Criminal Justice (Policing)

signed · Tennessee · House Apr 14, 2026

HJR 1181: Memorials, Recognition - Co-Responder Amanda Finn -

This joint resolution honors Co-Responder Amanda Finn of the Chattanooga Police Department for receiving the Professional Staff Newcomer Award. The measure recognizes her contributions to the Crisis Co-Response Unit, including improving clinical training, enhancing officer de-escalation skills, and strengthening community relationships. By formally commending her achievements, the Tennessee legislature acknowledges her leadership and impact on public safety operations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill honors officer for crisis co-response work that improves de-escalation and community relations, advancing criminal justice reform goals.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

signed · Tennessee · House Apr 14, 2026

HJR 1185: Memorials, Recognition - Peer Support Team -

This House Joint Resolution honors and commends the Peer Support Team of the Chattanooga Police Department for receiving the Chief's Award. The resolution recognizes the team's work in transforming peer support from a reactive to a proactive model, including early intervention initiatives, certification training, and mentorship programs for new officers. It highlights their contributions to officer wellness, policy development, and crisis response efforts. This is a commemorative measure rather than a policy change, and it does not affect any laws or regulations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill honors peer support team improving officer wellness and crisis response, indirectly supporting criminal justice by enhancing police effectiveness and accountability.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

failed · Tennessee · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 904: Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires each law enforcement agency to develop and implement an alternative crisis response unit; requires the Tennessee peace officer standards and training commission to establish uniform training standards for alternative crisis response units in all law enforcement agencies. - Amends TCA Title 33 and Title 38.

This bill requires Tennessee law enforcement agencies to create alternative crisis response units by January 1, 2026, where a qualified mental health professional accompanies police officers to mental health-related calls and leads the response. The legislation mandates that the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission establish uniform training standards for these units and provide annual training for officers on supporting mental health professionals during calls. The bill directly affects law enforcement agencies across the state and the training commission by creating new operational requirements and training obligations. It amends existing state statutes to formalize these alternative response protocols rather than creating entirely new laws from scratch.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill promotes criminal justice reform by mandating mental health professionals accompany police, improving crisis response and reducing unnecessary arrests.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates mental health professionals accompany police on calls, improving access to mental health services and crisis intervention.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Healthcare Workforce Mental Health

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 11, 2026

SB 2608: Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to develop and design for a driver who has a developmental or intellectual disability a blue envelope and a driver who has a mental illness a green envelope that holds the driver's essential documents, including a driver license, vehicle registration, and contact card. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38; Title 52 and Title 55.

SB 2608 requires Tennessee's Department of Safety to create blue envelopes for drivers with developmental or intellectual disabilities and green envelopes for drivers with mental illness. These envelopes would hold essential documents (driver license, vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and contact card) and include communication guidelines to help law enforcement interact appropriately during encounters. The program would begin January 1, 2027, with envelopes available at all driver services centers and county clerk offices. It directly affects drivers with these specific conditions by providing a standardized way to share critical information during police interactions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProvides law enforcement with communication guidelines for interactions with drivers with disabilities, enhancing accountability and reducing potential conflicts during encounters.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Tags People with Disabilities

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 25, 2026

HB 2608: Privacy, Confidentiality - As introduced, enacts the "Protecting Everyone from Excessive Police Surveillance (PEEPS) Act" for the purposes of protecting, maintaining, and accessing historical location data. - Amends TCA Title 10; Title 24 and Title 38.

