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SB0652 • 2026

Correction, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, relative to retired canines.

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Active

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

Sponsor
Crowe, Butler
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text specifies that the monthly payment is in addition to any other payments due to the officer.

Help for Retired Canine Partners

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Correction to pay $85 per month to a department employee with custody of a retired canine used by the department and now retired due to age or service-related injury.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Correction to give $85 each month to an active or retired correctional officer, or any other department employee, who has custody of a retired canine used in the service of the department.
  • The money must be used only for the medical care of the retired canine.
  • Officers must keep records of all medical treatments given to the retired canines and send these records to the Department of Correction every year by June 1st.
  • If a retired canine dies, the officer must tell the department within 30 days. The monthly payments stop after the department gets this information.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Active or retired correctional officers and other department employees who have custody of canines that served in the Tennessee Department of Correction and are now retired due to age or service-related injury.
  • The Tennessee Department of Correction, which must pay for the medical care of these retired canines.

Terms To Know

Correctional Officer
A person who works at a prison or other correction facility to supervise and manage inmates.
General Appropriations Act
The main budget law that sets aside money for different parts of the government, including the Department of Correction.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill only applies to canines retired due to age or service-related injury.
  • It is unclear how many department employees will be affected by this bill.
  • The exact amount of money needed for future years is not specified, but it increases each year.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0393

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that requires the Department of Correction to pay retired canines' medical expenses to department employees who care for them.

  • Adds a monthly payment of $85 from the Department of Correction's budget to cover medical costs for retired canines cared for by department employees.
  • Requires the employee caring for the retired canine to keep records of all medical treatments and submit these records annually to the Department of Correction.
  • Specifies that payments will stop within 30 days after the department is notified of the retired canine's death.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if an employee fails to report a retired canine's medical expenses or its death.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0652

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that requires the Department of Correction to pay retired canines' medical expenses to department employees who care for them.

  • Adds a monthly payment of $85 to be given by the Department of Correction to its employees (active or retired) who take care of retired canines, specifically for their medical needs.
  • Requires these employees to keep records of all medical treatments provided and submit annual reports to the department.
  • Specifies that payments will stop within 30 days after the department is notified of a retired canine's death.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if an employee fails to report the death of a retired canine or submits false medical records.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 436

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 436

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0395)

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025

  19. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  20. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  21. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  27. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0197)

  31. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  32. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  33. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2025

  34. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  35. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  36. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  38. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  39. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  41. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  42. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  43. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  44. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  45. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  46. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  47. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  48. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  49. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  50. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires the department of correction to pay $85 per month to an active or retired correctional officer with custody of a canine that was utilized in the service of the department and is
retired due to age or service-related injury. The monthly amount set out in this bill is in addition to any amount that is otherwise due and paid to the officer by virtue of salary, retirement, disability, or other reason, and is to be used exclusively f
o
r the medical care of the retired canine. The department must pay the correctional officer from funds budgeted to the department through the general appropriations act.

MAINTENANCE OF MEDICAL RECORDS

This bill requires an officer with custody of the re
tired canine to maintain records of all medical treatment provided to the retired canine in the officer's care and custody and, by June 1 of each year, to submit a copy of these medical records to the department for the fiscal year ending at the end of th
a
t month.

NOTIFICATION UPON DEATH OF CANINE

This bill requires an officer to notify the department within 30 days of the death of a retired canine in the care of the correctional officer. The department will then terminate the monthly medical treatment
payments to the officer provided by this bill upon receiving notification of the canine's death.

ON MARCH 26, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 652, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 applies the provisions of the bill to a department
of correction employee, instead of a correctional officer, who has custody and responsibility for the care of the canine.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 393
By Eldridge

SENATE BILL 652
By Crowe

SB0652
000001
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
relative to retired canines.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 6, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) When a canine that was utilized in the service of the department of correction
is retired due to age, service-related injury, or any other reason, and the canine is retired
to the care and custody of a correctional officer, whether active or retired, the
department, from funds budgeted to the department through the general appropriations
act, shall pay, on a monthly basis, the officer caring for the retired canine the sum of
eighty-five dollars ($85.00) to be used exclusively for the medical care of the retired
canine.
(b) The officer with custody of the retired canine shall maintain records of all
medical treatment provided to the retired canine in the officer's care and custody and, by
June 1 of each year, submit a copy of these medical records to the department of
correction for the fiscal year ending at the end of that month.
(c) Within thirty (30) days of the death of a retired canine in the care of a
correctional officer, the officer shall notify the department of correction of the canine's
death. The department shall terminate the monthly medical treatment payments to the
officer provided by this section upon receiving notification pursuant to this subsection (c).

- 2 - 000001

(d) The monthly amount set out in subsection (a) is in addition to any amount
that is otherwise due and paid to the officer by virtue of salary, retirement, disability, or
other reason.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.