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HB1718 • 2026

Correctional Programs

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 10 and Title 41, relative to body cameras.

Crime Labor
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Atchley, Hatcher
Last action
2026-05-18
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Correctional Programs

ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT # 2, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1718, AS AMENDED.

What This Bill Does

  • ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT # 2, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1718, AS AMENDED.
  • AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill to, instead, require each correctional officer at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center to utilize a body camera that is recording at all times while the officer is on duty at the facility and is in contact with or may reaso nably anticipate contact or interaction with an inmate.
  • The prison contractor providing correctional services at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center must pay the costs of procuring an adequate number of body cameras and the costs of data storage and mai nt enance.
  • REVIEW AND TRANSMISSION OF FOOTAGE This amendment requires the department of correction ("department") to designate one or more employees to review captured body camera recordings for each incident, interaction between two or more inmates, or interaction between a correctional officer and an inmate or another correctional officer that is or is suspected to be unlawful, abusive, or that may otherwise require a report or the discipline of an inmate.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1718

Plain English: House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.

  • House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1718 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1820 House Bill No.
  • 1718* HA0916 015289 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1718

Plain English: House Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.

  • House Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.
  • 2 to HB1718 Hicks G Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1820 House Bill No.
  • 1718* HA1149 017819 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1820

Plain English: Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB1820 Briggs Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1820 House Bill No.
  • 1718* SA0815 015289 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 2-0 to SB1820

Plain English: Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.
  • 2 to SB1820 Watson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1820 House Bill No.
  • 1718* SA1075 017819 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

  2. 2026-05-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 956

  3. 2026-05-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 956

  4. 2026-05-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-05-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  10. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0815)

  11. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA1075)

  12. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  13. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  14. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  15. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  16. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 84, Nays 2, PNV 0

  18. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA1149)

  19. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0916)

  20. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/22/2026

  21. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 11, Nays 0 PNV 0

  22. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/20/2026

  23. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026

  24. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/14/2026

  25. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  26. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2026

  28. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  30. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  31. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 4/15/2026

  32. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  33. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  36. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  37. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  38. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  40. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  41. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  42. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  43. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  44. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  45. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  46. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  47. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  48. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  49. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  50. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  51. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  52. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  53. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  54. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  55. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  56. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  57. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT # 2, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1718, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill to, instead, require each correctional officer at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center to utilize a body camera that is recording at all times while the officer is on duty at the facility and is in contact with or may reaso
nably anticipate contact or interaction with an inmate. The prison contractor providing correctional services at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center must pay the costs of procuring an adequate number of body cameras and the costs of data storage and mai
nt
enance.

REVIEW AND TRANSMISSION OF FOOTAGE

This amendment requires the department of correction ("department") to designate one or more employees to review captured body camera recordings for each incident, interaction between two or more inmates, or interaction between a correctional officer and
an inmate or another correctional officer that is or is suspected to be unlawful, abusive, or that may otherwise require a report or the discipline of an inmate. Such review must happen within five business days of the incident or interaction. Body cam
er
a recordings that must be reviewed or that may be subject to a request must be stored and maintained securely for at least one year. Stored recordings must be easily transmissible to the district attorney general and a prosecuting authority. Recordings
not required to be stored must be maintained for at least seven days after review.

This amendment requires the department to transmit to the district attorney general each portion of a body camera recording that captures an incident, interaction between two or more inmates, or interaction between a correctional officer and an inmate or
another correctional officer that is or is suspected to be unlawful, abusive, or that may otherwise require a report or the discipline of an inmate. Recordings must be transmitted within 48 hours of review. If the district attorney general determines t
ha
t the recording does not capture activity that is unlawful or prosecutable, the district attorney general must notify the department and prison contractor that the recording may be deleted. Body camera footage must be provided to any federal, state, or l
ocal prosecuting authority upon request.

This amendment requires the department to aggregate body camera data that requires transmission and submit a quarterly report to the chair of the corrections subcommittee of the state and local government committee of the senate and to the chair of the c
ommittee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over corrections. Further, an annual report must be submitted to such chairs by June 30, 2027.

CONFIDENTIALITY

This amendment provides that a body camera recording captured and maintained pursuant to this amendment is confidential and not open to public inspection. However, if the recording is relevant to a civil action or criminal prosecution, then the recordin
g may be released to the appropriate parties or agencies. The court or administrative judge must issue appropriate protective orders.

REPEALER

The provisions in this amendment are repealed on July 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1820
By Hatcher

HOUSE BILL 1718
By Atchley
HB1718
010985
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 10 and Title 41, relative to body cameras.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 24, is amended by adding
the following new section:
(a) The department shall study the cost of equipping correctional officers and
employees of prison contractors with body cameras who work in an adult correctional
facility located:
(1) On public property that houses, in whole or in part, inmates under the
custody of the department for which correction services are provided to such
inmates by a prison contractor; and
(2) In a county that has a metropolitan form of government with a
population of not less than eleven thousand six hundred (11,600) and not more
than eleven thousand six hundred sixteen (11,616), according to the 2020 federal
census or a subsequent federal census.
(b) The department shall report its findings to the chair of the senate state and
local government committee and the chair of the committee of the house of
representatives with jurisdiction over corrections not later than July 1, 2026. The report
may be submitted electronically.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.