AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40, relative to criminal justice.
Summary
HB2369 makes two related changes to Tennessee criminal justice law. First, it assigns responsibility for paying for an autopsy to a municipality when the autopsy is requested by a municipal government or municipal law enforcement agency, unless the state pays the cost. This applies through amendments to Tennessee Code Annotated sections governing autopsies in Title 38.
Second, the bill increases two monetary amounts in Tennessee’s criminal sentencing provisions under Title 40. It raises the dollar amount from $45 to $60 in one section and from $35 to $60 in another, affecting statutory fees or payments tied to probation-related or diversion-related criminal justice administration. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.
Impact
The bill shifts some autopsy costs from state or county-level handling to municipalities when the municipality or its police agency requests the autopsy, which could increase local government expenditures. It also updates two criminal justice-related dollar amounts in Title 40, changing the statutory fees from $45 and $35 to $60, thereby increasing the amounts collected or paid under those provisions and requiring agencies and courts to apply the new figures beginning July 1, 2026.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received generally favorable treatment throughout the legislative process, advancing through subcommittee and committee stages and passing both chambers by comfortable margins. The vote history suggests broad support, though not unanimous, indicating some limited concern or disagreement rather than strong opposition. No committee transcripts were provided, so the available record shows support primarily through the bill’s successful progression and final passage.
Contention
The main points of contention likely involved who should bear the cost of autopsies requested by municipalities and whether the increased dollar amounts in Title 40 were appropriate. Local governments may have been concerned about the fiscal impact of being required to pay for requested autopsies, while some legislators may have questioned the need to raise the statutory amounts from $35 and $45 to $60. The recorded votes show some dissent at committee and on the floor, but the bill still passed with clear majorities.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55, relative to criminal justice.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55, relative to criminal justice.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 53, relative to criminal justice.