TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on May 4, 2022

A bill that critics say criminalizes homelessness will become law without the approval of Gov. Bill Lee, the Tennessee Journal reports. The measure, House Bill 978, makes camping on public property a misdemeanor punishable by a $50 fine or community service. It defines camping as erecting temporary structures, cooking, or sleeping outside of a motor vehicle. Lee earlier this week expressed concerned about “unintended consequences” contained within the bill, but didn’t elaborate.