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SB0662 • 2026

Mental Illness

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 40 and Title 52, relative to mental health evaluations.

Active

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

Sponsor
Akbari, Hardaway
Last action
2026-03-25
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify which crimes are covered by the rule, only that it applies to offenses for which a defendant would serve at least eighty-five percent of their sentence before release.

Mental Health Evaluations for Certain Criminal Offenses

This bill creates a rule that people charged with certain serious crimes and ordered by a court to have mental health evaluations are presumed to need emergency detention unless they can prove otherwise.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new part (b) to an existing law about when someone might need emergency mental health help.
  • Establishes a rebuttable presumption that a person charged with certain serious crimes and ordered by the court for a mental health evaluation is presumed to be in danger unless proven otherwise.
  • Requires clear and convincing evidence to rebut this presumption.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People charged with serious crimes who might need mental health evaluations.
  • Courts that order these evaluations.
  • Mental health professionals who conduct the evaluations.

Terms To Know

rebuttable presumption
A rule where someone is considered to be in a certain situation unless they can prove otherwise.
clear and convincing evidence
Evidence that shows something is highly likely to be true, more than just probable but less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which crimes exactly are covered by this rule.
  • It's unclear how much it will cost or who will fund the additional mental health evaluations required under this law.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2026

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  5. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2026

  7. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  8. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  9. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  14. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/18/2026

  16. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/11/2026

  17. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  18. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

  19. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  20. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/9/2025

  23. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  24. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025

  25. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  26. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  29. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  31. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  32. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  33. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  34. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  35. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/12/2025

  36. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  37. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/5/25

  38. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  39. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  40. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  41. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  42. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  43. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  44. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  45. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  46. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  47. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 625
By Hardaway

SENATE BILL 662
By Akbari

SB0662
000612
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33;
Title 40 and Title 52, relative to mental health
evaluations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 33-6-401, is amended by
redesignating the section as subsection (a) and adding the following:
(b)
(1) There is a rebuttable presumption that a person meets the standard
in subsection (a) for emergency detention and examination if the person was
charged with an offense described in subdivision (b)(3) and ordered by the
criminal, circuit, or general sessions court to undergo an evaluation under § 33-7-
301 to determine whether the person is incompetent to stand trial or the person's
mental capacity at the time of the commission of the crime.
(2) The presumption established by subdivision (b)(1) may be rebutted
only by clear and convincing evidence that the person does not pose an
imminent substantial likelihood of serious harm.
(3) This subsection (b) applies to any offense for which the defendant, if
convicted, would be required to serve at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the
sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release from incarceration,
pursuant to § 40-35-501.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.