TN HB1256

Defendants who fail to appear on felony charges or Class A/B misdemeanors that are violent or sexual in nature must be entered into state and federal fugitive databases, including the National Crime Information Center

Judicial officials must sign bench warrants or capias by the end of the next business day after a defendant's failure to appear, and clerks must transmit them to the entering agency within the same timeframe

Bail sureties are not liable for their undertaking if the defendant is not entered into the fugitive database within 3 business days of the entering agency receiving the warrant

District attorneys must decide within 1 business day whether to initiate extradition proceedings when a defendant is apprehended outside Tennessee beyond the jurisdiction limit entered in the database

Effective July 1, 2025