HB 679 - SB 920
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
March 15, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Natalie Dusek | Email: natalie.dusek@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 679 - SB 920
SUMMARY OF BILL: Increases, from $1,000 to $2,500, the maximum amount of
compensation paid to a health care provider for a forensic medical examination related to a sexually-
oriented crime. Applies to claims performed on or after July 1, 2025.
Requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to perform DNA analysis on a sexual assault
evidence collection kit within 120 days of the TBI’s receipt of the kit from a law enforcement
agency. Requires, if the TBI is unable to perform the analysis within 120 days, the TBI to flag the
kit in the electronic tracking system and provide the submitting agency with a written explanation
for the delay in analysis. Requires any kit that is flagged in the system to be analyzed within a
reasonable time thereafter. Applies to sexual assault evidence collection kits received by the TBI on
or after July 1, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
STATE GOVERNMENT
EXPENDITURES General Fund Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund
FY25-26 $515,200 $873,100
FY26-27 & Subsequent Years >$432,400 >$873,100
Total Positions Required: 5
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
EXPENDITURES
FY25-26 $714,400
FY26-27 & Subsequent Years >$714,400
Assumptions:
Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-13-118(b)(1), a victim of a sexually-oriented crime is
entitled to forensic medical examinations at no charge to the victim. All claims for such
examinations are eligible for payment from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund
(Fund) in the State Treasury.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-13-118(d), the maximum amount of compensation paid
to health care providers for forensic examination claims is $1,000. The proposed legislation
HB 679 - SB 920 2
increases the amount to $2,500, for a total increase in the amount of compensation per
claim of $1,500 ($2,500 proposed - $1,000 current).
• Based on information provided by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), over the last
five fiscal years, the average number of claims reimbursed was 2,546 claims; the average
amount paid per claim was $884.
• The claim amounts submitted for reimbursement by health care providers can vary
significantly – from as little as $210 to over $10,000 per claim.
• According to Treasury, increasing the maximum amount reimbursed for claims by $1,500
will result in an increase in the average reimbursement rate by approximately $542 per claim
in FY25-26.
• Passage of the proposed legislation is therefore assumed to result in an average claim award
of $1,426 ($884 current average + $542 estimated increase) in FY25-26.
• Over the last five years, the total number of claims has increased year over year by
approximately four percent. The total number of claims reimbursed in FY23-24 was 2,708
claims. This trend is assumed to remain consistent.
• It is therefore assumed that the number of claims reimbursed in FY25-26 will be 2,929
claims as follows:
o 2,708 claims + (2,708 claims x 4%) = 2,816 claims in FY24-25;
o 2,816 claims + (2,816 claims x 4%) = 2,929 claims in FY25-26.
• The total expenditures from the Fund at the current rate would be $2,589,236 (2,929 claims
x $884 current average) in FY25-26.
• The total expenditures from the Fund under the new proposed limit is estimated to be
$4,176,754 (2,929 claims x $1,426 estimated new average award) in FY25-26.
• The total increase in expenditures to the Fund is therefore estimated to be $1,587,518
($4,176,754 - $2,589,236) in FY25-26.
• According to Treasury, eligible expenditures from the Fund are reimbursed by the federal
government through Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants at an average rate of
approximately 45 percent of total expenditures.
• Therefore, the total increase in expenditures from the Fund is estimated to be $873,135
($1,587,518 x 55%) in FY25-26.
• The total increase in federal expenditures in VOCA grants to the Treasury is estimated to
be $714,383 ($1,587,518 x 45%) in FY25-26.
• Assuming the number of claims and the costs of medical care continues to increase, the
state and federal expenditures are estimated to exceed these amounts in FY26-27 and
subsequent years.
• As of June 30, 2024, the balance of the Fund was $7,377,802.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
• In order to meet the required 120 turnaround time for sexual assault evidence kits, the TBI
asserts that it will require five additional Forensic Scientist positions.
• The increase in expenditures associated with the salary and benefits for these positions is
estimated to be $432,441 as follows:
HB 679 - SB 920 3
Title Salary Benefits Positions Total
Forensic Scientists $67,656 $18,832 5 $432,441
• The TBI estimates one-time equipment, setup, and training costs of $82,800 for the
positions in FY25-26.
• The total increase in expenditures to the TBI is estimated to be $515,241 ($432,441 salary
+ $82,800 onboarding) in FY25-26.
• It is assumed the positions will require recurring expenditures; however, the precise
amount is not known.
• The increase in expenditures to the TBI is therefore estimated to exceed $432,441 in
FY26-27 and subsequent years.
• The TBI can accommodate the other requirements in the legislation within existing
resources.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director