TennesseeTennessee officials provide food assistance forms before prison release
People preparing to leave state correctional institutions receive a food assistance application and time to complete it, starting July 1, 2026, for most purposes.
What it does
The human services commissioner provides a food assistance application for people preparing to leave state correctional institutions. The form must offer ways to decline, including anonymously, and to have a specialist record a refusal to complete it.
The correction department gives each person preparing for release a copy of the application, time and means to complete it, and sends completed forms to human services.
The correction commissioner reports yearly on applications, refusals and their stated reasons, incomplete forms, and food assistance approvals before release. Human services must provide data needed for the report.
Argument forPeople preparing to leave prison could have time and a way to apply for food assistance before release.
Argument againstCorrection staff may take on extra work giving out forms, collecting them, and tracking refusals and approvals for yearly reports.
More detail
The human services commissioner provides the correction commissioner with a food assistance application for people preparing for release. An inmate is a person held in a public or private facility operated by or under contract with the state correction department. The form must offer ways to decline, optionally give a reason, and decline anonymously. A re-entry specialist may record a decision not to apply when someone refuses to complete the form. Human services must seek any federal waivers needed to provide the application. For purposes other than making rules, the law takes effect July 1, 2026.
The correction department gives each person preparing for release a copy of the application, time and means to complete it, and returns completed applications to human services. The duties apply to each inmate preparing for release from incarceration. For purposes other than making rules, the law takes effect July 1, 2026.
The correction commissioner submits a yearly written report to legislative offices and the legislative librarian about applications and food assistance approvals. The report includes applications completed, decisions to decline and stated reasons, incomplete forms due to refusals, and approvals before release. The human services commissioner must provide data needed for the report. The first report is due by January 15, 2027, and later reports are due by January 15 each year; each covers the previous calendar year.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 27Pub. Ch. 1060Latest
- May 27Effective date(s) 05/22/2026, 07/01/2026
- May 22Signed by Governor Bill Lee.Became Law
- May 11Transmitted to Governor for action.To Governor
- May 7Signed by H. SpeakerMajor
- Apr 30Signed by Senate SpeakerMajor
- Apr 27Enrolled and ready for signaturesMinor
- Apr 21Subst. for comp. HB.Major
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 21Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0939)Minor
- Apr 21Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0Passed House
- Apr 20Sponsor(s) Added.Minor
- Apr 16Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- Apr 14Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0977)
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/14/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 14Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 1Passed Senate
- Apr 14Engrossed; ready for transmission to HouseMinor
- Apr 14Sponsor(s) Added.Minor
- Apr 10Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026
- Apr 1Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0
- Vote recorded SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0 4/1/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 25Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/1/2026
- Mar 18Reset on Final calendar of Senate Health and Welfare Committee
- Mar 17Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026
- Mar 17Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/18/2026
- Mar 11Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
- Mar 4Sponsor(s) Added.Minor
- 2025
- Feb 12Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare CommitteeMinor
- Feb 10Introduced, Passed on First ConsiderationMinor
- Feb 5Filed for introductionIntroduced
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