Bill > SB1937

This bill makes several changes related to child abuse and neglect in Tennessee, primarily by expanding the membership and reporting requirements of the Tennessee Second Look Commission and by introducing new provisions for infants diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Specifically, the bill adds the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services and an advocate for children to the commission, and it mandates that the commission report its findings and recommendations annually to the General Assembly and the Governor, starting in 2027. It also clarifies that the commission's review can include services for dependent and neglected youth, and it expands the definition of abuse to include strangulation in certain contexts, with specific provisions taking effect in 2026 and 2027. Furthermore, for infants under one year old diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (a condition where newborns experience withdrawal symptoms from drugs exposed to in the womb), the bill allows courts to order parents or guardians to provide documentation of preventative pediatric care and undergo drug testing if substance misuse is alleged, and it permits the department to conduct welfare checks if abuse or neglect is reported.