House Bill 358 amends Tennessee law to require that individuals arrested for certain offenses wear a global positioning monitoring system (GPS) device as a condition of bail. This requirement applies to defendants arrested for offenses involving firearms or dangerous weapons, serious bodily injury, domestic assault, burglary of vehicles, reckless driving, drag racing, and repeat offenses under specified chapters. The court or magistrate can exempt a defendant from this requirement if they determine that the offender no longer poses a threat to the alleged victim or public safety. Additionally, the bill mandates that court clerks report the number of defendants subject to GPS monitoring and the related offenses on a monthly basis, with an annual report compiled for legislative committees.

The bill also modifies existing legal language regarding conditions of bail for defendants charged with aggravated assault against domestic abuse victims. It replaces the previous language with a broader reference that includes the new GPS monitoring requirements established in Section 1. This change ensures that the conditions for bail are consistent across various offenses. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40-11-152(b)(2), 40-11-152