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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 1010
HOUSE BILL NO. 2157
By Representatives Lamberth, Moody, Bricken
Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 2405
By Senators Taylor, Gardenhire, Bowling, Rose
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 38 and Title 39, relative to
law enforcement.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-6-102, is amended by adding the
following as new subsections:
(g)
(1) There is established a Tennessee safe initiative task force, which is
administratively attached to the Tennessee bureau of investigation. The task
force shall determine when criminal activity in a particular jurisdiction is so
prevalent as to endanger public safety and require additional law enforcement
operations.
(2) The Tennessee safe initiative task force is comprised of eight (8)
voting members, as follows:
(A) The director of the Tennessee bureau of investigation, who
shall serve as chair of the task force;
(8) The commissioner of safety;
(C) One (1) district attorney general, to be appointed by the district
attorneys general conference;
(D) One (1) sheriff, to be appointed by the Tennessee Sheriffs'
Association;
(E) One (1) chief of police, to be appointed by the Tennessee
Association of Chiefs of Police
(F) One (1) district attorney general, to be appointed jointly by the
speaker of the house of representatives and the lieutenant governor;
(G) One (1) sheriff, to be appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives; and
(H) One (1) chief of police, to be appointed by the lieutenant
governor.
(3)
(A) Task force members appointed under subdivisions (g)(2)(C)-
(H) serve staggered terms as follows:
(i) The persons appointed under subdivisions (g)(2)(C) and
(g}(2)(F) serve initial terms that terminate on June 30, 2028;
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(ii) The persons appointed under subdivisions (g)(2)(D)
and (g)(2)(G) serve initial terms that terminate on June 30, 2029;
and
(iii) The persons appointed under subdivisions (g)(2)(E)
and (g)(2)(H) serve initial terms that terminate on June 30, 2030.
(8) Following the expiration of members' initial terms as
prescribed in subdivision (g)(3)(A), all appointments to the task force are
for terms of three (3) years, beginning on July 1 and terminating on June
30 every three (3) years thereafter.
(C) Members appointed under subdivisions (g)(2)(C)-(H):
(i) Must be appointed by July 1, 2026;
(ii) Serve until the expiration of the terms to which they
were appointed and until their successors are duly appointed and
qualified; and
(iii) Are eligible for reappointment to the task force
following the expiration of their terms.
(4) Vacancies are filled in the same manner that original appointments
are made.
(5) The chair of the task force shall call the meetings. The task force must
meet at least quarterly and, upon the request of at least three (3) members, may
hold additional meetings. Members may attend meetings electronically. A -
meeting of the task force must not commence or continue in the absence of a
quorum. A quorum is a majority of the members to which the task force is
entitled. The members of the task force serve without compensation.
(6) At least one (1) week prior to a task force meeting, a member of the
task force, including the chair, may notify the members that the member intends
to initiate a motion to request that the Tennessee bureau of investigation provide
additional law enforcement operations from the Tennessee safe initiative within a
specific jurisdiction, pursuant to subdivision (g)(9) at the meeting. The task force
shall notify the district attorney general and chief officer of any law enforcement
agency within the jurisdiction of the motion. At the task force meeting, the district
attorney general and chief officer of any law enforcement agency within the
jurisdiction may address the task force and provide evidence as to whether
additional law enforcement operations are appropriate. If a majority of the
members of the task force who are entitled to vote request law enforcement
operations pursuant to this subdivision (g)(6), then the director of the Tennessee
bureau of investigation shall provide the requested law enforcement operations
from the Tennessee safe initiative.
(7)
(A) Notwithstanding any provision of title 8, chapter 44, part 1 to
the contrary, the task force may enter into executive session upon a
majority vote of the members present. The task force is not required to
provide public notice of an executive session.
(8) Executive session may be held solely for the purpose of
considering matters that are confidential and law enforcement sensitive,
including, but not limited to:
(i) Specific intelligence information, investigative reports, or
analytical findings related to criminal activity;
(ii) Deployment strategies, operational plans, or tactical
decisions regarding the assignment of task force personnel;
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(iii) Information that would identify confidential informants,
cooperating witnesses, or undercover officers;
(iv) Ongoing or prospective criminal investigations where
public disclosure would reasonably be expected to compromise
the investigation or endanger individuals; and
(v) Information otherwise protected from disclosure under
state or federal law.
(C) The task force shall not take a final action, vote, or official
decision while in executive session. Any action resulting from discussions
held in executive session must occur in an open meeting.
(D) The task force shall maintain confidential minutes or records of
executive sessions, which are confidential and not subject to public
disclosure except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(E) A task force member, staff, or other individual present during
an executive session shall maintain the confidentiality of all matters
discussed therein, and unauthorized disclosure is grounds for removal
and may be subject to applicable criminal penalties under state law.
(F) The task force may consult with law enforcement agencies,
prosecutors, or intelligence analysts during executive session as
necessary to carry out its duties under this subsection (g).
(8) A sheriff, chief of police, or district attorney general may submit to the
task force a written request that the Tennessee bureau of investigation provide
additional law enforcement operations from the Tennessee safe initiative within
the official's specific jurisdiction, pursuant to subdivision (g)(9). The task force
shall notify the sheriff, chief of police, and district attorney general within the
district who did not submit the request, if any, of the request. The task force is not
required to vote on a request submitted under this subdivision (9)(8). The director
of the Tennessee bureau of investigation may provide the requested law
enforcement operations from the Tennessee safe initiative.
