SB 444 - HB 501
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 15, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Christine Drescher | Email: christine.drescher@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
SB 444 - HB 501
SUMMARY OF BILL: Creates the Tennessee Juvenile Justice Review Commission
(Commission), which will be administratively attached to the Commission on Children and Youth
(CCY), and will meet at least quarterly, beginning November 1, 2025, to review a sampling of
juvenile justice cases and any critical incidents involving delinquent juveniles in the custody of the
Department of Children’s Services (DCS). Requires the Commission to provide the Tennessee
General Assembly (TGA) with findings and legislative recommendations in an annual report by
January 1, beginning with a preliminary report in 2027.
Requires the Commission to be comprised of 20 members. Requires DCS to provide the
Commission with profiled cases and critical incidents annually by October 1, beginning in 2025.
Establishes the potential for civil or criminal consequences if any breach of confidentiality is made
by those attending meetings. Authorizes the Commission to hire staff and entitles members of the
Commission and witnesses to reimbursement for travel.
Establishes the Commission to sunset on June 30, 2027.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• Pursuant to the proposed legislation, the Commission will be comprised of 20 members: 3
state agency commissioners and 1 executive director or their designees; 2 members of the
House of Representatives; 2 members of the Senate; 2 juvenile court judges; 1 district
attorney general; 1 juvenile public defender; 2 law enforcement officers; 2 persons with
experience in child development; 1 person with experience in services for people with
disabilities; 1 individual with lived experience with an adjudicated delinquent case in the
juvenile justice system or adult corrections prior to age 25; and 2 persons directly with
entities in this state that receive prevention grant funds from the state.
• The Commission will be responsible for reimbursing any witness travel expenses.
• According to the CCY, the Second Look Commission, a similar commission, has
reimbursed no witnesses since 2011. It is therefore assumed that the Commission will not
have an increase in expenditures for witness reimbursement.
• The Commission’s meeting requirements resemble those of the Second Look Commission.
• Based on the fact that there have not been any requests for travel reimbursement to the
Second Look Commission, it can be reasonably assumed that the Commission will also
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primarily meet virtually and will not see an increase in expenditures for such
reimbursements.
• The Commission will be able to submit its annual report to the TGA within existing
resources.
• According to information provided by DCS, there have been an average of 2,056 critical
incidents over the past two years.
• Assuming the Commission reviews five percent of those cases, it will be responsible for
reviewing 103 (2,056 cases x 5%) cases per year
• DCS will be able to provide the Commission will all required information by utilizing
existing resources and without the need to hire additional personnel.
• The civil or criminal consequences created for by the breach of confidentiality will not
create a significant impact to the courts.
• For the purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that the General Assembly will continue the
Commission beyond the sunset date.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director