---
type: "Bill"
title: "Public Defenders - As enacted, creates five additional assistant district public defender positions effective July 1, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4."
description: "Public Defenders - As enacted, creates five additional assistant district public defender positions effective July 1, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "HB 486"
citation: "Tennessee HB 486 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Public Defenders"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Farmer"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 39
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2025-01-29"
last_action: "2025-05-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/609f633c-ed7a-401f-bacc-80a310125be7"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB0486&ga=114"
source_hash: "27b9b0dcdc21968e098afe815c66895fcdb80ba045902c4a6d212225ed495e32"
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 HB 486 (114) — Public Defenders - As enacted, creates five additional assistant district public defender positions effective July 1, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0380** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0380.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0388** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0388.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB0486.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/22/2025 Passed (1) — **33–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2025 Passed (1) — **94–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee 4/1/2025 Passed (6) — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025 4/17/2025 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/17/2025 Passed (3) — **27–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 4/9/2025 Passed (5) — **21–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee 4/17/2025 Passed (4) — **11–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Farmer — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-01-29** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2025-02-03** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2025-02-05** P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
- **2025-03-12** Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2025
- **2025-03-12** Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-12** Ref. to Judiciary Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-19** Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025
- **2025-03-19** Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/26/2025
- **2025-03-26** Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025
- **2025-03-26** Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2025
- **2025-04-01** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-02** Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025
- **2025-04-09** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
- **2025-04-09** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-04-09** Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2025-04-09** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-14** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
- **2025-04-14** Placed behind the budget
- **2025-04-16** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025
- **2025-04-17** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025
- **2025-04-17** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025
- **2025-04-17** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-17** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-04-21** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. `receipt`
- **2025-04-21** Passed H., as am., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2025-04-21** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-04-21** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0380) `amendment-passage`
- **2025-04-21** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-04-22** Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2025-04-22** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0388)
- **2025-04-22** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. `substitution`
- **2025-04-22** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2025-04-28** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. `enrolled`
- **2025-04-30** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2025-05-08** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2025-05-09** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-05-21** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2025-05-27** Effective date(s) 05/21/2025
- **2025-05-27** Pub. Ch. 485

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/609f633c-ed7a-401f-bacc-80a310125be7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).