Senate Bill 37 amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to the Department of Children's Services. Specifically, it deletes subdivision (10) from Section 4-29-244(a) and adds a new subdivision in Section 4-29-245(a) that formally recognizes the Department of Children's Services, as established by Sections 4-3-101 and 37-5-101.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Children's Services submit quarterly written reports to the chairs of the government operations committees in both the Senate and House during the year 2023. These reports are intended to provide updates on the department's progress in addressing findings from a December 2022 performance audit. Furthermore, the department is required to present information from its six-month follow-up report to the education, health, and general welfare joint evaluation committee by June 30, 2023. The act will take effect upon becoming law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 4-29-244(a), 4-29-244, 4-29-245(a), 4-29-245