---
type: "Bill"
title: "Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As enacted, authorizes the registry of election finance to retain counsel to pursue the collection of unpaid civil penalties assessed by the registry, in lieu of petitioning the attorney general and reporter; states that venue for such suits is the residence of the defendant. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10."
description: "Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As enacted, authorizes the registry of election finance to retain counsel to pursue the collection of unpaid civil penalties assessed by the registry, in lieu of petitioning the attorney general and reporter; states that venue for such suits is the residence of the defendant. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "SB 626"
citation: "Tennessee SB 626 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Campaigns and Campaign Finance"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bell", "Garrett"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 37
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2021-02-09"
last_action: "2021-05-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d340bcd5-328f-42c5-b621-899e30a489cd"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0626&GA=112"
source_hash: "265797a4b28729dd5e8483b5f6a3e7895857adeab627959aac4e2c601f395b59"
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 626 (112) — Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As enacted, authorizes the registry of election finance to retain counsel to pursue the collection of unpaid civil penalties assessed by the registry, in lieu of petitioning the attorney general and reporter; states that venue for such suits is the residence of the defendant. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0318** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0318.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0060** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0060.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/SB0626.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE ELECTIONS & CAMPAIGN FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Local Government Committee 4/7/2021 — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2021 Passed (1) — **77–11** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2021 4/15/2021 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 3/16/2021 Passed (2) — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/13/2021 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/22/2021 Passed (1) — **32–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bell — primary (person)
- Garrett — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-02-09** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-10** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-02-10** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-11** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
- **2021-02-22** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-02-24** Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-24** P2C, ref. to Local Government Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-02** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/9/2021
- **2021-03-09** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/16/2021
- **2021-03-09** Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/16/2021
- **2021-03-16** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2021-03-18** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/22/2021
- **2021-03-22** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2021-03-22** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2021-03-22** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0060)
- **2021-03-24** Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/31/2021
- **2021-03-25** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2021-03-31** Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 4/7/2021
- **2021-03-31** Action Def. in s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee to 4/7/2021
- **2021-04-07** Placed on cal. Local Government Committee for 4/13/2021
- **2021-04-07** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Local Government Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-13** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-14** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2021
- **2021-04-15** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2021
- **2021-04-21** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2021-04-21** Passed H., Ayes 77, Nays 11, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-21** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0318) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2021-04-21** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2021-04-21** Comp. SB subst.
- **2021-04-21** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-22** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2021-04-22** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2021-04-26** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2021-05-04** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-18** Effective date(s) 05/04/2021
- **2021-05-18** Pub. Ch. 302
- **2021-05-18** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 302

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d340bcd5-328f-42c5-b621-899e30a489cd`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).