HB 592 expands eligibility for compensation to individuals wrongfully imprisoned whose sentences were vacated due to actual innocence (not just exoneration), including those with dismissed charges under specific statutes. It allows people wrongfully imprisoned before the law's enactment to file claims within one year of the bill's effective date. Surviving spouses and children can now file claims on behalf of a deceased wrongfully imprisoned person, with payments distributed to surviving family members as specified. The bill amends Tennessee Code § 9-8-108 to clarify these provisions and ensure access to compensation for affected individuals and their families.
HB 577 increases the state-funded stipend that eligible counties receive for housing each convicted felon in county facilities. This change directly affects counties operating correctional facilities, providing them with additional state funding per inmate. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee law (TCA Titles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 29, 38, 39, 40, and 41) to adjust the stipend amount. It was signed into law in May 2025 and takes effect on July 1, 2025.
HB 524 allows eligible veterans facing criminal charges in Tennessee to request transferring their case to Montgomery County's veterans treatment court program under specific conditions. The bill affects veterans who meet the program's jurisdictional criteria (as if the crime occurred in Montgomery County), require a written waiver of their right to a jury trial in their home county, and have the Montgomery County District Attorney General agree to the transfer. Key provisions amend Tennessee law to permit this transfer process for contiguous counties with populations between 220,000-220,100 (based on 2020 census data), which Montgomery County satisfies. This creates a new procedural pathway for veterans to access specialized treatment courts instead of standard criminal proceedings. The bill became effective May 21, 2025, after Governor's approval.
HB 371 requires individuals convicted of Class A or Class B misdemeanors in Tennessee to complete a behavioral training course as part of their sentencing. Offenders must pay for the course (capped at $100), provide proof of completion to the court within a court-specified timeframe, and face potential jail time (up to 10 days) for failing to comply. The course must be accessible online, offered in multiple languages, include human interaction, and be provided by certified vendors meeting specific standards. This law affects misdemeanor offenders directly and takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 1177 extends the time limit for filing misdemeanor charges against defendants found incompetent to stand trial from 11 months and 29 days to two years after arrest, unless the defendant is restored to competency. It directly affects misdemeanor defendants declared incompetent by a court, requiring prosecutors to move faster or dismiss charges if competency isn't restored. The bill also mandates that when such a defendant is released into the community after charges are dismissed due to incompetence, the chief officer must notify the court, provide a discharge notice, and share an outpatient treatment plan designed to ensure community safety. These changes update Tennessee Code Sections 33-7-301 and 52-6-102.
HB 1089 requires courts to order mental health evaluations for defendants convicted of specific abuse-related crimes - including domestic assault, child abuse, aggravated child abuse, or cruelty to animals - before sentencing. The law directs Tennessee's Department of Mental Health to create a process where community mental health centers or qualified professionals conduct these evaluations. It directly affects defendants in these cases and the state's mental health evaluation system, adding a pre-sentencing step to assess potential mental health factors. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 39-14-202 and related titles to implement this requirement, effective May 21, 2025.
HB 1200, known as "Savanna's Law," creates a public online registry for "persistent domestic violence offenders" in Tennessee. This applies to individuals convicted of domestic violence offenses with at least one prior conviction against a domestic abuse victim, as defined in the bill. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) must maintain the registry using court-provided data (name, date of birth, conviction details, and photos), excluding sensitive information like addresses. The registry becomes accessible online after January 1, 2026, with names automatically removed 2-10 years after the most recent conviction based on prior offense counts.
HB 486 modifies Tennessee law to require district public defenders to meet certain deadlines within ten business days instead of ten calendar days, effective July 1, 2025. This change directly affects public defenders' offices across Tennessee by extending the timeframe for completing specific legal tasks, accounting for weekends and holidays. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated sections related to public defender procedures (Title 8, Chapter 14; Title 9, Chapter 4) without creating new positions or altering funding. It streamlines administrative processes for public defenders while maintaining existing service requirements.
HB 1128 revises Tennessee's laws governing county constables by establishing new training requirements and removing certain certification barriers. It requires all constables newly elected or appointed on or after July 1, 2025, to complete 128 hours of law enforcement training within their first year, with a pairing requirement with experienced officers during training unless they have prior POST-certified experience. The bill eliminates the requirement for constables to be certified by the POST commission to perform their duties and removes any mandated work-hour minimums for maintaining certification. This directly affects county constables in Tennessee, changing how they qualify and train for their roles.
SB 586 amends Tennessee's unlawful exposure law (TCA § 39-17-318) to clarify that distributing a private intimate image of another identifiable person with intent to cause emotional distress is illegal - regardless of whether the distributor was part of the original private agreement about the image. This directly affects individuals who share such images non-consensually, including those who received them from others. The key provision removes the previous requirement that the distributor must have been a party to the original private agreement. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, strengthening protections against non-consensual sharing of intimate images.
