Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 16; Title 40 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 6.

Under present law, the statewide automated victim information and notification system, which is attached to the Tennessee sheriffs' association provides access to information about the custody status of offenders in county jails. Present law requires that information in the system be available 24 hours a day over telephone, through the internet or by email.<br /> <br /> This bill requires the Tennessee sheriffs' association to establish a criminal proceedings notification system by January 1, 2023. The purpose of this system is to provide information about each stage of the criminal process to interested parties. This bill requires that information in the criminal proceedings notification system be available 24 hours per day over the telephone, through the internet, or by email. Any interested party may register with the Tennessee sheriffs' association to be automatically notified:<br /> <br /> (1) At least 24 hours before any hearing in the matter for which the person registered, including, but not limited to, bail hearing, pretrial hearings, trial, and sentencing; and<br /> <br /> (2) No more than 24 hours after a hearing was conducted in the matter for which the person registered.<br /> <br /> This bill specifies that funding for the criminal proceedings notification system be appropriated by the general assembly, and prohibits use of moneys from the statewide automated victim information and notification system fund to fund the criminal proceedings notification system.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 27, 2022, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT # 2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2377, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #2 specifies that the criminal proceedings notification system created by this bill will be an extension of the statewide automated victim information and notification system created under present law. This amendment also makes the criminal proceedings notification system created by this bill a three-year pilot program that will begin July 1, 2022, and end June 30, 2025.<br />