[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6325404,"mediaKeyId","2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c","parentId",2333480,"title","Subcommittee advances bill to create second‑look commission for juvenile justice cases","audioSeconds",88,"startMs",1650000,"endMs",1738000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c&start=1650&end=1738","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c/thumbnail_1650000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6325404/Tennessee/Subcommittee-advances-bill-to-create-secondlook-commission-for-juvenile-justice-cases","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325404-7db59934c61f4784a2fa6e22dce654df/orig.mp4?Expires=1770987222&Signature=d1hWermFp1SJPs02VSvdR3GN0qvQ8qHRZ22jyfIXOWRST9Afyf1iee9UfKEf9GGZYbdO6xu7P6xTzg8gBLB8NGhEWY3OO8OKHIlG45L1QH~B8Sv1QJ8iIzqBDVsKMHzoGmNoBj4bC5xx2XyYADSgKR9-2u8CbBYzlDqYiltLYDBLUMnKr65FHMny3gM55xO6iiY7XjCx9kIsG2PX-vxwF7aewBbuWSP5TV-dPp4fouh6WNVxV6l6ln9P8zJKOPgCiHnI2kHiRrtfggEcQKSlIazZGEKhAw5TsqXw4bBrmPxPH0XZwTq-m16gqAQlgXFcJ8JwFgT-qLqsx4WWVoKOUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee voted to send House Bill 501 to the full Judiciary Committee after Chair Lady Littleton, the bill sponsor, said the measure would create a second‑look commission to review serious juvenile justice cases on a regular basis.

Littleton told the committee she serves on the existing Second Look Commission for dependent and neglect cases and that lawmakers had successful outcomes from that work. House Bill 501 would establish a comparable panel for juvenile justice: the commission would meet every other month and review at least four cases per session (Littleton said sometimes only three are reviewed when cases are particularly long).

Littleton said the aim is to allow legislators to study juvenile‑justice cases in depth, modeled on the dependent/neglect second‑look process. There was no further debate, and the chair called the question. The clerk recorded seven ayes and zero nos; the chair announced the bill moves to full Judiciary Committee.

Formal action: the subcommittee approved advancing House Bill 501 to Judiciary full with a recorded 7‑0 tally. No amendments or fiscal notes were discussed at the hearing.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 501 — outcome: sent to Judiciary full; recorded vote: 7 ayes, 0 nos.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee\tFeb 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 501 would create a second‑look commission to review serious juvenile justice cases on a regular schedule; the subcommittee voted 7‑0 to advance the bill to full Judiciary Committee.","taxTitle","Children and Family Affairs, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",79850,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325408,"Panel advances bill to restore annual children’s mental‑health report to legislature",137,1471000,1608000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c&start=1471&end=1608","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c/thumbnail_1471000.jpg","/articles/6325408/Tennessee/Panel-advances-bill-to-restore-annual-childrens-mentalhealth-report-to-legislature","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325408-136dc209e9b2f7fb13b69f138fd8a83d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770987222&Signature=fqJ6nsS5X0VkM20ZEf0TN3lpFO-L6Fb8zfqzwUL4DiNllbG4txuN4m7C0qfBaPML2-enaJzJa6ZzcahBUqR3wMBDBQnXvhXI~1EYYAvXnhz4FtjHieZo9-oKj03LkkydUjBDIGoylqTWIFCb4SEloGf-ujcuSxdacDG4m9oCkyKSXyZ5rA3cPoFomM8QlCw1SyjlaV-NBwYTcq4L0t24~QuDx6BCZ0UR0z71BRly0rqokO4vihlorO9S-wNav1AGWn9tnT6jb6KFxsB3cmMs30ifQbw4j4Rgl4nbQ2Kv1~C9sDgneCIFYsNlTkQ9L5ho4NzVmDJS8CTq4rWeoBB~CA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee voted unanimously to advance House Bill 1169, which would direct the Council on Children’s Mental Health to resume an annual report on children’s mental health in Tennessee and to make system‑improvement recommendations to the General Assembly.

Representative Hemmer, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the reporting requirement previously existed in statute but had lapsed. He said restoring the annual report would help coordinate fragmented services and provide recommendations without requiring additional staff or resources.

Hemmer cited recent data in support of renewed attention to children’s mental health. He told the committee that, according to the 2024 State of the Child in Tennessee report, “within the last year 55 percent of high school girls and 30 percent of high school boys felt sad or hopeless … representing a 50% increase since 2013.” Hemmer said the council could absorb the reporting duty within its current work.

Committee members called the question without extended debate. The clerk reported the vote as six ayes and no nos; the chair announced House Bill 1169 moves to Judiciary full.

