Bill > HB2139

This bill establishes a new criminal offense called "fraudulent freight theft" in Tennessee, which involves unlawfully obtaining or controlling cargo through deception, misrepresentation, impersonation, false pretenses, or identity fraud, and clarifies that this offense is punishable as theft and can be considered a continuing offense. The bill defines key terms such as "broker" (a person arranging transportation for compensation), "freight" (cargo transported by commercial vehicle or railroad), "motor carrier" (authorized to transport property by commercial vehicle), and "reporting party" (a motor carrier, broker, shipper, or insurer with an interest in the freight). It allows reporting parties to file a police report for fraudulent freight theft without needing to show physical force or unlawful entry, and without requiring proof of ownership at the time of filing, as long as a legitimate contractual or financial interest is demonstrated. The bill also outlines the required information for a fraudulent freight theft report, including details about the parties involved, the freight, vehicle and carrier information, fraud indicators, and financial impact, and mandates that law enforcement agencies accept and document these reports, assign a case number, and enter the incident into crime databases, while also authorizing coordination with other law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, it specifies that a fraudulent freight theft report will be recognized as an official theft report for insurance and civil recovery purposes, and filing such a report does not prevent a party from pursuing civil remedies. The Department of Safety is authorized to create necessary rules and forms, and the act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.