Tennessee Senate Bill SB0074

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/25
• Engrossed: 2/20/25
• Enrolled: 2/20/25
• Passed: 3/10/25
• Chaptered: 3/21/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 41, Chapter 23, Part 1, relative to the Interstate Corrections Compact.

Summary

SB0074 makes a narrow administrative change to Tennessee’s laws governing the Interstate Corrections Compact. The bill deletes the compact from a statutory list in Title 4 and then adds it to the state’s “sunset” schedule, setting the Interstate Corrections Compact to terminate on June 30, 2033 unless it is later continued, reestablished, or restructured under Tennessee’s sunset-review process. The practical effect is to place the compact under periodic legislative review rather than leaving it outside the normal termination framework. The Interstate Corrections Compact is the interstate agreement that allows Tennessee and other participating states to transfer certain incarcerated individuals between correctional systems under specified conditions. By adding it to the sunset list, the bill affects the legal status of the compact within Tennessee law and signals that the state will revisit its authorization in the future.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 4, Chapter 29, which governs the termination dates of governmental entities, and Title 41, Chapter 23, Part 1, which contains the Interstate Corrections Compact. It does not change the substantive rules of inmate transfers or corrections operations today, but it does subject the compact to automatic termination on June 30, 2033 unless renewed through the state’s sunset process. This affects the Tennessee Department of Correction and any interstate correctional arrangements made under the compact.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill was noncontroversial and broadly supported. The Senate Government Operations Committee recommended passage by a unanimous 9-0 vote, and there are no recorded committee transcripts indicating opposition or significant debate. The bill appears to have been treated as a routine housekeeping measure rather than a major policy change.

Contention

No notable points of contention are reflected in the available record. Because the bill is administrative and forward-looking, any concerns would likely center on whether placing the Interstate Corrections Compact on a sunset schedule could create future uncertainty for interstate prison transfers or correctional planning. However, no specific objections from legislators, agencies, or stakeholders are documented in the provided materials.