Bill > SB1788

This bill, amending Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) across several titles including Title 7 which pertains to local government, establishes new regulations for how local governmental entities can relocate homeless individuals. Specifically, it prohibits a local government from moving a homeless person to another jurisdiction without first obtaining written consent from that receiving jurisdiction, and such relocation must be part of a program designed to reunite the individual with their documented place of origin. Furthermore, local governments are forbidden from using public funds to relocate homeless individuals to other areas unless they can verify that housing and essential services are available for them in the new location, or again, if the relocation is part of a program to return them to their documented place of origin. Importantly, these restrictions do not apply to local law enforcement agencies. If a jurisdiction is negatively impacted by a violation of these rules, it is empowered to sue the offending local governmental entity for damages and to seek court orders to stop the practice.