing last year’s GPS provisions for aggravated domestic assault. Lambert moved to send the measure to summer study so the committee could coordinate implementation details and avoid overburdening courts. That motion carried unanimously in the subcommittee.

Members also discussed the bill’s data‑collection benefits for tracking gun thefts, drive‑by shootings and repeat property offenders. Hardaway suggested narrowing the scope or phasing the rollout if summer study finds operational concerns. The subcommittee will request additional technical review during the summer and may reconvene to craft implementation language or a phased approach.

The summer‑study referral passed by voice vote and was recorded by the clerk as 9 ayes.

","HB 358, a bill to require GPS monitoring for certain accused offenders, was sent to summer study after members voiced concerns about the courts' capacity to implement a broadened mandate and the need to align related GPS rules and data collection.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Subcommittee advances overhaul of felony voting-rights restoration; critics say bill raises barriers

Criminal Justice Subcommittee: votes at a glance — March 25, 2025

Panel advances bill allowing courts to refer certain geriatric inmates to parole review; adds judge discretion on hearings

Committee defers expansion of mandatory GPS bail monitoring to summer study after implementation concerns