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SJR 618

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article VI, Section 4 of the Constitution of Tennessee to change the residency requirements for a judge from being a resident of the circuit or district for one year to being a resident of a county of the respective circuit or district to which the judge is to be assigned for one year. -

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Todd Gardenhire

Constitutional amendment easing Tennessee judge residency requirements from specific circuit/district to any county location, potentially widening judicial candidate pools but reducing geographic specificity requirements.

Signed by Senate Speaker
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Bill Summary · SJR 618

Legislative bill overview

SJR 618 proposes a constitutional amendment to modify Tennessee's judicial residency requirements. Currently, judges must reside in their assigned circuit or district for one year; this amendment would relax that requirement to only needing to reside somewhere in the county where the circuit or district is located, rather than specifically within that circuit or district.

Why is this important

Judicial residency requirements affect who can serve as a judge and how connected judges are to their communities. Loosening these requirements could expand the candidate pool for judgeships but may reduce judges' direct familiarity with their specific jurisdictions, potentially impacting local judicial accountability and community representation.

Potential points of contention

  • Geographic representation concern: Judges could theoretically serve circuits or districts while living elsewhere in a large county, potentially weakening ties to the specific community they serve
  • Judicial candidate pool rationale: Proponents argue this broadens eligibility and addresses recruitment challenges; opponents may counter that residency requirements serve an important accountability function
  • Constitutional amendment threshold: Changes to state constitutions typically require voter approval in addition to legislative passage, making this a significant procedural hurdle requiring public engagement

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

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