Juvenile Offenders - As introduced, requires a juvenile court, upon finding a child has committed a third or subsequent delinquent act, to enter an order of restitution against the parent, legal custodian, or guardian who had custody of the child at the time of the act for the expenses incurred by any law enforcement agency in responding to and investigating the delinquent act. - Amends TCA Title 37.

SB 219 would require Tennessee juvenile courts to order parents, legal custodians, or guardians to pay restitution for law enforcement costs when a child is found delinquent for a third or subsequent offense. The restitution would be $250 for misdemeanor-level acts (or $500 for felony-level acts), capped at $1,000, unless the parent is indigent and waives payment in favor of community service. This bill directly affects families with children repeatedly involved in juvenile justice proceedings. The proposal was introduced in January 2025 but failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 17, 2025, and did not become law.