Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB2219: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 41, relative to immigration.
Status: Chaptered, May 26, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNFICIANT Bill Summary ON APRIL 20, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2219, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the sheriff of each county to enter into an agreement under an available federal 287(g) program, and expands the powers of the board of control of the Tennessee corrections institute. FEDERAL 287(G) PROGRAM This amendment requires, by January 1, 2027, the sheriff of each county to enter into an agreement under an available federal 287(g) program pursuant to federal law with the appropriate federal official, concerning the enforcement of federal immigration law. An agreement is not subject to approval from the governing body of the local government that the sheriff serves. For purposes of this amendment, "an available federal 287(g) program" must be one of the following programs: Jail enforcement model. Warrant service officer model. Task force model. Tribal task force model. This amendment provides that a violation may result in the state withholding all funds of the state allotted to the sheriff's office or to the local government for use by the sheriff's office via grant, contract, or statute, including state-shared taxes. This amendment authorizes a sheriff's office to temporarily suspend compliance with a memorandum of agreement executed if an emergency arises that requires the sheriff's office to redirect deputy sheriffs and resources to respond to the emergency due to a legitimate threat to the public safety and welfare. If a sheriff's office temporarily suspends compliance with the memorandum of agreement, then the sheriff must provide notice as soon as practicable to the chief immigration enforcement officer and the commissioner of safety. This only applies to a sheriff who is POST-certified.
What the bill says
From the amended text:
Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No. 2 to SB2223 Watson Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 2223* House Bill No. 2219 by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-68-105(b), is amended by deleting the subsection and substituting: (1) (A) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection (b), by January 1, 2027, the sheriff of each county must enter into an agreement under an available federal 287(g) program pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1357(g)) with the appropriate federal official, concerning the enforcement of federal immigration law. An agreement under this subdivision (b)(1) is not subject to approval from the governing body of the local government that the sheriff serves. (B) For purposes of this subdivision (b)(1), "an available federal 287(g) program" must be one (1) of the following (ii) Warrant service officer model; (iii) Task force model; or (iv) Tribal task force model. (C) A violation of this subdivision (b)(1) may result in the state withholding all funds of the state allotted to the sheriff's office or to the local government for use by the sheriff's office via grant, contract, or statute, including, but not limited to, state-shared taxes, pursuant to § 4-1-429. SA1077 (D) A sheriff's office may temporarily suspend …