House Bill 1475 amends Tennessee law regarding the admissibility of evidence in court. It introduces new provisions that state evidence obtained in violation of the U.S. Constitution or Tennessee laws shall not be excluded unless it meets specific criteria. These criteria include that the evidence was obtained through deliberate, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct violating the Fourth Amendment, and that excluding the evidence would contradict a clearly established ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. Additionally, the bill prohibits Tennessee courts from recognizing any exclusionary rule that extends beyond the federal exclusionary rule.

The bill also establishes a process for the state to appeal orders granting motions to suppress evidence directly to the Tennessee Supreme Court. It mandates that the court stay trial proceedings during the appeal and expedite the resolution of the appeal. If the state acknowledges that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling requires the suppression of evidence, the Tennessee Supreme Court may summarily affirm the suppression without further argument. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to actions occurring on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40-6-108