Juvenile Offenders

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation incorrectly stated that the bill reduces delays from four to two hours, while the official source indicates it is reducing delays from six to four hours.

Reducing Delay for Juvenile Detainees

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to reduce the time juvenile detention facilities can delay phone calls or visits from six hours to four hours if a child is in trouble.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the law so that juvenile detention centers cannot wait more than four hours before letting a child make a phone call or have visitors when they are being disciplined.

Who It Names or Affects

• Juvenile detention centers
• Children who are detained or under the custody of the Department of Children's Services

Terms To Know

TACIR

The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, which studies and advises on issues related to state and local government.

Residential facilities

Places where juveniles are housed for treatment or detention, such as juvenile detention centers, shelters, and assessment centers.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what changes will be made based on the study's findings.
• It is unclear how quickly TACIR will complete its report after receiving all necessary information from state agencies.

Official Summary Text

ON FEBRUARY 26, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1401, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations (TACIR) to study all of the following:



The current structure of licensing and oversight mechanisms for residential facilities licensed by, approved by, operated by, or contracted with this state, the department of children's services, or a juvenile court for the housing and treatment of juvenile offenders
.


Licensing and oversight models used by other states to ensure compliance, safety, and adequacy of services for juvenile offenders in residential facilities
.


Licensing and oversight models used by other state agencies within this state to ensure compliance, safety, and adequacy of services in other types of residential facilities, such as prisons and jails, mental health facilities, and facilities for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities
.


Opportunities for improvement in this state's licensing and oversight mechanisms for residential facilities housing and treating juvenile offenders.

As used in this amendment, "licensing and oversight" includes
formal licensing processes and regulations, facility inspections, compliance reviews, complaint, investigatory, and enforcement mechanisms, as well as youth, family, and community input processes
. As used in this amendment, "residential facilities" includes
local juvenile detention centers and other facilities for the housing and treatment of juveniles detained prior to an adjudicatory hearing, as well as facilities for the housing and treatment
of juvenile offenders who have been adjudicated delinquent and committed to the custody of the department of children's services, including temporary and transitional placements, assessment centers, shelters, out-of-state placements, and any other locati
on where juvenile offenders in custody of the department reside while in state custody
.

In completing the study, this amendment authorizes TACIR to request information and input from the department of children's services
, the department of mental health and substance abuse services, the department of education, and other appropriate state and local governmental entities, as necessary.
Such entities are required to comply with TACIR's request. TACIR must report its findings to each member of the general assembly and provide a copy of its report to the legislative librarian no later than Janu
ary 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1401
By Roberts

HOUSE BILL 1245
By Reedy

HB1245
003183
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 37 and Title 41, relative to juvenile facilities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-189(a), is amended by deleting
"six (6) hours" and substituting "four (4) hours".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.