Formal action: subcommittee recorded a 6‑0 vote sending House Bill 1169 to the full Judiciary Committee. No fiscal note or appropriation was discussed at the hearing.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 1169 — outcome: sent to Judiciary full; recorded vote: 6 ayes, 0 nos.","House Bill 1169 would require the Council on Children’s Mental Health to submit an annual report on the status of children’s mental health and recommendations to the General Assembly; the subcommittee voted 6‑0 to send the bill to full Judiciary Committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325413,"Subcommittee advances bill ordering statewide study of juvenile detention and post‑adjudication housing",202,1228000,1430000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c&start=1228&end=1430","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c/thumbnail_1228000.jpg","/articles/6325413/Tennessee/Subcommittee-advances-bill-ordering-statewide-study-of-juvenile-detention-and-postadjudication-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325413-535972039342ae9ede60abc003bf410b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770987222&Signature=cT9rsLxLoOzPMLyEIGPx3uLonKSKPZ3lbJqerT6LJiEFR9M6aJfrFUKw~wgsFW~xwfgxzskAB8lczsKNopMeit0uRn5V7Tjr~s8RAazFniy2EYAV7~JbpXDzK1CO8EE8P~A29QaJtvBIx8GAjSA7q-ZT~tqstIoo6s3tl0d9bXwS2sLX4PgzT2KVyhOM8EkRwyh7fviSEAR8g006UcN3gix7aLmXAnTP8USqwCo7DHRJrhdMIUI4CMfifRzV5NhMyxyllh1WGxvqzd1Sg68WX1YjSMvODGuRZgfja74rtLv-MpzMAB6CQE~Oqre52urGWGpMgBSXa4kOpy-9jpvy2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee voted to send House Bill 40, which would require a study of juvenile detention and post‑adjudication housing and treatment facilities, to the full Judiciary Committee after the sponsor said an amendment would change the report deadline to Jan. 30, 2026.

The bill was identified on the calendar as House Bill 40 by Representative Reedy. During the committee discussion a member who identified themself as Representative Bridal described the legislation’s origins and said a request from the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen prompted the measure.

Representative Bridal told the committee the proposed study would examine: local juvenile‑detention centers and other facilities that house or treat juveniles detained prior to adjudicatory hearings; and housing and treatment facilities for juveniles adjudicated delinquent and committed to the custody of the Department of Children’s Services. The sponsor said the bill as amended would require the study “from existing resources” and a report to the General Assembly and legislative librarian by Jan. 30, 2026.

Bridal said she had an amendment (drafting code 2041) to move the reporting date from Jan. 1 to Jan. 30 but that the amendment packet was not available to committee members at the hearing; she asked to carry the amendment to the next week’s meeting. The committee proceeded to hear the bill without the written amendment.

There were no recorded questions from members during the discussion. The clerk opened a vote; the chair reported the bill carried with six ayes and no recorded nos. The clerk later announced, “Your bill moves out to judiciary full.”

No department or outside witness provided additional testimony during the hearing on this bill. The sponsor indicated the bill’s study mechanism would rely on existing resources.

Formal action: the subcommittee voted to send House Bill 40 to the full Judiciary Committee with a 6‑0 recorded tally. The sponsor said she will supply the written amendment at the next meeting and that the amendment only changes the reporting date.

Votes at a glance: House Bill 40 — outcome: sent to Judiciary full; recorded vote: 6 ayes, 0 nos; amendment (drafting code 2041) not received at hearing, sponsor to refile.","House Bill 40, discussed by the Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee, directs a study of local juvenile detention and post‑adjudication housing/treatment facilities with a report due Jan. 30, 2026; members voted to send the bill to full judiciary after the sponsor said an amendment changing the reporting date would be filed next week.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325418,"Tennessee Department of Children’s Services outlines staffing gains, prevention push and new placement capacity",633,1777000,2410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c&start=1777&end=2410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2333480-eb3f7aab1ffda3535df44673ac97cb1c/thumbnail_1777000.jpg","/articles/6325418/Tennessee/Tennessee-Department-of-Childrens-Services-outlines-staffing-gains-prevention-push-and-new-placement-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325418-ce09c0b86549786cacde484109872389/orig.mp4?Expires=1770987222&Signature=Zaoc9mCmnGXmBgff6eu0cIDCeawqMZPTAciQ1Ww0YXpTa4QiZc1kas6~qjqhrI5qq7oBv8UGjihs730nuOY6CMJBFNPL4pL4k~dbuzCfC0VWH11h7Uicci~vfhgbed0STA-7APdfIERoY5p50y2KaoKY1Ez-teYaHiFjL9lzBljlHsAfc-~sWZNMOnzADd3MJgdDTp-Wmzjxve5Bni4u-bjv89nOZc7ivjkw8liZsL5alWqdYBD04Ahu4opaTTfE5BEcmxFahkibRIsq2Z04A1cVoChBS06eWeELIRnjot2l3tK568uiKX2O00HOub52iyTesh-UoOsHM7XduneeTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services on Thursday told the Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee that it has reduced staffing gaps and is shifting toward prevention and specialized placements to reduce foster‑care entries and disruptions.

