Criminal Justice

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SB 2376: Elder Abuse - As introduced, extends from 10 to 20 days, the time within which a court must schedule a hearing on a petition to freeze the funds of a criminal defendant charged with financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult involving the taking more than $5,000 of property while the criminal proceeding is pending for purposes of restitution to the victim. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15.

SB 2376 extends the deadline for courts to schedule hearings on petitions to freeze a criminal defendant's funds in financial exploitation cases involving elderly or vulnerable adults. Specifically, it changes the timeframe from 10 to 20 days after a motion is filed, applying when defendants are accused of taking more than $5,000 in property. This affects courts handling these cases, victims seeking restitution, and defendants charged with financial exploitation. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-15-502(c)(4) and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends court deadline for restitution hearings in elder abuse cases, ensuring timely victim restitution - supports victim protection within criminal justice.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Victims' Rights

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate May 5, 2026

SB 2210: Courts - As enacted, requires the clerks of the criminal courts to provide the Tennessee sheriffs' association with all court data necessary for the administration of the criminal proceedings notification system. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 16; Title 18; Title 40 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 6.

SB 2210 increases the required notice period for victims registered in Tennessee's criminal proceedings notification system from 24 to 36 hours before any related hearing. This change directly affects victims who have registered to receive alerts about court proceedings involving their case. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-38-507(b)(1), to update the notice timeframe. The law will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases victim notice period from 24 to 36 hours, strengthening victim protections in criminal proceedings per TCA amendments.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Victims' Rights

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 15, 2026

HB 2606: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, requires the TBI to establish a cold case division, to be divided into three geographic regions, each staffed by a regional director and no fewer than five cold case detectives; requires each local law enforcement agency to submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the cold case division following the passage of 10 years without resolution. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

HB 2606 creates a statewide cold case division within Tennessee's Bureau of Investigation (TBI), organized into three geographic regions. Each region must have a director and at least five detectives to handle unsolved missing persons and homicide cases. Local law enforcement agencies must submit such cases to the TBI cold case division after 10 years without resolution. Families of victims may also request case file access under specific conditions, including if the case is unresolved for 10+ years or the local agency lacks a dedicated unit.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates TBI cold case division to resolve unsolved homicides/missing persons, advancing case resolution and victim justice within criminal justice system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Violent Crime

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 2359: Evidence - As introduced, adds a rebuttable presumption that the criteria for a child victim to testify by two-way closed circuit television in a criminal matter involving certain offenses are met if the child is under 13 years of age. - Amends TCA Title 24, Chapter 7 and Title 39.

SB 2359 modifies Tennessee law to create a rebuttable presumption that children under 13 years old would suffer significant emotional distress from testifying in court during criminal cases involving certain offenses, making it easier for judges to allow video testimony instead. The bill directly affects child victims under 13 in criminal trials, shifting the burden to the defense to prove the child wouldn’t be traumatized if testifying in person. Key provisions require judges to find that video testimony wouldn’t unduly prejudice the defendant before ordering it. The law amends Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 24-7-120 and 39, aiming to reduce trauma for young witnesses while maintaining defendant rights.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects child victims from trauma in court testimony, aligns with victim-centered criminal justice reform by presuming emotional distress for under-13s.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 2479: Agriculture - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom to Farm Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4; Title 40 and Title 43.

HB 2479, the "Freedom to Farm Act," would allow Tennessee adults aged 21+ to grow marijuana for personal use under strict limits. Registered adults could cultivate up to 15 plants (max 5 mature flowering plants) at home, store no more than 16 ounces of dried trim, and use related paraphernalia, all while keeping cultivation locked and out of public view. The bill explicitly excludes concentrates, oils, and commercial activity, requiring registration with the Department of Agriculture ($100 fee, 3-year validity) and prohibiting use near minors. It does not change existing laws regarding marijuana concentrates or recreational sales, and remains pending before the Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeLegalizes personal marijuana cultivation, reducing criminal penalties for possession/cultivation - key criminal justice reform measure aligning with decriminalization indicators.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 2235: Human Rights - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Fair Chance Housing Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21 and Title 66.

