Human Smuggling Bill To Address Illegal Immigration In Tennessee Passes House Committee

Image Credit: Adelia Kirchner / The Tennessee Conservative

The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –

A bill that creates the offenses of human smuggling, harboring or hiding, and assisting another in knowingly harboring or hiding illegal immigrants passed by a 16-6 vote in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. 

House Bill 0322 (HB0322), carried by Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County-District 73), would create strong penalties for the crime of “human smuggling” which the bill defines as transporting, encouraging, or inducing ten or more adults (or five or more minors) to either illegally enter the state or to remain in Tennessee through the act of “concealing, harboring, or shielding.”

This legislation purportedly does three things:

• The bill gives the Attorney General (AG) more tools to combat human trafficking. If the AG suspects that a business or individual is involved in human trafficking, they can obtain a court order to stop the activity, shut the business down completely, or appoint a receiver for the business.
• The bill creates a new crime of “human smuggling” for when somebody knowingly moves or hides illegal immigrants. This would be a Class E Felony. Smuggling a child under 13-years of age would be “aggravated human smuggling” which would be a Class A Felony.
• The bill cracks down on hiding illegal immigrants by making it a Class A Misdemeanor to hide or help hide illegal individuals from authorities.

The bill sponsors have been very adamant that this bill does not do the following: 

• It does not create a criminal liability to any individual or charitable organization that provides temporary shelter, food, or assistance to any individual whom they do not know or have reason to know has entered or remained in the United States illegally. 
• It does not create criminal liability to an individual or charitable organization that provides an individual with transportation without any commercial advantage or private financial gain. 
• It does not create criminal liability to any individual or charitable organization that provides an individual with transportation with the intent to conceal that individual from law enforcement.
• It does not create a criminal liability to any individual or charitable organization that encourages or induces an individual to enter or stay in Tennessee illegally without concealing, harboring, or shielding that individual from law enforcement

HB0322 ultimately passed in the House Judiciary Committee with a 16-6 vote.

Republican Representatives Rebecca Alexander, Fred Atchley, Gino Bulso, Elaine Davis, Clay Doggett, Rick Eldridge, Andrew Farmer, Johnny Garrett, Kelly Keisling, William Lamberth, Mary Littleton, Lowell Russell, Rick Scarbrough, Tom Stinnett, Chris Todd and Ron Travis voted in favor of the bill. 

Democrat Representatives G.A. Hardaway, Torrey Harris, Gloria Johnson, Jason Powell, Gabby Salinas and Joe Towns voted against it.

Senate Bill 392 (SB0392), sponsored by Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis-District 31), passed in the Senate Judiciary by a 5-2 vote this week and has been sent to the Senate Calendar Committee to be scheduled for a floor vote.

Human Smuggling Bill To Address Illegal Immigration Passes Out of Tennessee Senate Committee Process

HB0322 has been scheduled for consideration by the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee on Monday, April 14^th, 2025.

HB0322/SB03392 – Human Smuggling Bill That Addresses Illegal Immigration

Rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov, rep.kip.capley@capitol.tn.gov, rep.jesse.chism@capitol.tn.gov, rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov, rep.john.crawford@capitol.tn.gov, rep.ron.gant@capitol.tn.gov, rep.john.gillespie@capitol.tn.gov, rep.gary.hicks@capitol.tn.gov, rep.tim.hicks@capitol.tn.gov, rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov, rep.lee.reeves@capitol.tn.gov, rep.johnny.shaw@capitol.tn.gov, rep.jason.zachary@capitol.tn.gov

About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. Adelia is The Tennessee Conservative’s on-site reporter for the Tennessee General Assembly. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.