AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37, relative to the department of children's services.
HB2250 requires the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) to publicly disclose substantially more information about the providers and facilities it uses to house or supervise children in state custody. By January 1, 2027, DCS would have to publish a list of all contracted providers used over the prior three fiscal years, the number of youth served, licensing or approval authority, the type of youth served, the scope and cost of services by funding source, and the number and nature of licensing violations, enforcement actions, reported incidents, and abuse investigations.
The bill also creates ongoing reporting requirements about children placed in short-term or interim locations that are not permanent placements, such as hotels, offices, shelters, hospitals, detention centers, and assessment centers. Beginning January 30, 2027, and monthly thereafter, DCS would have to report how many children stayed in such settings, how long they stayed, where they were located by type, age, region, and adjudication status, and how much overtime staff worked to supervise them. The department would also have to provide annual and semi-annual summaries, including a list of interim placement locations and the contractors or agreements used to operate them.
If enacted, the bill would add new transparency and reporting duties to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 37 governing the Department of Children’s Services. It would not directly change eligibility for services or custody standards, but it would require DCS to collect, organize, and publish detailed operational data about contracted care providers, placement settings, and staffing costs. The measure would affect DCS, its contractors, and the public by making provider performance, placement practices, and use of temporary housing more visible, and it would require coordination with the comptroller of the treasury to develop reporting measures.
The available voting history suggests the bill faced resistance in committee and did not advance there, failing 1-4 in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee. No transcript discussion is provided, so the record does not show detailed floor or committee arguments. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be framed as a government accountability and child welfare transparency proposal, but the committee vote indicates limited support at that stage.
The main points of contention are likely the scope and burden of the reporting requirements, especially the obligation to disclose detailed contract, cost, violation, and abuse-investigation information for providers, as well as monthly reporting on interim placements and overtime staffing. Opponents may have concerns about administrative workload, data accuracy, confidentiality, or the operational sensitivity of publishing location and contractor information. Supporters would likely emphasize oversight of DCS placement practices, transparency around temporary housing of children, and public accountability for provider performance and spending.