---
type: "Bill"
title: "Criminal Offenses - As enacted, makes the enhanced maximum fine of up to $15,000 applicable to aggravated assault when committed against an identifiable employee or contractor of a utility who is discharging or attempting to discharge such person's official duties. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 1 and Title 65, Chapter 35."
description: "Criminal Offenses - As enacted, makes the enhanced maximum fine of up to $15,000 applicable to aggravated assault when committed against an identifiable employee or contractor of a utility who is discharging or attempting to discharge such person's official duties. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 1 and Title 65, Chapter 35."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "111"
identifier: "SB 481"
citation: "Tennessee SB 481 (111)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Criminal Offenses"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Gardenhire", "Jernigan"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 33
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2019-02-04"
last_action: "2019-04-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8295b49b-fd49-49ab-93d1-f9d4bde1ceea"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0481&GA=111"
source_hash: "2c1abc50f42ced982c51d1059ece5d69f00fb178d1e360bdc069f7235f95b5fd"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee SB 481 (111) — Criminal Offenses - As enacted, makes the enhanced maximum fine of up to $15,000 applicable to aggravated assault when committed against an identifiable employee or contractor of a utility who is discharging or attempting to discharge such person's official duties. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 1 and Title 65, Chapter 35.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment SA0100** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Amend/SA0100.pdf)
2. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/111/Bill/SB0481.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary 3/20/2019 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/4/2019 3/28/2019 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/4/2019 Passed (1) — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 1 PNV 0 3/12/2019 Passed — **6–1** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/26/2019 Passed — **15–9** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/18/2019 Passed (1) — **27–5** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Gardenhire — primary (person)
- Jernigan — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-02-04** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-05** Filed for introduction `reading-1, introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2019-02-06** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2019-02-07** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2019-02-07** P2C, ref. to Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-11** Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-27** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/5/2019
- **2019-03-05** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/12/2019
- **2019-03-06** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/12/2019
- **2019-03-12** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 1 PNV 0
- **2019-03-13** Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/20/2019
- **2019-03-15** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/18/2019
- **2019-03-18** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 5 `passage`
- **2019-03-18** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0100)
- **2019-03-19** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2019-03-20** Placed on cal. Judiciary for 3/26/2019
- **2019-03-20** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-21** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2019-03-26** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-27** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/28/2019
- **2019-03-28** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/4/2019
- **2019-04-04** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2019-04-04** Passed H., Ayes 98, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2019-04-04** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2019-04-04** Comp. SB subst.
- **2019-04-08** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2019-04-08** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2019-04-09** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2019-04-17** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2019-04-24** Pub. Ch. 149
- **2019-04-24** Effective date(s) 07/01/2019
- **2019-04-24** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 149

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8295b49b-fd49-49ab-93d1-f9d4bde1ceea`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).