SB 1217 amends Tennessee law to require the Department of Correction to address housing services during pre-release orientation for inmates. It updates existing provisions by replacing "education, employment" with "education, housing, employment" in the required orientation content. This change directly affects inmates transitioning from confinement and the Department of Correction, mandating they receive support related to housing stability. The bill focuses on concrete policy adjustments to improve post-release planning, without altering other aspects of the correctional process.
HB 1090 requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to study the challenges of building and operating reentry facilities for eligible inmates transitioning back into the community. The bill mandates that the department submit an annual report by February 1st detailing its findings. This law directly affects the Department of Correction, which must now conduct this study and report its results each year, without creating new facilities or changing inmate eligibility.
SB 1103, "The Parole Advancement and Reintegration Act," requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to create a program allowing eligible parolees to potentially end their parole supervision early. To qualify, parolees must maintain stable employment for six consecutive months, remain law-abiding with no violations or arrests, and complete all required rehabilitation programs. The program would use an earned time credit system similar to inmate sentence reductions, gradually reducing supervision over five years with biannual eligibility reviews. Parolees meeting all criteria could achieve early termination and full discharge from parole under guidelines set by the director of probation and parole.
HB 143 expands Tennessee's Class C felony charge for aggravated assault against first responders to include knowingly possessing specific fentanyl-related substances (fentanyl, carfentanil, remifentanil, alfentanil, thiafentanil, or analogues) in a way that reasonably exposes first responders to those substances during official duties. This directly affects individuals who possess these drugs in circumstances where exposure could cause serious injury or death to a first responder. The bill defines "expose" as direct contact via touch, ingestion, or inhalation and sets a mandatory $15,000 fine plus a 90-day minimum jail term with no early release. It takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to cases where the first responder suffers serious injury or death due to the exposure.
HB 287 would have required Tennessee's Department of Correction to report deaths of people in custody to local state legislators within five business days (down from 10 days), instead of the current timeline. The report must include the facility name and be sent to the senator and representative for the district where the deceased person lived, based on their last known address in Tennessee. It would not apply to deaths of people whose last address was outside Tennessee. The bill was introduced in January 2025 but withdrawn on February 6, 2025, and never became law.
HB 371 requires individuals convicted of Class A or Class B misdemeanors in Tennessee to complete a behavioral training course as part of their sentencing. Offenders must pay for the course (capped at $100), provide proof of completion to the court within a court-specified timeframe, and face potential jail time (up to 10 days) for failing to comply. The course must be accessible online, offered in multiple languages, include human interaction, and be provided by certified vendors meeting specific standards. This law affects misdemeanor offenders directly and takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 949 requires all firearm owners in Tennessee to store firearms in a locked container or equipped with a safety device that renders them inoperable to unauthorized users. This applies to firearms kept in any location, except when carried by the owner or a lawfully authorized user. Violating this rule is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months in jail or a fine. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.
SB 1400 revises Tennessee's driving under the influence (DUI) laws by two key changes: it permits law enforcement officers to assist medical professionals in obtaining blood samples from drivers using reasonable force during DUI investigations, and it increases the minimum jail sentence for a first-time DUI conviction from one year to one year and six months. These provisions directly affect drivers charged with DUI, law enforcement officers conducting blood tests, and medical personnel involved in the sampling process. The blood sample provision took effect immediately upon the governor's signature on May 5, 2025, while the sentence increase will apply starting January 1, 2026. The bill does not alter DUI testing standards or expand penalties beyond these specific changes.
SB 337 allows Tennessee counties with populations over 900,000 (per the 2020 census) to temporarily increase their local sales tax rate from 2.75% to 3.75% for up to eight years. The additional revenue must be used exclusively for constructing a new county jail or paying off debt related to such construction. If the jail debt is paid off early, the tax rate reverts to 2.75% immediately. After the temporary period, counties must allocate revenue from the 2.75% tax rate to fund sheriff's department operations (in addition to existing funding), not for other purposes.
SB 1022 expands Tennessee's assault law to protect additional public safety personnel by redefining "law enforcement officer" to include correctional officers working in county jails, state prisons, or private prisons, and probation/parole officers employed by the state or private providers. This change directly affects those officers by extending the legal protections of the assault offense statute to them, meaning assaulting them would now carry the same penalties as assaulting traditional law enforcement. The bill amends Tennessee Code § 39-13-116 to explicitly list these roles in the definition, removing ambiguity about their coverage. It takes effect on July 1, 2025, and does not alter existing penalties for assault.
