Bill > HB1450

This bill aims to regulate who can post bail, which is the money or property a defendant provides to the court to ensure their appearance at trial, thereby limiting the entities that can secure a defendant's release from jail. Specifically, it defines "family" to include relatives within the third degree of kinship or those living in the same household, and "legal guardian" as someone with court-ordered authority over a minor. The bill prohibits any entity from posting bail unless they are the defendant, a family member, legal guardian, employer, or a professional bondsman, and even then, such entities cannot post bail for the same defendant more than once a year or for more than three defendants in total per year, with a financial limit of $5,000 per defendant annually. Additionally, the bill makes a technical change by replacing the term "bonding agent" with "proposed surety" in a related section of Tennessee law, and it is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.