Amends TCA Title 33; Title 39 and Title 40.

Tennessee SB0944 amends existing laws to require mental health evaluations for defendants convicted of specific offenses, including domestic assault and child abuse, prior to sentencing. The bill mandates that the evaluations be conducted by community mental health centers or qualified professionals, with costs covered by the defendant unless they are indigent, in which case the state will cover the costs. Key provisions include quarterly assessments of workforce availability and funding by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the ability for the department to use emergency rulemaking to implement the bill.