Tennessee Senate Bill SB1970

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/26
• Engrossed: 3/12/26
• Enrolled: 4/1/26
• Passed: 4/14/26
• Chaptered: 4/24/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 10, Chapter 7, relative to public records.

Summary

SB1970 amends Tennessee’s public records law to give a non-citizen of the state the right to inspect or obtain a copy of law enforcement records or reports that pertain solely to that individual. The bill specifically covers records such as arrest reports, incident reports, crash reports, and citations, so long as the requester submits a written request identifying the record, a valid government-issued photo ID, and a signed affidavit stating that the record relates only to the requester. The bill also preserves existing confidentiality limits. It does not require release of records that are otherwise confidential by law, protected by Rule 16 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure, or covered by the investigative privilege. Records custodians may still charge reasonable production costs. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.

Impact

This bill narrows and clarifies access to certain law enforcement records under Tennessee Code Annotated § 10-7-503 by expressly extending inspection and copying rights to individuals who are not citizens of Tennessee, provided the records pertain solely to them and the statutory request requirements are met. It affects public records custodians, law enforcement agencies, and requesters seeking personal police, crash, or citation records, while leaving existing confidentiality and privilege protections intact.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the measure. It advanced out of the Senate State & Local Government Committee by a 6-1 vote and then passed the Senate and House stages overwhelmingly, including unanimous floor votes at later stages and concurrence in the House amendment. The lack of recorded opposition on the floor indicates the bill was generally viewed favorably as a targeted public records access measure.

Contention

The only visible committee-level opposition was a single no vote in the Senate State & Local Government Committee, suggesting limited concern rather than broad controversy. Any likely points of contention would center on whether non-citizens should receive an express statutory right to obtain their own law enforcement records and whether the affidavit/ID requirements are sufficient to prevent misuse, but the bill’s exceptions for confidential, privileged, and investigative records appear designed to address privacy and law-enforcement concerns.