| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE BILL 954 |
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| 3 | 3 | | By Brooks |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | SENATE BILL 904 |
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| 6 | 6 | | By Lamar |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | SB0904 |
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| 10 | 10 | | 001488 |
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| 11 | 11 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33 |
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| 14 | 14 | | and Title 38, relative to alternative crisis response |
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| 15 | 15 | | units. |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-8-101, is amended by adding the |
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| 19 | 19 | | following as new subdivisions: |
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| 20 | 20 | | ( ) "Alternative crisis response unit" means a program where a qualified mental |
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| 21 | 21 | | health professional, who is employed by a law enforcement agency, accompanies a full- |
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| 22 | 22 | | time police officer on mental-health related calls for service, and the qualified mental |
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| 23 | 23 | | health professional is considered the lead on the call; |
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| 24 | 24 | | ( ) "Qualified mental health professional" means the same as defined in ยง 33-1- |
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| 25 | 25 | | 101; |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-8-104, is amended by adding the |
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| 27 | 27 | | following as a new subsection: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (h) The commission shall establish uniform training standards for alternative |
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| 29 | 29 | | crisis response units for all law enforcement agencies. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 38-8-119, is amended by designating |
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| 31 | 31 | | the existing language as subsection (a) and adding the following as a new subsection (b): |
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| 32 | 32 | | (b) The commission shall annually provide full-time police officers with training |
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| 33 | 33 | | on how to best support a qualified mental health professional to a call for service with the |
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| 34 | 34 | | alternative crisis response unit. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38, Chapter 8, Part 1, is amended by |
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| 36 | 36 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | - 2 - 001488 |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | By January 1, 2026, each law enforcement agency shall develop and implement |
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| 42 | 42 | | an alternative crisis response unit. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 5. Section 2 takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. |
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| 44 | 44 | | All remaining sections take effect January 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it. |
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