Jails, Local Lock-ups

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 8; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 41, relative to arrestees.

Children Crime Healthcare

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Russell, Hatcher
Last action: 2026-04-07
Official status: Transmitted to Governor for his action.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Law About Jails and Arrestees

This law allows jails to refuse arrestees who need medical care for minor offenses but requires them to accept arrestees once they are cleared by a healthcare provider.

What This Bill Does

Allows jailers, sheriffs, or deputy jailers to refuse an arrestee if the person needs urgent medical treatment and was arrested for a misdemeanor that is not a crime against someone else.
Requires arresting agencies like police departments to get medical help for the arrestee before taking them to jail.
Requires jails to accept arrestees once they have been cleared by a healthcare provider.
Gives immunity from legal action to those who take in arrestees needing medical care.

Who It Names or Affects

Jailers, sheriffs, and deputy jailers
Arresting agencies like police departments
Healthcare providers

Terms To Know

Misdemeanor: A less serious crime that is usually punished with a fine or short jail time.
Immunity from legal action: Protection against being sued or charged with a crime for something you did.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact costs to local governments are not known due to many uncertain factors.
It is unclear how this law will affect the workload of healthcare providers and arresting agencies.

Amendments

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

HA0665

Amendment 1-0 to HB1815

Plain English: This amendment allows jails to refuse or delay taking in arrestees who have not received medical treatment for serious injuries or conditions, and it clarifies the responsibilities of law enforcement agencies and healthcare providers.

Jails can now refuse or delay accepting arrestees if they haven't been treated for obvious serious physical injuries or emergency health issues.
Law enforcement must ensure that arrestees receive medical attention before delivering them to jail.
If a healthcare provider releases an arrestee, jails are required to take custody of the person and accept documentation from the healthcare facility.

The amendment text does not specify what happens if law enforcement fails to provide necessary medical treatment for arrestees before delivering them to jail.

SA0758

Amendment 1-0 to SB1724

Jails can now refuse or delay accepting arrestees if they haven't been treated for obvious serious physical injuries or emergency health issues.
Law enforcement must ensure that arrestees receive medical attention before delivering them to jail.
If a healthcare provider releases an arrestee, jails are required to take custody of the person and accept documentation from the healthcare facility.

The amendment text does not specify what happens if law enforcement fails to provide necessary medical treatment for arrestees before delivering them to jail.
It is unclear how this change will be enforced or monitored in practice.

Bill History

2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0758)
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0665)
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Reset on cal. for 3/19/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/17/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill allows a jailer to refuse to accept into the jail an arrestee if the arrestee requires medical attention and has been arrested for a misdemeanor that does not constitute a crime against a person. If the jailer refuses to accept an arrestee pur
suant to this provision, the arresting agency must have the arrestee evaluated by a healthcare provider. If the provider releases the arrestee and specifies that the arrestee no longer requires medical attention or is medically able to be confined to a j
ai
l, then the jailer must accept the arrestee into the jail. Further, this bill clarifies that a jailer refusing an arrestee pursuant to these provisions is not in contempt of court.

ON MARCH 19, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1815, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill, to instead, authorize a
sheriff, jail administrator, or deputy jailer
to
refuse or delay acceptance into the jail an arrestee if the arrestee has not received medical treatment for obvious serious physical injuries or conditions of an emergency nature. Upon refusal or delay
,

t
he sheriff, jail administrator, or deputy jailer
must
document the factual basis for the determination
, and i
t is the responsibility of the arresting law enforcement agency to obtain medical attention
for the arrestee prior to delivery to the jail.

This amendment requires, u
pon medical release by the healthcare facility or healthcare provider, the sheriff, jail administrator, or deputy jailer
to
assume custody of the individual when presented at the jail. The arresting agency
must
provide the jail with the medical release or discharge documentation from the healthcare provider or healthcare facility.

This amendment also authorizes
the sheriff, jail administrator, or deputy jailer
to
accept an arrestee into custody who appears to be in need of medical attention and who refuses medical examination or medical attention. The sheriff, jail administrator, or deputy jailer is immune from civil and criminal liability for accepting such arr
estees into custody.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1724
By Hatcher

HOUSE BILL 1815
By Russell
HB1815
010493
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 8; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 41, relative to
arrestees.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 29-9-102, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection (b):
(b) This section does not apply to a jailer refusing an arrestee pursuant to § 41-
4-145.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 41-4-103(a)(7), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(7) Except as provided in § 41-7-145, all other persons committed to the jail by
authority of law.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 4, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
41-4-145.
(a) A jailer may refuse to accept into the jail an arrestee if the arrestee:
(1) Requires medical attention; and
(2) Has been arrested for a misdemeanor that does not constitute a
crime against a person, under title 39, chapter 13.
(b)
(1) If a jailer refuses to accept an arrestee into the jail pursuant to
subsection (a), then the arresting agency must have the arrestee evaluated by a
healthcare provider.

- 2 - 010493

(2) If a healthcare provider furnishes the arresting agency with a release
form specifying that the arrestee no longer requires medical attention or is
medically able to be confined to a jail, then the jailer shall accept the arrestee into
the jail.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.