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SB2649 • 2026

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal investigations.

Active

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

Sponsor
Roberts, Salinas
Last action
2026-04-16
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/20/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on specific funding for the new staff positions or consequences for non-compliance by local law enforcement agencies.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Division Act

This bill requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to establish a cold case division and mandates local police departments to submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases after ten years.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new section in Title 38, Chapter 6, Part 1 of the Tennessee Code Annotated that establishes a cold case division within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
  • Divides the TBI's cold case division into three geographic regions, each with a regional director and at least five cold case detectives.
  • Requires local law enforcement agencies to submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the TBI’s cold case division after ten years without resolution.
  • Allows family members of victims in certain circumstances to request that the cold case division review unresolved cases.
  • Permits controlled access to case files for family members under specific conditions.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
  • Local law enforcement agencies in Tennessee
  • Family members of missing persons or homicide victims

Terms To Know

Cold case division
A specialized unit within the TBI that focuses on investigating unsolved cases.
Regional director
The supervisor of a geographic region within the cold case division.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the additional staff for the cold case division will be funded.
  • It is unclear what happens if local law enforcement agencies do not comply with submitting cases to the TBI’s cold case division after ten years.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2606

Plain English: The amendment adds new sections to Tennessee Code Annotated that require the establishment of a cold case unit within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation with specific staffing requirements and guidelines for submitting unsolved cases.

  • Adds a requirement for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to create a cold case unit staffed by at least five detectives.
  • Specifies that local law enforcement agencies can submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the cold case unit after ten years without resolution.
  • Allows district attorney generals to submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the cold case unit at any time.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how the cold case unit will operate beyond staffing and submission guidelines.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2649

Plain English: The amendment adds new sections to Tennessee Code Annotated that require the establishment of a cold case unit within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation with specific staffing requirements and guidelines for submitting unsolved cases.

  • Adds a requirement for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to create a cold case unit staffed by at least five detectives.
  • Specifies that local law enforcement agencies can submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the cold case unit after ten years without resolution.
  • Allows district attorney generals to submit unsolved missing person or homicide cases to the cold case unit at any time.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how the cold case unit will operate beyond staffing and submission guidelines.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/20/2026

  2. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee of Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  17. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  19. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/16/2026

  21. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  22. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  23. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  24. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  25. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  26. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2606
By Salinas

SENATE BILL 2649
By Roberts
SB2649
012621
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38;
Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal
investigations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38, Chapter 6, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following new section:
(a) The Tennessee bureau of investigation must establish a cold case division,
to be divided into three (3) geographic regions, each staffed by:
(1) A regional director; and
(2) No fewer than five (5) cold case detectives.
(b) Each local law enforcement agency must submit unsolved missing person or
homicide cases to the cold case division following the passage of ten (10) years without
resolution.
(c) A family member of a missing person or homicide victim may request that the
cold case division review their family member's unresolved case if:
(1) The local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the case
lacks a dedicated missing persons or homicide division;
(2) The victim resided or the offense occurred in a municipality of fewer
than five thousand (5,000) residents; or
(3) The case has been unresolved for ten (10) years or more.
(d) If the victim's family has hired a licensed and insured private investigator,
then the private investigator may assist and collaborate with the local law enforcement
agency during the cold case investigation.

- 2 - 012621

(e) If ten (10) years have passed without resolution of the family member's
missing person or homicide case, then the family member who filed the missing person
report may request controlled access to the case file. Access must be granted if:
(1) The requester has no criminal convictions;
(2) The requester has previously submitted a formal statement that is
retained in the case file; and
(3) The requester is not a suspect or person of interest in the case.
(f) Access under subsection (e) must occur according to the following:
(1) Access is limited to viewing paper and electronic documents;
(2) The requester shall not make photographs, copies, or recordings of
case materials; and
(3) A violation of subdivision (f)(1) or (2) may result in revocation of the
requester's access.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.