Welfare

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide information on the effectiveness of the reporting requirements, so this statement was removed.

Food Assistance Application for Inmates

This bill requires Tennessee's Department of Human Services to provide inmates with an application form for food assistance before their release and mandates reporting on inmate participation in the program.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the commissioner of human services to give the commissioner of correction a form that inmates can use when applying for food assistance.
• Includes options for inmates to decline food assistance anonymously or state reasons for not applying.
• Requires the department of correction to provide each inmate preparing for release with this application and collect completed forms before their release.
• Mandates the department of correction to submit an annual report on inmate participation in the food assistance program to legislative officials.

Who It Names or Affects

• Inmates who are preparing for release from state correctional institutions.
• The commissioner of human services and the commissioner of correction.

Terms To Know

Food Assistance

A program that provides food or money to buy food for people in need.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if an inmate refuses to complete the application.
• It is unclear how many inmates will actually apply for food assistance after release.

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 879, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the commissioner of human services to provide the commissioner of correction with a form application for food assistance for use by inmates who are preparing for release. Such an application must inclu
de all of the following:



An option for an inmate to indicate that the inmate is declining to apply for food assistance.


Options for an inmate who declines to apply for food assistance to indicate the inmate's reasons for doing so.


The option for an inmate for who wishes to decline to apply for food assistance to do so anonymously.


A provision authorizing a re-entry specialist from a state correctional institution to formally document an inmate's decision not to pursue food assistance benefits by the inmate's refusal to complete the form application.

This amendment requires the department of correction to (i) provide each inmate who is preparing for release from incarceration with a copy of the food assistance application and sufficient opportunity and means to complete the application prior to relea
se; and (ii) collect all applications from such inmates and return the completed applications to the department of human services. The commissioner of human services must seek any waivers from the United States department of agriculture that are necessar
y
to provide the food assistance application.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

This amendment requires the commission of correction to submit a written report to the chief clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the legislative librarian that includes data from the previous calendar year on (i) the number
of food assistance applications that were completed by inmates prior to release in each state correctional institution
; (ii) the
number of such applications on which the inmate indicated a desire to decline to apply for food assistance;
(iii) reasons
inmates who declin
ed to apply indicated as the reasons for such denial;
(iv) the
number of incomplete applications resulting from inmate refusals to complete the form for food assistance; and
(v) the
number of inmates who were approved for food assistance prior to release from imprisonment.
Such report must be submitted no later than January 15, 2027, and every January 15th thereafter. The commissioner of human services must provide the commissioner of correction any data necessary to complete the report.

RULEMAKING

This amendment authorizes the commissioner of correction and the commissioner of human services to promulgate rules to effectuate this amendment.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 684
By Darby

SENATE BILL 879
By Reeves

SB0879
002798
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71,
Chapter 5, Part 3, relative to food assistance.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-5-318, is amended by deleting
subsections (b) and (c) and substituting:
(b) The department shall annually identify any federal waivers it deems
necessary to alleviate any federal regulatory limitations it identifies pursuant to
subsection (a), and shall, no later than October 31 of each year, as applicable, submit
applications to the federal government for such waivers.
(c) On or before December 31 of each year, the department shall submit a report
to the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate, the chair of the committee
of the house of representatives with subject matter jurisdiction over health, and the
legislative librarian that details its findings pursuant to subsection (a), describes any
waiver applications it has submitted pursuant to subsection (b) and the status of such
applications, and includes recommendations to the general assembly for any statutory
changes the department deems necessary to facilitate efficient processing and approval
of applications and delivery of benefits for the food assistance program.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.