“As the child serving agency in a position of public trust, it is vitally important that the Department of Children Services gets it right every time,” Commissioner Margie Quinn said in opening the department’s presentation. She later told members, “We have to get it right every single time. Every single time. We cannot afford to get it wrong, not 1 time.”

Quinn and her senior staff told the committee the department’s workforce and placement picture has improved in recent years and that the agency is investing in prevention, treatment teams and new real‑estate capacity. Deputy Commissioner Carla Aaron said the statewide child abuse hotline received roughly 151,770 calls last year and that DCS opened about 62,000 child protective services cases that resulted from those calls.

Aaron described specialized drug teams that work with infants and young children exposed to substances, saying those teams served “a little over 2,400 kids” last year and often respond at hospitals within hours of a birth. She also described a human‑trafficking investigative team that partners with law enforcement and a planned pilot in Shelby County to provide case management for custodial youth identified as trafficking victims.

Quinn described reductions in turnover and vacancies: first‑year case‑manager attrition fell from a 2021 high of about 97% to 18% in 2024; overall case‑manager turnover dropped from 29% to 16.8%; and vacancies declined from 692 to about 150. She said the department converted 47 long‑vacant positions in January and that the state is investing in tools to hire and retain staff.

On placements and facilities, Quinn said DCS is implementing a real‑estate plan that has identified nine properties: six intake facilities (12–15 beds each) and three permanent assessment centers (24 beds each). The department has opened 72 clinical assessment beds at the Clover Bottom campus and expects another 24 beds to come online soon. Quinn said a 24‑bed assessment facility in Gallatin for boys opened and is expected to reach full capacity this month. The department also plans to rebuild Wilder with 144 secure beds in Somerville and build a new Woodland Hills facility in Nashville.

Quinn said the agency is targeting 15 counties that together account for roughly 50% of foster‑care entries with an expansion of Intercept, an in‑home therapeutic program run with Youth Villages. DCS currently uses 550 Intercept slots and has asked to increase that number to focus services in those counties; Quinn said the Intercept program runs six to nine months and “has a 93 percent success rate.”

Committee members pressed DCS for more breakdowns of the data on calls, CPS cases and human‑trafficking referrals. Representative (first name not provided in transcript) asked whether the 151,770 hotline calls were unique; Aaron clarified the 151,770 figure represents incoming calls and web referrals, and that about 62,000 of those resulted in CPS cases (she emphasized those are case counts, not individual children). Members also asked for county and regional breakdowns of CPS activity, prosecution rates for trafficking cases and tracking of allegations against foster parents; Aaron said the department has county‑level data and a special investigations unit that handles foster‑parent allegations and offered to share those datasets with members.

Several members raised poverty, truancy and youth running from care as underlying drivers. Aaron said the department trains case managers with a poverty‑simulator exercise to improve empathy and that poverty by itself is not treated as child abuse. On truancy and school attendance for youth in the department’s care, Aaron told members the state does not physically force youth to attend school and that truancy often reflects deeper family or behavioral issues; she said the Intercept and prevention strategies are meant to keep youth at home and address root causes rather than defaulting to custodial placement.

Quinn and DCS staff also urged volunteer and community engagement through the Every Child Tennessee initiative, which they said generated “an overwhelming” volunteer response since launching in August 2024 and is intended to provide supports — from mentors to practical help for foster parents — that reduce disruptions and support placements.

The presentation prompted a range of follow‑up requests from members for more detailed, disaggregated data and for prosecution statistics from law‑enforcement partners. The department said it would provide further county and region breakdowns, allegation types and information about foster‑parent investigations on request.

The subcommittee did not take formal action on the presentation itself; the session returned to the committee agenda after questions and comments.","Department of Children’s Services told the Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee it has reduced caseworker vacancies and turnover, expanded specialized teams and is building new intake and assessment facilities while prioritizing prevention programs in 15 high‑incidence counties.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Subcommittee advances bill to create second‑look commission for juvenile justice cases

Panel advances bill to restore annual children’s mental‑health report to legislature

Subcommittee advances bill ordering statewide study of juvenile detention and post‑adjudication housing

Tennessee Department of Children’s Services outlines staffing gains, prevention push and new placement capacity