---
type: "Bill"
title: "Witnesses - As enacted, limits the circumstances under which a court may permit remote testimony by an expert in the scientific detection of crime (a \"forensic analyst\") in a criminal proceeding to certain cases; enacts other related requirements. - Amends TCA Title 24; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55."
description: "Witnesses - As enacted, limits the circumstances under which a court may permit remote testimony by an expert in the scientific detection of crime (a \"forensic analyst\") in a criminal proceeding to certain cases; enacts other related requirements. - Amends TCA Title 24; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "SB 1231"
citation: "Tennessee SB 1231 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Witnesses"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ogles", "Rose"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 50
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2021-02-11"
last_action: "2021-06-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/47d60db1-b207-4172-8260-77916d9d24e0"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1231&GA=112"
source_hash: "b804c4f3020e949229dc54f60fe942ac4c9ff205607f59fe81dee6e173aac8ed"
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 1231 (112) — Witnesses - As enacted, limits the circumstances under which a court may permit remote testimony by an expert in the scientific detection of crime (a "forensic analyst") in a criminal proceeding to certain cases; enacts other related requirements. - Amends TCA Title 24; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0351** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0351.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0384** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0384.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/SB1231.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/29/2021 Passed (1) — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 4/20/2021 Passed (2) — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/14/2021 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Criminal Justice Committee 3/31/2021 (4) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 5/4/2021 Passed (1) — **93–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 5/4/2021 5/3/2021 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower

## Sponsors

- Ogles — primary (person)
- Rose — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-02-11** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-02-11** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-11** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-22** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2021-02-22** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-02-24** P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
- **2021-02-25** Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
- **2021-02-25** Sponsor change.
- **2021-03-22** Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-22** Ref. to Criminal Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-24** Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/31/2021
- **2021-03-29** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-31** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/6/2021
- **2021-03-31** Placed on cal. Criminal Justice Committee for 4/7/2021
- **2021-03-31** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Criminal Justice Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-06** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/7/2021
- **2021-04-06** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/7/2021
- **2021-04-07** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/13/2021
- **2021-04-07** Reset on Final calendar of Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2021-04-07** Placed on cal. Criminal Justice Committee for 4/14/2021
- **2021-04-07** Action def. in Criminal Justice Committee to 4/14/2021
- **2021-04-13** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/14/2021
- **2021-04-14** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/20/2021
- **2021-04-14** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/20/2021
- **2021-04-14** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/14/2021
- **2021-04-14** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-20** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2021-04-21** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/22/2021
- **2021-04-22** Reset on Final cal. of Calendar & Rules Committee
- **2021-04-27** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/29/2021
- **2021-04-29** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-29** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0384)
- **2021-04-30** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-30** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2021-05-03** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2021-05-03** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 5/4/2021
- **2021-05-03** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 5/3/2021
- **2021-05-04** Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2021-05-04** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0351) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2021-05-04** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2021-05-04** Comp. SB subst.
- **2021-05-04** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-05-12** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2021-05-13** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2021-05-13** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2021-05-17** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2021-05-25** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2021-06-01** Effective date(s) 07/01/2021
- **2021-06-01** Pub. Ch. 501
- **2021-06-01** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 501

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/47d60db1-b207-4172-8260-77916d9d24e0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).