Senate Bill 7069 and House Bill 7089 propose an amendment to the Tennessee Code Annotated concerning the mental health of detainees. The bill introduces a new provision that requires law enforcement officers, when encountering individuals they believe may require mental health detention, to take those individuals into custody for immediate examination. This examination is to determine the need for care and treatment before any arrest or charges are initiated against the individual.

The specific legal language added to the law mandates that officers must act on their belief that a person may be subject to detention under existing mental health statutes (33-6-401 and 33-6-402) and ensures that the individual receives necessary mental health evaluation prior to any further legal action. This amendment aims to prioritize mental health considerations in law enforcement practices, ensuring that individuals in need of care are identified and treated appropriately. The act is set to take effect immediately upon becoming law.