---
type: "Bill"
title: "Sentencing - As enacted, authorizes a member of the clergy who has been preparing a condemned person for death, rather than a priest or minister of the gospel, to witness the person's execution. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40."
description: "Sentencing - As enacted, authorizes a member of the clergy who has been preparing a condemned person for death, rather than a priest or minister of the gospel, to witness the person's execution. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "SB 2008"
citation: "Tennessee SB 2008 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Sentencing"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bell", "Campbell S"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 35
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2022-01-11"
last_action: "2022-04-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ec34235e-e200-4613-b05b-6a2b68def6d4"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB2008&GA=112"
source_hash: "bd4b8e27cb3907a774203e1225b424837527815d5beac43ec7112cbb29b731ba"
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 2008 (112) — Sentencing - As enacted, authorizes a member of the clergy who has been preparing a condemned person for death, rather than a priest or minister of the gospel, to witness the person's execution. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

## Version chain

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

1. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/SB2008.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Adopt 2/28/2022 Passed (1) — **32–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 2/23/2022 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: CONSENT CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/14/2022 Passed (2) — **93–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/14/2022 Passed (1) — **93–0** (pass) · lower
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 2/22/2022 Passed (2) — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Criminal Justice Committee 2/16/2022 (4) — **0–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Bell — primary (person)
- Campbell S — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-01-11** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-01-12** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2022-01-13** P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
- **2022-01-27** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2022-01-31** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2022-02-02** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2022-02-02** Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/9/2022
- **2022-02-02** Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-02** Ref. to Criminal Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-09** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/15/2022
- **2022-02-09** Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/16/2022
- **2022-02-09** Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 2/16/2022
- **2022-02-15** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 2/22/2022
- **2022-02-16** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/22/2022
- **2022-02-16** Placed on cal. Criminal Justice Committee for 2/23/2022
- **2022-02-16** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Criminal Justice Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-22** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2022-02-23** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-24** Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/28/2022
- **2022-02-28** Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2022-03-01** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2022-03-03** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2022-03-09** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/10/2022
- **2022-03-10** H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/14/2022
- **2022-03-14** Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2022-03-14** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2022-03-14** Comp. SB subst.
- **2022-03-15** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2022-03-16** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2022-03-16** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2022-03-16** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2022-03-24** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2022-04-04** Effective date(s) 03/24/2022
- **2022-04-04** Pub. Ch. 735
- **2022-04-04** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 735

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ec34235e-e200-4613-b05b-6a2b68def6d4`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).