HB 2235, the "Tennessee Fair Chance Housing Act," prohibits housing providers (like landlords, property managers, and real estate agents) from discriminating against applicants based solely on criminal history. It establishes time limits: housing providers can only consider misdemeanor convictions within the past 3 years and felony convictions within the past 10 years. For sex offense convictions, providers must conduct an individualized assessment to determine if there's a direct safety risk before denying housing. The bill also bans questions about arrests that didn't result in conviction and requires written evaluations considering factors like rehabilitation efforts and the nature of the offense.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits housing discrimination based on criminal history, reducing barriers to reentry and promoting rehabilitation through time limits on conviction consideration.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProhibits housing discrimination based on criminal history, protecting tenant rights and increasing housing access for individuals with past records.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Tenant Rights

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 2209: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, enacts the "Federal Enforcement Accountability and Community Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 38 and Title 50.

HB 2209, the "Federal Enforcement Accountability and Community Protection Act," requires Tennessee law enforcement to report federal enforcement actions causing death or serious injury (a "critical incident") to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) within 24 hours. It mandates the TBI to conduct independent reviews of such incidents, publish findings within 90 days, and report annually on state resource involvement. The law prohibits state/local agencies from providing non-emergency resources to federal agencies during these incidents until the review is complete. This directly affects Tennessee law enforcement agencies and federal agencies operating in the state, focusing on transparency and accountability for federal actions impacting residents.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates independent reviews of federal enforcement critical incidents to enhance accountability, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators like police oversight and transparency.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 29, 2026

HB 2564: Victims' Rights - As enacted, requires a notification of a restorative justice option, which is a voluntary, victim-centered process that may include facilitated communication, conferencing, community repair agreements, or other structured accountability and repair practices, to be provided through a program for victims in Davidson and Shelby counties. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40.

HB 2564 requires Tennessee's attorney general to notify crime victims about escrow accounts holding funds for civil judgments using email, phone calls, and text messages - beyond just direct in-person or mail notification. This bill directly affects victims who have civil judgments against offenders and are eligible to receive funds from these escrow accounts. The key provision amends Tennessee Code Section 29-13-405(1) to mandate these additional notification methods. The change ensures victims receive timely updates about available funds through multiple accessible communication channels.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates multi-channel victim notification for escrow funds, ensuring access to restitution under criminal justice system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 20, 2026

SB 2649: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, requires the TBI to establish a cold case division, to be divided into three geographic regions, each staffed by a regional director and no fewer than five cold case detectives; requires each local law enforcement agency to submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the cold case division following the passage of 10 years without resolution. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

SB 2649 creates a statewide cold case division within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), organized into three geographic regions with each region requiring a regional director and at least five dedicated cold case detectives. It mandates that local law enforcement agencies submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to this division after 10 years without resolution. Family members of victims may request access to their case files after 10 years if they have no criminal record, a prior statement in the file, and are not suspects. The bill directly affects victims' families, local police departments, and the TBI by establishing new investigative protocols for long-standing cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates TBI cold case division to solve unsolved homicides/missing persons after 10 years, requiring local agency submissions and family access, promoting criminal justice reform.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Violent Crime

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 10, 2026

HB 2245: State Inmates - As introduced, requires the department of correction to keep a copy of each validated risk and needs assessment of each inmate under its supervision and control for the duration of the inmate's period of incarceration. - Amends TCA Title 41.

HB 2245 requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to maintain a copy of each validated risk and needs assessment for every inmate under its supervision throughout their entire incarceration. This bill directly affects all state inmates by mandating that the department retain these specific assessment records. The key provision is the permanent retention of validated assessments, amending Tennessee Code Annotated Title 41 to ensure these documents remain available for the full duration of an inmate's sentence. The bill focuses on administrative record-keeping without creating new policies or altering inmate rights.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates retention of risk assessments to inform rehabilitation programs, directly supporting criminal justice reform goals like recidivism reduction.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

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