Senate Bill 1928 amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated to enhance the rights of victims in criminal justice proceedings. It introduces a new subsection in Section 40-10-103, which clarifies that certain individuals, including natural persons, designated representatives of parties, and victims of criminal offenses, cannot be excluded from proceedings. This aims to ensure that victims or their representatives can participate in the legal process, thereby strengthening their role in the justice system.

Additionally, the bill modifies the definition of "victim" in Section 40-35-304 to include entities such as reciprocals that have compensated individuals for losses due to criminal offenses and law enforcement agencies that incur expenses during investigations. It also adds new criteria in Section 29-13-104 for determining eligibility for victim compensation in cases involving serious bodily injury or death resulting from specific offenses, such as evading arrest and vehicular homicide. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40-10-103, 40-35-304, 29-13-104(1), 29-13-104, 39-16-510(a)(2)(B), 39-16-510