TennesseeTennessee requires payment of covered county prosecution bills within 60 days
Tennessee counties must send prosecution expense bills to the Department of Correction, which must pay covered amounts within 60 days of receiving them.
What it does
Counties must bill the Tennessee Department of Correction for covered criminal prosecution expenses. The department must pay the amounts allowed by law within 60 days of receiving the bill.
Argument forA firm payment deadline could help counties plan their budgets by making repayment for covered prosecution expenses more predictable.
Argument againstCorrection officials may face pressure to check which expenses qualify and arrange payment within the 60-day deadline.
More detail
Counties must send bills, and the Tennessee Department of Correction must pay the amounts allowed by law. The requirements cover county criminal prosecution expenses under Tennessee Code section 40-25-129(a)(3). Payment covers only billed expenses that the law allows. The law took effect May 1, 2026. The 60-day payment deadline starts when the department receives the county’s bill.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 18Pub. Ch. 916Latest
- May 18Effective date(s) 05/01/2026
- May 1Signed by Governor Bill Lee.Became Law
- Apr 21Transmitted to Governor for his action.To Governor
- Apr 20Signed by Senate SpeakerMajor
- Apr 16Signed by H. SpeakerMajor
- Apr 15Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.Minor
- Apr 14Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.Major
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/14/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 14Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0954)
- Apr 14Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0Passed Senate
- Apr 2Received from House, Passed on First ConsiderationMinor
- Mar 31Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.Minor
- Mar 30H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0790)Major
- Vote recorded HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026 3/26/2026. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/30/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 30Passed H., as am., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0Passed House
- Mar 26H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026
- Mar 25Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026
- Mar 24Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules CommitteeMinor
- Vote recorded HOUSE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/24/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 18Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
- Mar 17Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government CommitteeMinor
- Vote recorded HOUSE DEPARTMENTS & AGENCIES SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee 3/17/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 11Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/17/2026
- Feb 4P2C, ref. to State & Local Government CommitteeMinor
- Feb 4Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies SubcommitteeMinor
- Feb 2Intro., P1C.Minor
- Jan 22Filed for introductionIntroduced
Criminal JusticeTaxes & Budget