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SJR 86

Relating to: recognizing the United States Navy’s 250th birthday.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Julian Bradley and 17 co-sponsors

Allows municipalities to impose municipal ordinance fines without jury assessment, up to a General Assembly-set cap, if just and reasonable.

Failed to adopt pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1
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Bill Summary · SJR 86

Summary — SJR 86 (Tennessee): Municipal fines and jury assessment

Note on title discrepancy
- The metadata for SJR 86 included an unrelated title (“recognizing the United States Navy’s 250th birthday”). The actual text and fiscal note for SJR 86 concern a proposed amendment to Article VI, Section 14 of the Tennessee Constitution regarding assessment of fines for municipal ordinance violations. This summary addresses the constitutional amendment text shown in the bill documents.

Purpose

SJR 86 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow municipalities to impose fines for violations of municipal ordinances without requiring that those fines be assessed by a jury, subject to a statutory cap set by the General Assembly and a “just and reasonable” standard.

Key provisions

  • Amends Article VI, Section 14 of the Tennessee Constitution by adding:
    • “Notwithstanding this section, a municipality may, in its discretion, impose a fine for a violation of a municipal ordinance without such fine being assessed by a jury in an amount not to exceed that prescribed by the General Assembly; provided, that the fine is just and reasonable under the circumstances.”
  • Procedural language in the resolution:
    • The proposal must be passed by a majority of all members of each house (as recorded in the journals).
    • The proposed amendment is to be referred to the One Hundred Fifteenth General Assembly and published on the Secretary of State’s and General Assembly’s official websites in accordance with Article XI, Section 3 of the Tennessee Constitution.
    • The clerk is directed to deliver copies of the resolution to the Secretary of State.

Who would be affected

  • Municipalities: would gain discretion to impose ordinance fines without jury assessment, subject to statutory limits.
  • Individuals charged with municipal ordinance violations: could face fines determined without a jury; their access to a jury for assessment of fines would be limited in municipal ordinance contexts that fall under this provision.
  • Municipal courts and local governments: potential procedural and administrative changes in how fines are imposed and collected.
  • State Legislature (General Assembly): would set the upper limits for such municipal fines by statute.

Fiscal impact

  • Fiscal Review Committee (Tennessee) fiscal note (Feb 11, 2025) estimates the fiscal impact to be “not significant.”
    • Any state expenditures for required publication and preparation of copies are considered not significant.

Procedural status (as reflected in provided actions)

  • Introduced / received by Secretary of the Senate: April 25, 2025
  • Read first time / referred to Local Government: April 28, 2025
  • Text directs referral to the next (One Hundred Fifteenth) General Assembly for further action and publication as required by the state constitution.
  • Sponsors/co‑sponsors: Primary sponsor Sen. Yarbro; multiple senators listed as sponsors and an evolving list of coauthors/cosponsors (see bill history for specifics).

Considerations and potential impacts

  • Legal and civil‑procedure impact: the amendment would curtail the requirement of jury assessment of fines in municipal ordinance cases, shifting more determinations to municipal authorities or judges and potentially speeding resolution of such cases.
  • Limits and safeguards: fines remain subject to an amount cap set by the General Assembly and must be “just and reasonable,” language that could be subject to judicial interpretation.
  • Implementation: statutory changes by the General Assembly would be needed to establish specific maximum fine amounts and to align municipal procedures with the constitutional amendment if adopted.

For precise current status and any legislative updates beyond the provided documents, consult the Tennessee General Assembly bill tracking resources.

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

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