(9) In addition to the authority established in subsections (a) and (b),
Tennessee safe initiative investigators of the Tennessee bureau of investigation
are authorized to make investigations as requested by the task force in
connection with any matters pertaining to:
(A) Commission of an offense prohibited by title 39, chapter 13; or
(B) Criminal gang activities. As used in this subdivision (g)(9)(8),
"criminal gang activities" means criminal gang offenses committed by a
criminal gang member, as defined in § 40-35-121, and other unlawful
activities of members of a criminal gang.
(10) Tennessee safe initiative investigators are not prohibited from
investigating criminal activity not specifically listed in subdivision (g)(9) if the
criminal activity is discovered in furtherance of an investigation authorized under
subdivision (g)(9). Additionally, other law enforcement agencies are not
prohibited from investigating crimes listed in subdivision (g)(9).
(11) Prior to initiating Tennessee safe initiative operations pursuant to this
subsection (g), the director of the Tennessee bureau of investigation shall notify
the district attorney general and the chief officer of any law enforcement agency
within the jurisdiction of the operations and the date on which the operations will
commence.
(12) At any meeting of the task force that occurs while a law enforcement
operation authorized by this subsection (g) is ongoing:
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(A) The director shall present to the task force information on the
number of arrests and criminal charges resulting from Tennessee safe
initiative operations; and
(8) The district attorney general for the judicial district in which a
law enforcement operation authorized by this subsection (g) is ongoing
shall submit to the task force information on the disposition of any criminal
charges that were filed as a result of Tennessee safe initiative operations.
(h)
(1) In addition to the authority established in subsections (a), (b), and (g),
upon the effective date of this act, Tennessee safe initiative investigators of the
Tennessee bureau of investigation are authorized, without a request from a
sheriff, chief of police, district attorney general, or task force, to make
investigations in any judicial district in which the Memphis safe task force is in
effect in connection with any matters pertaining to:
(A) Commission of an offense prohibited by title 39, chapter 13; or
(8) Criminal gang activities.
(2) Tennessee safe initiative investigators are not prohibited from
investigating criminal activity not specifically listed in subdivision (h)(1) if the
criminal activity is discovered in furtherance of an investigation authorized under
subdivision (h)(1). Additionally, other law enforcement agencies are not
prohibited from investigating crimes listed in subdivision (h)(1).
(3) The authority established by this subsection (h) continues until the
majority of the members to which the Tennessee safe initiative task force is
entitled vote to rescind the authority, regardless of whether the Memphis safe
task force has concluded operations. The director of the Tennessee bureau of
investigation shall provide law enforcement operations pursuant to this
subsection {h) until a majority of the members vote to rescind the authority.
(4) Prior to initiating Tennessee safe initiative operations pursuant to this
subsection (h), the director of the Tennessee bureau of investigation shall notify
the district attorney general and the chief officer of any law enforcement agency
within the jurisdiction of the operations and the date on which the operations will
commence.
(5) At any meeting of the task force that occurs while a law enforcement
operation authorized by this subsection (h) is ongoing:
(A) The director shall present to the task force information on the
number of arrests and criminal charges resulting from Tennessee safe
initiative operations; and
(8) The district attorney general for the judicial district in which a
law enforcement operation authorized by this subsection (h) is ongoing
shall submit to the task force information on the disposition of any criminal
charges that were filed as a result of Tennessee safe initiative operations.
(6) As used in this subsection (h):
(A) "Criminal gang activities" means criminal gang offenses
committed by a criminal gang member, as defined in § 40-35-121, and
other unlawful activities of members of a criminal gang; and
(8) "Memphis safe task force" means a federal task force
operating with the objective of ending street and violent crime in Memphis
to the greatest possible extent through the promotion and facilitation of
hypervigilant policing, aggressive prosecution, complex investigations,
financial enforcement, and large-scale saturation of besieged
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neighborhoods with law enforcement personnel, while coordinating
closely with state and local officials.
(i) Subsections (g)-(i) are terminated on July 1, 2029.
U) The bureau may enter into agreements with other bureaus, agencies,
departments, or task forces charged with the enforcement of criminal law within this
state or of other states or of the United States for the exchange or temporary assignment
of agents for special assignments and performance of specific duties. The director may
assign agents of the bureau to duty assignments for law enforcement operations under
this section and request and accept agents from other bureaus, agencies, departments,
or task forces for duty assignments for law enforcement operations under this section.
SECTION 2. It is the intent of the general assembly that any agents hired by the
Tennessee bureau of investigation to carry out the Tennessee safe initiative shall continue to be
employed by the Tennessee bureau of investigation and carry out the Tennessee safe initiative
following the termination of subsections (g)-(i) in SECTION 1.
SECTION 3. For purposes of making appointments, this act takes effect upon becoming
law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2026, the
public welfare requiring it.
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HOUSE BILL NO. 2157
PASSED: April 22, 2026
CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
RANDYMCNAL
PEAKER OF THE SENA■,E
~ ~ ICf APPROVED this 2026
day of
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BILL LEE, GOVERNOREvery fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.