Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB674: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 41, Chapter 51, relative to correctional institutions and inmates.
Status: Chaptered, April 28, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary This bill enacts the "Proximity Placement and Family Visitations Incentive Act," the purpose of which is to reduce the hardships faced by families who travel long distances to visit incarcerated loved ones, and to incentivize positive behavior in our prisons by granting eligible inmates an opportunity to transfer to a correctional facility that is closer in physical proximity to the incarcerated person's home county where the incarcerated person's family resides. In order for an eligible incarcerated person to qualify to transfer to a home county institution, this bill requires the incarcerated person to do all of the following: Maintain a record of good behavior for at least 12 months or a different period of time as agreed upon between unit staff at the eligible incarcerated person's correctional facility and the eligible incarcerated person, and such agreement must be evidenced in writing. However, any agreed upon period of time must not exceed the amount of time remaining in the eligible incarcerated person's sentence for imprisonment. Participate in educational, vocational, or therapeutic programs offered at the incarcerated person's facility. This bill requires priority for an eligible incarcerated person to transfer to a home county institution to be granted to eligible incarcerated persons with family members who (i) visit an eligible incarcerated person at regular intervals, as evidenced by visitation records or other forms of documented proof; or (ii) provide written proof of hardship due to long distances traveled in order to visit an eligible incarcerated person. A family that demonstrates economic hardship, including through evidence of low income or lack of transportation, must be prioritized in determining need for transfer to a home county facility. REPORT
What the bill says
From the amended text:
House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No. 1 to HB0674 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 1159 House Bill No. 674* by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: 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 …