---
type: "Bill"
title: "Human Services, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the commissioner of human services to provide the commissioner of correction with a form application for food assistance for use by inmates who are preparing for release. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 3."
description: "Human Services, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the commissioner of human services to provide the commissioner of correction with a form application for food assistance for use by inmates who are preparing for release. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 3."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "SB 879"
citation: "Tennessee SB 879 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Dept. of", "Human Services"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Reeves"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 27
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2025-02-05"
last_action: "2026-05-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8c55249b-9ef0-434e-8de7-133fcec96d88"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=SB0879&ga=114"
source_hash: "5608a8be37d4726045139d991e05cb444d69cf6a7f3e67ba55cfcbc9226821af"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee SB 879 (114) — Human Services, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the commissioner of human services to provide the commissioner of correction with a form application for food assistance for use by inmates who are preparing for release. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 3.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Amendment HA0939** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0939.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0977** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0977.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0879.pdf)

## Votes

- SENATE HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0 4/1/2026 Passed — **7–2** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2026 Passed (1) — **92–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/14/2026 Passed (1) — **31–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Reeves — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-02-05** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2025-02-10** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2025-02-12** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-04** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-03-11** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
- **2026-03-17** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/18/2026
- **2026-03-17** Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026
- **2026-03-18** Reset on Final calendar of Senate Health and Welfare Committee
- **2026-03-25** Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/1/2026
- **2026-04-01** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0
- **2026-04-10** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026
- **2026-04-14** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-04-14** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House `receipt`
- **2026-04-14** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 1 `passage`
- **2026-04-14** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0977)
- **2026-04-16** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2026-04-20** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-04-21** Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2026-04-21** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0939) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2026-04-21** Subst. for comp. HB. `substitution`
- **2026-04-27** Enrolled and ready for signatures `enrolled`
- **2026-04-30** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2026-05-07** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2026-05-11** Transmitted to Governor for action. `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-22** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-27** Effective date(s) 05/22/2026, 07/01/2026
- **2026-05-27** Pub. Ch. 1060

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8c55249b-9ef0-434e-8de7-133fcec96d88`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).