Tennessee Senate Bill SB0450

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/29/25
• Chaptered: 5/27/25
• Passed: 5/27/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9; Title 12; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 49, relative to funding of child advocacy centers.

Summary

This bill amends Tennessee law governing child advocacy center funding. It requires the State Funding Board, each December when it presents revenue estimates, to also certify the growth rate of state general fund revenue based on actual collections from the prior fiscal year. If that certified growth rate is at least 1%, then the base amount of child advocacy center contracts in each judicial district must increase by 3% on the following July 1 for services to child victims. The bill also sets new minimum base contract amounts, subject to appropriation, for two categories of funding: child advocacy center contracts must be increased to $127,855.98, and forensic child interviewer contracts must be increased to $85,000 per contracted interviewer. The act is named the "Savannah Grace Copeland Act" and applies to contracts entered into, renewed, or amended on or after July 1, 2025. It expressly states that it is not itself an appropriation and cannot be implemented unless funds are specifically provided in the general appropriations act.

Impact

The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated § 9-4-213 and affect the funding structure for child advocacy centers and forensic child interviewers across the state. It creates a revenue-growth trigger tied to state general fund collections and establishes higher baseline contract amounts, but implementation depends on future appropriations. The measure primarily affects the Department of Children's Services, child advocacy centers, forensic interviewers, and the judicial-district-based network that supports investigations and services for abused and neglected children.

Sentiment

The available legislative history shows strong support for the bill. It passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously and later passed the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee unanimously with amendment(s), indicating broad bipartisan agreement. The bill text and findings also reflect a favorable view of child advocacy centers as essential service providers for child victims and for law enforcement and prosecutors.

Contention

There is little visible opposition in the provided record. The main practical point of concern is fiscal: the bill increases contract base amounts and ties future increases to revenue growth, but it also states that no funds may be spent unless specifically appropriated. That means the central issue is not policy disagreement over child advocacy centers, but whether the General Assembly will appropriate sufficient money to carry out the new funding levels and annual increases.