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SB1878 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to criminal justice.

Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Johnson, Lamberth
Last action
2026-02-02
Official status
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on immediate effectiveness, but states that the act takes effect upon becoming a law due to public welfare requirements.

Changes to Reporting Time for Criminal Offenses in Prisons

This bill changes how quickly prison officials must report criminal offenses to prosecutors by reducing the reporting time from five business days to four.

What This Bill Does

  • Reduces the time a warden has to report an offense from five business days to four business days.
  • Updates Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Section 39-16-202(a)(1) to reflect this change.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Wardens and other prison officials who report criminal offenses in penal institutions.
  • District attorney generals who receive reports of criminal offenses from prisons.

Terms To Know

Tennessee Code Annotated
The official collection of laws for the state of Tennessee, organized by subject matter.
Warden
A person in charge of managing and overseeing a prison or penal institution.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how this change will affect the reporting process or outcomes.
  • The bill does not specify what happens if a warden fails to report an offense within four business days.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  3. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  4. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  5. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  6. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2545
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 1878
By Johnson
SB1878
010416
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to criminal justice.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-16-202(a)(1), is amended by
deleting "five (5)" and substituting "four (4)".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.