Official Summary Text
In a county that has provided an approved detention facility to meet the needs for care of children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court or detained by order of the juvenile court pending an investigati
on or hearing and disposition, this bill requires the juvenile court to use and assume direct supervision, control, and direction of the facility as the primary detention facility for detention of juveniles under the court's jurisdiction or arrange with a
licensed institution, agency, or the department of children's services to manage the facility or to receive temporary care and custody of children within the jurisdiction of the court. An "approved detention facility" means a detention facility used for
d
etention of juveniles, including a detention home or center for delinquent children that is under the control, direction, or supervision of the court or other public authority or private agency approved by the court. Any such detention center and operato
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must be approved, certified, or licensed by the department of children's services, including a youth development center.
If a juvenile court conducts a child custody, detention, or adjudicatory proceeding, then this bill requires the court to use for th
e proceeding a dedicated courtroom provided by the county that is closest in proximity to the approved detention facility provided by the county, as long as the courtroom substantially complies with the administrative office of the courts' minimum courtro
o
m security requirements. It is the purpose of this bill to minimize the humiliation of a child in custody or detention from public exposure and the use of restraints that may occur from unnecessary vehicular transportation of the child. However, this bi
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l does not replace the provisions in the Tennessee Rules of Juvenile Procedure pertaining to confidentiality of proceedings and the use of contemporaneous audio-visual transmissions.
ON MARCH 17, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BI
LL 718, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:
Removes a youth development center from the requirement that a detention center and operator must be approved, certified, or licensed by the department of children's services.
Revises the provision providing that, if a juvenile court conducts a child custody, detention, or adjudicatory proceeding, the court must use for the proceeding a dedicated courtroom provided by the county that is closest in proximity to the approved detention facility provided by the county as long as the courtroom substantially complies with the administrative office of the courts' minimum courtroom security requirements to, instead, provide that if a county has provided an approved detention facility and the approved detention facility contains a courtroom, the juvenile court must use the dedicated courtroom for conducting any proceeding in a delinquency matter related to a youth detained at the approved detention facility as long as the courtroom substantially complies with such minimum courtroom security requirements.
Clarifies that the bill applies only to Hamilton, Knox, Davidson, and Shelby counties.
ON APRIL 10, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 718 FOR HOUSE BILL 797, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2, AND PASSED S
ENATE BILL 718, AS AMENDED.
AMENDMENT #2 makes the following revisions:
Revises the exemption provision to, instead, provide that the bill
does not apply if a juvenile court has entered into a written agreement with a licensed institution, other public authority or agency, or the department of children's services to manage the approved detention facility or to receive temporary care and custody of children within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.
Changes the effective date of the bill to October 1, 2025.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
HOUSE BILL 797
By Vaughan
SENATE BILL 718
By Taylor
SB0718
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AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37,
relative to juveniles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section, "approved detention facility" means a detention
facility used for detention of juveniles, including a detention home or center for
delinquent children that is under the control, direction, or supervision of the court or other
public authority or private agency approved by the court. Any such detention center and
operator must be approved, certified, or licensed by the department of children's
services, including a youth development center.
(b) In a county that has provided an approved detention facility to meet the
needs for care of children under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court or detained by order
of the juvenile court pending an investigation or hearing and disposition, the juvenile
court is required to use and assume direct supervision, control, and direction of the
approved detention facility as the primary detention facility for detention of juveniles
under the court's jurisdiction or arrange with a licensed institution, agency, or the
department of children's services to manage the facility or to receive temporary care and
custody of children within the jurisdiction of the court.
(c) Consistent with the public purposes set forth in § 37-1-101, if a juvenile court
conducts a child custody, detention, or adjudicatory proceeding, then the court must use
for the proceeding a dedicated courtroom provided by the county that is closest in
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proximity to the approved detention facility provided by the county, as long as the
courtroom substantially complies with the administrative office of the courts' minimum
courtroom security requirements. It is the purpose of this section to minimize the
humiliation of a child in custody or detention from public exposure and the use of
restraints that may occur from unnecessary vehicular transportation of the child. This
section does not replace the provisions in the Tennessee Rules of Juvenile Procedure
pertaining to confidentiality of proceedings and the use of contemporaneous audio-visual
transmissions.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.