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SB 1245

Bonding, Surety and Professional - As enacted, makes revisions to law relative to bondsmen. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 13; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 56; Title 62 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 8.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Ferrell Haile

Tennessee law revises bonding and surety regulations across multiple codes, affecting bail agents' operations and professional standards in the criminal justice system.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 491
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Bill Summary · SB 1245

Legislative bill overview

SB 1245 revises Tennessee's bonding and surety laws across multiple state codes, making amendments to regulations governing bondsmen and their professional practices. The bill modifies requirements across seven different Tennessee Code Annotated titles, affecting bail bonding, surety procedures, and professional licensing standards. It became public law (Chapter 491) in May 2025.

Why is this important

Bonding and surety laws directly impact criminal justice operations—particularly bail bonding practices that affect pretrial release decisions and defendants' access to bail. Changes to these regulations can influence how bail agents operate, what fees they can charge, bonding requirements, and professional oversight standards, which has downstream effects on the criminal justice system's accessibility and fairness.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope of changes: The bill amends seven separate Tennessee titles without clear public summary, making it difficult to assess all specific policy changes and their cumulative effect
  • Professional regulation: Modifications to bondsmen licensing and professional standards could either strengthen consumer protections or create barriers to entry, depending on specific provisions
  • Bail access equity: Changes to bonding procedures or requirements could affect whether lower-income defendants can afford bail, raising fairness concerns in the criminal justice system

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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