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~tate of \lCennessee
PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 956
HOUSE BILL NO. 1718
By Representatives Atchley, Sherrell, Grills, Howell, Stinnett, Tim Hicks, Wright, Cochran,
Capley, Scarbrough, Greg Martin, Crawford, Todd, Lafferty, Bricken, Moon, Doggett,
Carringer, Farmer, Russell, Gary Hicks, Powell, Lankford, Boyd, McCalmon, Eldridge,
Butler, Helton-Haynes, Dixie, Rudder, Miller, Mitchell, Chism, Parkinson, Hale, Clemmons,
Reedy, Shaw, Alexander, Littleton
Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 1820
By Senators Hatcher, Mr. Spea~er McNally, Johnson, Jackson, Akbari, Bailey, Bowling,
Briggs, Campbell, Crowe, Gardenhire, Haile, Harshbarger, Hensley, Kyle, Lamar, Lowe,
Massey, Oliver, Pody, Powers, Reeves, Roberts, Rose, Seal, Southerland, Stevens,
Taylor, Walley, Watson, White, Yager, Yarbro
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 10 and Title 41, relative to
body cameras.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 51, is amended by adding
the following as a new part:
41-51-401. Part definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Correctional facility" means an adult correctional facility located:
(A) On public property that houses, in whole or in part, inmates
under the custody of the department for which correctional services are
provided to such inmates by a prison contractor; and
(B) In a county that has a metropolitan form of government with a
population of not less than eleven thousand six hundred (11,600) and not
more than eleven thousand six hundred sixteen (11,616), according to the
2020 federal census or a subsequent federal census;
(2) "Correctional officer" means a facility employee assigned to a security
post on a schedule shift whose job title or position is defined as a correctional
officer, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, correctional counselor, or unit manager;
(3) "Correctional services" has the same meaning as defined in § 41-24-
102;
(4) "Department" means the department of correction; and
(5) "Prison contractor" has the same meaning as defined in§ 41-24-102.
41-51-402. Body cameras in correctional facilities.
(a) Each correctional officer at a correctional facility shall utilize a body camera at
all times when the officer is on duty at the facility and is in contact with or may
reasonably anticipate contact or interaction with an inmate. The body camera must be
recording at all times when utilized in accordance with this subsection (a).
(b)
(1) A prison contractor providing correctional services at a correctional
facility is responsible for the costs of procuring an adequate number of body
HB1718
cameras to comply with this section, including the costs of data storage and
maintenance. The prison contractor shall transmit body camera footage to the
department for review and transmission, as applicable, pursuant to subdivision
(b)(2) as soon as practicable.
(2) The department, within the existing resources of the department:
(A) Shall designate one (1) or more employees to review captured
body camera recordings for each incident, interaction between two (2) or
more inmates, or interaction between a correctional officer and an inmate
or another correctional officer that is or that is suspected to be unlawful,
abusive, or that may otherwise require a report or the discipline of an
inmate. The review of each body camera recording must occur no later
than five (5) business days after any investigation into an incident or
interaction, as necessary. Body camera recordings that must be
transmitted or that may be subject to a request must be stored and
maintained securely and preserved for a period of not less than one (1)
year. The body camera recordings must be stored and maintained in a
manner that makes such recordings readily transmissible to the district
attorney general and a prosecuting authority in accordance with
subdivisions (b)(2)(8) and (C). A body camera recording, or a portion
thereof, that is not subject to storage and maintenance under this
subdivision (b)(2)(A) may be deleted no earlier than seven (7) days after
the recording is reviewed;
(B) Shall transmit to the district attorney general each portion of a
body camera recording that captures an incident, interaction between two
(2) or more inmates, or interaction between a correctional officer and an
inmate or another correctional officer that is or that is suspected to be
unlawful, abusive, or that may otherwise require a report or the discipline
of an inmate. Such recordings must be transmitted to the district attorney
general no later than forty-eight (48) hours after the body camera
recording is reviewed pursuant to subdivision (b)(2)(A). If the district
attorney general, after reviewing a body camera recording, determines
that the recording does not capture activity that is unlawful or
prosecutable, the district attorney general shall notify the department and
prison contractor that the recording may be deleted in accordance with
subdivision (b)(2)(A); and
(C) Shall provide to any federal, state, or local prosecuting
authority any body camera recording upon request within forty-eight (48)
hours of such request, or as otherwise specified by the prosecuting
authority.
(c) The department shall aggregate body camera data that requires transmission
pursuant to subdivision (b)(2) and submit a quarterly report to the chair of the corrections
subcommittee of the state and local government committee of the senate and to the
chair of the committee of the house of representatives with jurisdiction over corrections.
The department shall submit an annual report to such chairs no later than June 30,
2027.
41-51-403. Repealer.
This part is repealed on July 1, 2027.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 10-7-504(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) Notwithstanding another law and except as provided in this subdivision (a)( ),
a body camera recording captured and maintained pursuant to title 41, chapter 51, part 4
is confidential and not open to public inspection. If the body camera recording is relevant
to a civil action or criminal prosecution, then the recording may be released to a law
enforcement agency, a federal, state, or local prosecuting authority, or in compliance
with a subpoena or an order of a court of record in accordance with the Tennessee rules
2
HB1718
of civil or criminal procedure. The court or administrative judge having jurisdiction over
the proceedings shall issue appropriate protective orders, as necessary, to ensure that
the video footage is disclosed only to appropriate persons. Release of a segment or
segments of the body camera recording must not be construed as waiving the
confidentiality of the remaining segments of the body camera recording.
SECTION 3. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not
constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
requested to include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.
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HOUSE BILL NO. 1718
PASSED: April 22, 2026
~:~TON,SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RANDY MCNA\.LY
SPEAKER OF THE SEN~TE
;r APPROVED this J-1:L. day of (V),n , 2026
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