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SB0254 • 2026

Correction, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal law.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Gardenhire, Doggett
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
H. Placed on Message Calendar for 4/15/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on what happens if the report is late or how it affects existing programs, leaving some uncertainties.

Tennessee Criminal Law Changes

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Correction to submit an annual report on diversion programs by February 1st.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the department to submit a yearly report about the effectiveness of diversion programs that keep offenders out of state prisons.
  • The report must be sent to specific committees in both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Department of Correction
  • Committees in the Tennessee House and Senate

Terms To Know

diversion programs
Programs that help keep people from going to prison by offering alternatives like counseling or community service.
Tennessee General Assembly
The state legislature of Tennessee, which includes both the House and Senate.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the report is late.
  • Does not provide funding for implementing these changes.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0489

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to require defendants who are not considered indigent and ordered to wear a transdermal monitoring device as part of their pretrial release or probation to pay for all associated costs.

  • Defendants must now cover the full cost of installing, monitoring, maintaining, and operating a transdermal monitoring device if they are not determined by the court to be indigent.
  • If defendants fail to make payments within five days after the due date, it can lead to termination of device monitoring or other legal actions such as show cause hearings.
  • The amendment also clarifies that local government entities like sheriff's departments cannot serve as alternative funding sources unless a specific fund has been established for this purpose.
  • Some parts of the text are technical and may require further explanation or context to fully understand their implications.
Amendment 2-0 to HB0489

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to require defendants who are not considered indigent and ordered to wear a transdermal monitoring device as part of pretrial release or probation to pay for all associated costs.

  • Defendants must now cover the full cost of installing, monitoring, maintaining, and operating a transdermal monitoring device if they are not determined by the court to be indigent.
  • If defendants fail to make payments within five days after due dates, it can lead to termination of device monitoring or show cause hearings.
  • The amendment also updates several sections in Tennessee Code Annotated to include government agencies as providers of electronic monitoring services alongside qualified electronic monitoring providers.
  • Some parts of the amendment text are technical and may be hard for a general reader to understand fully without additional context.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0254

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law to require defendants who are not considered indigent and ordered to wear a transdermal monitoring device as part of pretrial release or probation to pay for all associated costs.

  • Adds new provisions requiring defendants to pay for the installation, monitoring, maintenance, and operation of their transdermal monitoring devices if they are not determined by the court to be indigent.
  • Establishes a process where failure to make payments within five days can lead to termination of device monitoring or a show cause hearing.
  • Specifies that electronic monitoring providers or government agencies must notify courts and defendants about nonpayment issues, leading to potential bond revocation hearings if necessary.
  • The amendment text is detailed but does not specify the exact penalties for non-compliance beyond possible bond revocation or show cause hearings.
  • It's unclear how this will affect defendants who are determined to be indigent and cannot afford these costs.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Message Calendar for 4/15/2026

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on next avail. Message cal.

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Motion to reconsider adopted.

  4. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Motion to lift from table adopted.

  5. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Message Calendar

  6. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate returned to the House

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  8. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Requested S. to return.

  9. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  11. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0995)

  12. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  14. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 1

  15. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  16. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  17. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  18. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  19. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/1/2026

  22. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  23. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  25. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  26. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  27. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  28. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  29. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  30. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Judiciary Committee

  31. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  32. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  33. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  34. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  38. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE SENATE PASSED SENATE BILL 254.

ON APRIL 8, 2026, THE HOUSE REQUESTED THAT THE SENATE RETURN SENATE BILL 254.

ON APRIL 9, 2026, THE SENATE RETURNED SENATE BILL 254 TO THE HOUSE.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 489
By Doggett

SENATE BILL 254
By Gardenhire
SB0254
001802
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38;
Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal
law.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-36-105(2), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(2) Conduct statewide public education concerning the purposes and goals of
this chapter and submit a report by February 1 of each year, to the committee of the
house of representatives with jurisdiction over subject matters pertaining to criminal
justice, judiciary committee of the senate, and fiscal review committee regarding the
effectiveness of diversion of offenders from state correctional institutions;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.