HB 2608, the "PEEPS Act," regulates how Tennessee government agencies access historical location data (like cell phone or vehicle tracking records) to protect individual privacy. It requires government officials to obtain a search warrant for most access (except for specific exceptions like vehicle theft reports, emergencies, or traffic enforcement), prohibits sharing or selling this data to private companies, and mandates data destruction within 2-7 days unless preserved for a criminal case. Government entities must also encrypt stored data, maintain detailed access logs, and adopt security policies. This law directly affects all Tennessee government agencies and officials handling location data, while safeguarding the privacy of residents whose data is collected.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill requires warrants for location data access, protects civil rights, and limits excessive police surveillance aligning with criminal justice reform principles.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRegulates government access to location data requiring warrants and prohibiting private sharing, strengthening data privacy protections per bill's explicit purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Tags Privacy

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 8, 2026

HB 2436: Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires a law enforcement agency that uses body cameras to adopt a written policy for the use of the cameras by its law enforcement officers; establishes certain requirements for the policies. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 1.

HB 2436 requires Tennessee law enforcement agencies using body cameras to create written policies governing their use. These policies must cover when officers must activate cameras (e.g., during calls for service or public encounters), how to handle privacy-sensitive situations (like domestic violence victims or anonymous crime reports), and mandate officer training. The bill prohibits using cameras to record First Amendment activities or unrelated incidents, and requires officers to notify people being recorded when possible. It directly affects all Tennessee law enforcement agencies and officers who use body cameras.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires body camera policies with accountability measures, privacy protections, and training to enhance officer transparency and civil rights compliance in law enforcement.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 2618: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for assault against a first responder from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony with a mandatory fine of $10,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 days. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

HB 2618 increases penalties for assaulting first responders (like police and EMTs) in Tennessee, reclassifying it from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. The bill mandates a $10,000 fine and a 60-day minimum jail sentence with no early release for these offenses, effective July 1, 2026. It also separately increases penalties for assaults against nurses to a Class A misdemeanor with a $5,000 fine and 30-day minimum sentence. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of assaulting these specific professions by imposing stricter financial and incarceration requirements.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates felony penalties with mandatory minimums for assaulting first responders, increasing criminalization and restricting defendant rights through no early release.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Policing Violent Crime

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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 25, 2026

HB 2439: Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the “Oral-Fluid DUI Testing and Evidence-Based Enforcement Safeguards Act." - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 4.

HB 2439 establishes new rules for law enforcement use of oral-fluid testing in DUI cases. It requires officers to use only approved devices, document specific driving-related reasons for testing (not general suspicion), and complete quality checks before each use. The bill mandates that screening results cannot be used as evidence in court or for license suspension without a confirmatory lab test conducted by an accredited facility. It also requires agencies to preserve samples for independent retesting and disclose all relevant records to defendants. This bill directly affects police officers conducting DUI investigations, defendants in DUI cases, and laboratories performing confirmatory tests.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates confirmatory lab tests for DUI evidence, requires specific officer justification, and preserves samples - enhancing evidentiary standards and defendant rights in criminal proceedings.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill mandates evidence-based DUI testing protocols to improve road safety enforcement accuracy, directly enhancing transportation safety standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Law Enforcement Policing Driver Licensing Traffic Safety Vehicle Registration

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 23, 2026

SB 2215: Privacy, Confidentiality - As introduced, enacts the "Protecting Everyone from Excessive Police Surveillance (PEEPS) Act" for the purposes of protecting, maintaining, and accessing historical location data. - Amends TCA Title 10; Title 24 and Title 38.

SB 2215, the "PEEPS Act," requires Tennessee police and government entities to obtain a search warrant (not a subpoena) before accessing historical location data (more than 24 hours old) in databases, with limited exceptions like vehicle theft reports or traffic enforcement. It prohibits selling or sharing such data with private third parties, mandates data destruction within 2-7 days (or preservation if requested by a criminal defendant), and requires encryption, access logs, and written security policies. This law directly affects police departments, municipal governments, and any agency collecting location data from sources like license plate readers or cell towers, aiming to limit unwarranted surveillance under the Fourth Amendment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires warrants for police access to historical location data, enhances privacy protections, and mandates encryption/access logs, directly strengthening law enforcement accountability and civil rights within criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires warrants for police access to historical location data, prohibits third-party data sales, mandates encryption/data destruction, directly strengthening data privacy protections under technology policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Tags Privacy

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