TennesseeHB 1718114th General Assembly (2025-2026)House

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 10 and Title 41, relative to body cameras.

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

Correctional Programs

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Prison contractors pay for body cameras

Beginning July 1, 2026, prison contractors must buy enough body cameras for covered officers and pay storage and maintenance costs. Covered facilities are adult prisons on public property holding state inmates served by a contractor. They must be in metropolitan-government counties with 11,600 to 11,616 people under the 2020 or a later federal census. Contractors must send footage to the Tennessee Department of Correction as soon as practical for review and required sharing. These contractor requirements end July 1, 2027.

Prison cameras required, but footage stays confidential

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered correctional officers must continuously record while on duty and in contact with, or positioned to contact, inmates. This applies only to adult prisons on public property that hold state inmates served by a prison contractor. The prison must be in a metropolitan-government county with 11,600 to 11,616 people under the 2020 or a later federal census. Covered staff are employees assigned to security posts as officers, sergeants, lieutenants, captains, correctional counselors, or unit managers. The Tennessee Department of Correction must assign staff within existing resources to review footage of specified incidents and interactions. These include inmate interactions and officer interactions involving suspected unlawful or abusive conduct, required reports, or possible inmate discipline. Review is due within five business days after any needed investigation. Footage requiring transmission or potentially subject to a request must be stored securely for at least one year. Other covered footage cannot be deleted until at least seven days after review. The department must send footage showing unlawful, abusive, or prosecutable conduct to the district attorney general within 48 hours after review. Prosecutors requesting footage must receive it within 48 hours, unless they specify another deadline. If the district attorney finds no prosecutable activity, they must notify the department and contractor that deletion is allowed under the seven-day rule. The department must send quarterly reports on data requiring transmission to the legislative committee chairs responsible for corrections. An annual report is due by June 30, 2027. Recordings are confidential and closed to public inspection. They can be released to law enforcement or prosecutors, or under subpoenas or court orders for civil or criminal cases. Court-related disclosure is subject to protective orders limiting who receives footage. Releasing one segment does not make other segments public. The camera, review, storage, transmission, and reporting requirements end July 1, 2027.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Cosponsors

Rebecca K. Alexander
Republican • House
Clark Boyd
Republican • House
Rush Bricken
Republican • House
Ed Butler
Republican • House
Kip Capley
Republican • House
Michele Carringer
Republican • House
Jesse Chism
Democrat • House
John Ray Clemmons
Democrat • House
Mark Cochran
Republican • House
John Crawford
Republican • House
Vincent Dixie
Democrat • House
Clay Doggett
Republican • House
Rick Eldridge
Republican • House
Andrew Farmer
Republican • House
Rusty Grills
Republican • House
Michael Hale
Republican • House
Esther Helton-Haynes
Republican • House
Gary Hicks
Republican • House
Tim Hicks
Republican • House
Dan Howell
Republican • House
Justin Lafferty
Republican • House
Michael Lankford
Republican • House
Mary Littleton
Republican • House
Greg Martin
Republican • House
Jake McCalmon
Republican • House
Larry J. Miller
Democrat • House
Bo Mitchell
Democrat • House
Jerome Moon
Republican • House
Antonio Parkinson
Democrat • House
Jason Powell
Democrat • House
Jay D. Reedy
Republican • House
Iris Rudder
Republican • House
Lowell Russell
Republican • House
Rick Scarbrough
Republican • House
Johnny Shaw
Democrat • House
Paul Sherrell
Republican • House
Tom Stinnett
Republican • House
Chris Todd
Republican • House
Dave Wright
Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 181 • No: 2

Senate vote • 4/22/2026

FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/22/2026

Yes: 31 • No: 0

House vote • 4/21/2026

FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2026

Yes: 84 • No: 2

House vote • 4/16/2026

HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE

Yes: 0 • No: 0

House vote • 4/14/2026

HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE

Yes: 25 • No: 0

House vote • 4/14/2026

HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE

Yes: 12 • No: 0

House vote • 3/31/2026

HOUSE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

Yes: 23 • No: 0

House vote • 3/18/2026

HOUSE PUBLIC SERVICE SUBCOMMITTEE

Yes: 6 • No: 0

Bill Text

HA1149 (Substitute)
4/21/2026
PDF
Enrolled / Public Chapter
PDF
Fiscal Note
PDF
HA0916
PDF
Introduced
PDF
SA0815
PDF
SA1075
PDF

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