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HB 2154

Courts, Juvenile - As introduced, requires the juvenile court clerk to include, in the clerk's regular monthly report to the administrative director of the courts and the comptroller of the treasury, the total amount of guardian ad litem administrative fees that were not waived but were not collected. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 20; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36 and Title 37.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Kevin Raper

Tennessee juvenile courts must monthly report uncollected guardian ad litem administrative fees to state oversight agencies, creating transparency on program funding gaps.

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Bill Summary · HB 2154

Legislative bill overview

HB 2154 requires juvenile court clerks in Tennessee to track and report monthly to the state administrative director of courts and the comptroller of the treasury the total amount of guardian ad litem (GAL) administrative fees that were assessed but not collected. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee Code to implement this reporting requirement across the juvenile justice system.

Why is this important

Guardian ad litem programs provide court-appointed advocates for children in custody cases, and these administrative fees help fund their operations. Currently, there is no systematic state-level visibility into how much revenue is being assessed versus actually collected, making it difficult for policymakers and administrators to understand funding gaps, collection rates, or whether fee waiver policies are being applied consistently. This transparency could inform decisions about program funding adequacy and fee structure fairness.

Potential points of contention

  • Fee burden on low-income families: Tracking uncollected fees may lead to pressure for more aggressive collection practices, which could disproportionately affect families already struggling financially during custody disputes
  • Administrative burden vs. benefit: The reporting requirement adds compliance work to already-stretched court clerk offices without necessarily generating actionable solutions if no funding mechanism is paired with it
  • Underlying policy question: The bill addresses symptoms (uncollected fees) rather than the root question of whether families should be charged these fees at all or whether the state should fully fund GAL programs

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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