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HB2203 • 2026

Jails, Local Lock-ups

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 40 and Title 41, relative to persons serving criminal sentences.

Crime Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Keisling, Yager
Last action
2026-02-05
Official status
P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill is still active and awaiting further formal steps as of February 5, 2026.

Monthly Reports for Work Release Prisoners

This bill requires wardens of county workhouses to send monthly reports about prisoners in work release programs to the judge who sentenced them by the fifteenth day of the following month.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the warden of a county workhouse to file a report each month.
  • The report must be sent on or before the fifteenth day of the month immediately following the reporting period.
  • Reports are for prisoners placed under a work release program.
  • Wardens need to inform judges about prisoners' conduct and financial progress.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Wardens of county workhouses
  • Judges who sentenced prisoners
  • Prisoners in work release programs

Terms To Know

Work Release Program
A program that allows certain prisoners to leave jail during the day for work or education, but return at night.
Warden
The person in charge of a prison or workhouse.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if a report is late.
  • It's unclear how this will affect the workload of judges and wardens.
  • This bill has not yet been signed into law as of February 5, 2026.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee

  2. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/17/2026

  4. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  5. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  6. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  8. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  9. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  10. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2170
By Yager

HOUSE BILL 2203
By Keisling
HB2203
011658
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5;
Title 40 and Title 41, relative to persons serving
criminal sentences.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 41-2-138, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead:
The warden of the workhouse shall file a monthly report, on or before the
fifteenth day of the month immediately following the reporting period, with respect to
each prisoner placed under the work release program with the judge by whom the
prisoner was sentenced advising the judge as to the conduct and financial achievement
of the prisoner.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.