House Bill 34, sponsored by Gillespie, amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated concerning juvenile records. The bill modifies Section 37-1-133 by removing subsection (b) and replacing it with new language that clarifies the circumstances under which a child's juvenile court disposition and evidence can be used in other court proceedings. Specifically, it states that such information cannot be used against the child in any court other than juvenile court, with exceptions for pretrial reports for bond setting, presentence investigations following felony convictions, certain criminal prosecutions, and violations related to firearm possession.

Additionally, the bill revises Section 37-1-153 by replacing subdivision (a)(4) to allow courts and their officials to use juvenile records for pretrial reports and presentence reports in cases where the defendant had previously been involved in juvenile court. It also updates Section 40-11-118 by substituting subdivision (b)(7) to include the defendant's prior juvenile and criminal records when assessing the risk of danger to the community. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law, emphasizing the public welfare.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 37-1-133, 37-1-153, 40-11-118