Tennessee Bills

HB 2606 creates a statewide cold case division within Tennessee's Bureau of Investigation (TBI), organized into three geographic regions. Each region must have a director and at least five detectives to handle unsolved missing persons and homicide cases. Local law enforcement agencies must submit such cases to the TBI cold case division after 10 years without resolution. Families of victims may also request case file access under specific conditions, including if the case is unresolved for 10+ years or the local agency lacks a dedicated unit.

HB 2326 amends Tennessee law to require the state treasurer to transfer 10% of the investment income earned by the state pooled investment fund each fiscal year to the state highway fund, by June 30 annually. This policy change directly affects the state treasurer's annual financial management and the funding available for highway projects. The key mechanism is a mandatory annual transfer of earnings, not principal, from the investment fund to the highway fund. The bill does not alter existing funding levels for other state programs but redirects a portion of investment returns toward transportation infrastructure. (This is a substantive funding bill, not procedural.)

HB 2415 permits healthcare organizations' quality improvement committees to assess existing security measures at their facilities, specifically to ensure patient and staff safety. This bill amends Tennessee law (TCA Sections 68-11-272, 8, 38, 62, and 68) to add this security evaluation duty to committees' existing responsibilities. The change directly affects healthcare facilities (like hospitals and clinics) by expanding their quality committees' authority to review security protocols. It does not create new security requirements but allows committees to proactively examine current measures.

HB 2367 expands the legal definition of "victim" in Tennessee criminal law to include insurance companies that compensated victims and law enforcement agencies that spent funds on investigations. It also explicitly allows victims (or their representatives) to attend court proceedings related to their case, beyond the state's designated witness. The bill specifically adds certain offenses - like evading arrest causing serious injury/death and vehicular homicide - to the list where victim impact is considered during sentencing. These changes directly affect crime victims, their representatives, insurance providers, and law enforcement agencies involved in criminal cases. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

HB 2360 requires Tennessee counties to receive equal portions of 30% of revenue from taxes on vapor products, specifically for youth nicotine prevention programs and services. The bill amends Tennessee Code Section 67-4-1025(f) to mandate this allocation, directing funds to be deposited with the state treasurer and distributed equally to all counties. It directly affects all Tennessee counties by providing dedicated funding for local prevention efforts targeting youth nicotine use. The policy takes effect July 1, 2026, with funds to be used exclusively for prevention programs, not other purposes.

HB 2373 creates a $800 annual bonus for full-time, certified county correctional officers in Tennessee who complete at least 40 hours of approved in-service training each year. The bill requires counties to provide this supplemental payment on top of regular salaries, not as a replacement for existing pay or raises. Officers must have worked at least eight months for the county (with exceptions for military service, retirement, or disability) to qualify. The funds must be used solely as a training bonus and cannot be applied to future salary calculations or retirement benefits.

HB 2361, "The Mint Act," establishes a state-run precious metals enterprise fund administered by Tennessee's treasurer. The fund will use $50 million in fiscal year 2027 to acquire gold and silver bullion, convert it into coin-like specie (bullion products), and store 90% as a long-term inflation hedge while selling up to 10% to residents and others to build brand reputation. Key provisions require the treasurer to contract with a Tennessee-based toll converter for bullion conversion within 12 months, prioritize in-state sales, and maintain strict security and reporting for fund operations. The bill directly affects state treasury operations and finances, creating a dedicated mechanism for managing precious metals as a financial asset.

HB 2375 creates the "Greenbelt Initiative Fund Transfer (GIFT) Act," establishing a $210 million annual rural revenue equity fund within Tennessee's state general fund. It directs the commissioner of economic and community development to distribute funds to rural counties based on a scoring system weighing greenbelt land acreage (25% weight), agricultural sales (20%), greenbelt land percentage (15%), lack of development tax authority (15%), livestock farm output (10%), population (8%), and property tax history (7%). Rural counties can use funds for capital projects, infrastructure, law enforcement, emergency services, or property tax stabilization. The bill aims to address rural economic disparities by prioritizing counties with higher agricultural land classifications and lower tax burdens.

HB 2465 amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 40-35-501 to require individuals convicted of certain serious offenses to serve 100% of their sentence without any sentence reduction credits. The bill specifically adds conspiracy, criminal attempt, and solicitation related to the offenses already listed in the statute (such as violent crimes and certain drug offenses) to the category of crimes where full sentences apply. This policy change directly affects individuals convicted of these specific offenses who would otherwise qualify for sentence credits through programs like good behavior or rehabilitation. The law will take effect July 1, 2026, for offenses committed on or after that date.

SB 2691 changes how state-funded nursing home care grants are paid. It allows nursing home providers receiving these grants to be paid either monthly or quarterly, rather than exclusively monthly. This amendment applies to Section 71-5-1305 of Tennessee law governing the grant assistance program. The bill directly affects nursing homes and care providers who receive state funding under this program. It streamlines payment timing without altering eligibility or funding amounts.

HB 2629 amends Tennessee law to allow nursing home care grant payments under the state's grant assistance program to be made either monthly or quarterly, rather than exclusively monthly. This change directly affects nursing homes receiving state grants for care services by providing flexibility in how they receive funding. The bill specifically revises Tennessee Code Annotated §71-5-1305 to replace "monthly" with "monthly or quarterly" in payment terms. It does not alter grant amounts or eligibility but streamlines payment scheduling for providers. The bill is procedural, focusing solely on administrative payment timing.

HB 2405 requires Tennessee state and local governments to provide fully paid health insurance coverage to the immediate families (spouses and dependent children) of law enforcement officers killed or suffering catastrophic injuries in the line of duty on or after January 1, 2020. The bill removes the previous two-year limit on this coverage and expands eligibility to include officers with qualifying catastrophic injuries, defined as permanent impairments meeting specific medical criteria (e.g., paralysis, severe burns, or brain/spinal cord injuries). It mandates that employers pay all premiums for these families and requires the state to reimburse local governments for the costs. This policy directly affects law enforcement officers' families and state/local government budgets, with the law taking effect July 1, 2026.