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SB2533 • 2026

Mental Illness

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 38 and Title 41, relative to mental health.

Active

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

Sponsor
Haile, Williams
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the content of the guidelines and training materials, leaving this aspect open to interpretation.

The Isbill Act

This bill requires law enforcement officers and correctional personnel to receive annual training on guidelines for admitting people with mental health issues into inpatient treatment.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new section of Tennessee Code Annotated that instructs the POST commission to develop guidelines for emergency and nonemergency involuntary admissions to inpatient mental health treatment.
  • Requires law enforcement officers to receive annual training on these guidelines.
  • Instructs the board overseeing correctional personnel to create similar guidelines for admitting people into inpatient mental health care.
  • Requires correctional staff to undergo yearly training on these guidelines.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Law enforcement officers
  • Correctional personnel

Terms To Know

POST commission
The Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission in Tennessee, responsible for setting standards for law enforcement.
Involuntary admissions
When a person is admitted to mental health treatment without their consent because they are considered a danger to themselves or others.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact content of the guidelines and training materials.
  • It is unclear how these new requirements will be funded.
  • There is no information on what happens if law enforcement officers or correctional personnel do not comply with the annual training requirement.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1816

Plain English: The amendment changes how funds in the opioid abatement fund are allocated, adding new requirements for distributing money to mental health and substance abuse services.

  • Adds a requirement that $12.3 million be given to TennCare over three fiscal years to help pay for mobile crisis services for adults with TennCare.
  • Requires $25 million to go to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in fiscal year 2026-2027 to fund treatment services for uninsured people with mental health and substance use disorders.
  • Specifies that starting July 1, 2026, ten percent of new funds added to the opioid abatement fund must go into a separate account within the fund for similar purposes.
  • The amendment does not specify how these changes will affect existing state funding or other laws related to mental health services.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1816

Plain English: The amendment changes a part of Senate Bill No. 2533 by removing certain words and adding new language about consulting with an organization on how to distribute money for mental health.

  • Removes the phrase 'enrollees;' from the bill text.
  • Adds new language stating that TennCare will consult with the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations when deciding how to distribute funding.
  • The amendment does not provide details on what specific changes this consultation might lead to in terms of funding distribution.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2533

Plain English: The amendment changes how funds in the opioid abatement fund are allocated for mental health and substance use disorder services.

  • Allocates $12.3 million from the opioid abatement fund to TennCare over three fiscal years (2026-2029) to equalize reimbursement rates for mobile crisis services.
  • Provides $25 million in one-time funding to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in fiscal year 2026-2027 for uninsured individuals with co-occurring disorders.
  • Requires that 10% of future funds from the opioid abatement fund be allocated annually to support crisis and residential services for uninsured individuals.
  • The amendment text does not specify how existing state appropriations will be affected beyond stating they should supplement current funding.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/14/2026

  4. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2026

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  9. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0

  13. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/23/2026

  15. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Public Service Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee

  17. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  21. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  22. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  23. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  24. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  25. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  26. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  27. 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 1816
By Williams

SENATE BILL 2533
By Haile
SB2533
010428
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33;
Title 38 and Title 41, relative to mental health.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as "The Isbill Act."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38, Chapter 8, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) The Tennessee peace officer standards and training (POST) commission
shall adopt guidelines and materials instructing law enforcement officers on the criteria
for emergency and nonemergency involuntary admissions to inpatient treatment, as
described in title 33, chapter 6, parts 4 and 5.
(b) Each law enforcement officer shall undergo annual training on the adopted
guidelines and materials as described in subsection (a).
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 7, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) The board shall adopt guidelines and materials instructing correctional
personnel on the criteria for emergency and nonemergency involuntary admissions to
inpatient treatment, as described in title 33, chapter 6, parts 4 and 5.
(b) Each correctional personnel shall undergo annual training on the adopted
guidelines and materials as described in subsection (a).
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2027, the public welfare requiring it.