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HB0393 • 2026

Correction, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, relative to retired canines.

Budget Healthcare Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Butler, Crowe
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 436
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on consequences for non-compliance with record-keeping or notification requirements.

Help for Retired Canines Used by Correctional Officers

This law requires the Department of Correction to pay $85 per month for medical care of retired canines used in service and given to correctional officers, with additional record-keeping requirements.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Correction to pay $85 per month to a department employee (active or retired correctional officer) for the medical care of a retired canine that served the department due to age or injury.
  • Allows this payment on top of any other salary or benefits the officer already receives.
  • Needs officers to keep records of all medical treatments given to the retired canines and submit these records yearly by June 1st.
  • Requires officers to inform the Department within 30 days if a retired canine dies.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Department employees (active or retired correctional officers) who have custody of retired canines used in service for the department.
  • The Department of Correction, which must pay monthly amounts and manage records.

Terms To Know

General Appropriations Act
A law that sets aside money for different government departments to use.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if an officer does not follow the record-keeping or notification requirements.
  • Only applies to canines retired due to age or service-related injury used by department employees (active or retired correctional officers) in Tennessee.
  • The exact amount of funding needed each year is estimated but may change.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0393

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires the Department of Correction to pay retired canines' medical expenses to department employees who care for them.

  • The Department of Correction will provide $85 per month to an employee caring for a retired canine, which must be used only for the canine's medical needs.
  • Employees must keep records of all medical treatments given to the retired canines and submit these records annually by June 1st.
  • If a retired canine dies, the department will stop monthly payments within thirty days after being notified.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if an employee fails to report the death of a retired canine or submits false medical records.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0652

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires the Department of Correction to pay retired canines' medical expenses to department employees who care for them.

  • Adds a monthly payment of $85 from the Department of Correction's budget to cover medical costs for retired canines cared for by department employees.
  • Requires the employee caring for the retired canine to keep records of all medical treatments and submit these records annually by June 1st.
  • Specifies that payments will stop within thirty days after the department is notified of the retired canine's death.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if an employee fails to report a retired canine's death or medical expenses.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 436

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 436

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0395)

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  18. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025

  19. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  20. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  21. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  23. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  27. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  31. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  32. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0197)

  33. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2025

  34. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  35. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  36. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  37. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  38. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  39. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  40. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  41. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  42. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  43. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  44. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  45. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  46. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  47. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  48. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  49. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  50. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires the department of correction to pay $85 per month to an active or retired correctional officer with custody of a canine that was utilized in the service of the department and is
retired due to age or service-related injury. The monthly amount set out in this bill is in addition to any amount that is otherwise due and paid to the officer by virtue of salary, retirement, disability, or other reason, and is to be used exclusively f
o
r the medical care of the retired canine. The department must pay the correctional officer from funds budgeted to the department through the general appropriations act.

MAINTENANCE OF MEDICAL RECORDS

This bill requires an officer with custody of the re
tired canine to maintain records of all medical treatment provided to the retired canine in the officer's care and custody and, by June 1 of each year, to submit a copy of these medical records to the department for the fiscal year ending at the end of th
a
t month.

NOTIFICATION UPON DEATH OF CANINE

This bill requires an officer to notify the department within 30 days of the death of a retired canine in the care of the correctional officer. The department will then terminate the monthly medical treatment
payments to the officer provided by this bill upon receiving notification of the canine's death.

ON MARCH 26, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 652, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 applies the provisions of the bill to a department
of correction employee, instead of a correctional officer, who has custody and responsibility for the care of the canine.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 652
By Crowe

HOUSE BILL 393
By Butler

HB0393
000001
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
relative to retired canines.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 6, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) When a canine that was utilized in the service of the department of correction
is retired due to age, service-related injury, or any other reason, and the canine is retired
to the care and custody of a correctional officer, whether active or retired, the
department, from funds budgeted to the department through the general appropriations
act, shall pay, on a monthly basis, the officer caring for the retired canine the sum of
eighty-five dollars ($85.00) to be used exclusively for the medical care of the retired
canine.
(b) The officer with custody of the retired canine shall maintain records of all
medical treatment provided to the retired canine in the officer's care and custody and, by
June 1 of each year, submit a copy of these medical records to the department of
correction for the fiscal year ending at the end of that month.
(c) Within thirty (30) days of the death of a retired canine in the care of a
correctional officer, the officer shall notify the department of correction of the canine's
death. The department shall terminate the monthly medical treatment payments to the
officer provided by this section upon receiving notification pursuant to this subsection (c).

- 2 - 000001

(d) The monthly amount set out in subsection (a) is in addition to any amount
that is otherwise due and paid to the officer by virtue of salary, retirement, disability, or
other reason.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.