Correction, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to conduct a study concerning subjects related to access of family members to incarcerated persons for visitation; requires the department to report its findings, the official text

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                             PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 783

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 11~9

                                                By Akbari, Bowling, Lamar

                                            Substituted for: House Bill No. 674

   By Love, Towns, Freeman, Fritts, Pearson, Camper, Parkinson, Hakeem, Harris, Glynn, Salinas,
                                                                White

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 51, relative to correctional
          institutions and inmates.

          WHEREAS, data and studies consistently show that fostering connections between
incarcerated persons and their families reduces recidivism, such that regular visitation from family
members to an incarcerated person lowers the likelihood of that person reoffending; and

          WHEREAS, families of incarcerated persons often spend hundreds of dollars per month on
travel costs, further marginalizing low-income households and exacerbating economic disparity; and

          WHEREAS, maintaining strong ties between an incarcerated person and that person's family
is shown to improve mental health, provide emotional support, facilitate smoother reentry into
society upon completion of their sentence, and support the overall notion of effective and
sustainable rehabilitation and reintegration; and

          WHEREAS, this state seeks to recognize and honor the importance of family connections in
rehabilitation and to reduce recidivism by supporting this initiative; now, therefore,

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1.

                    (a) The Tennessee Department of Correction shall study:

                              (1) The impact of fostering connections between incarcerated persons and
                    their families to reduce recidivism, including whether regular visitation from family
                    members to an incarcerated person lowers the likelihood of that person reoffending;

                              (2) The costs to families of incarcerated persons to visit family members and
                    loved ones who are incarcerated at distant facilities; and

                              (3) The parameters of programs in other states that authorize a qualified
                    incarcerated person to be transferred to a facility closer to the person's family,
                    including the programs' eligibility requirements, costs to the respective states or local
                    governments, reduction in travel costs to family members of incarcerated persons,
                    and success in reducing reincarceration and other positive outcomes.

                    (b) The Department may request information and input from other appropriate state
          and local governmental entities, as necessary. Each such entity shall comply with the
          Department's request. The study must be conducted from the Department's existing
          resources.

                    (c) By no later than January 31, 2027, the Department shall report its findings to each
         • member of the general assembly and shall provide a copy of the report to the legislative

          librarian. The report may be delivered electronically.

          SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 1159

PASSED:  April 8, 2026

                                         RANDY McN4,.LY

                               SPEAKER OF THE SEN) TE

                        C..

                         CAMERO~EXTON,SPEAKER

                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April APPROVED this 'J2l!_ day of          2026

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                       BILL LEE, GOVERNOR