Tennessee Senate Bills

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, transfers oversight of land surveyors from the state board of examiners for land surveyors to the state board of examiners for architects and engineers; removes registration requirement for interior designers; removes funding mechanism that requires revenues generated from contractor licensing fees, penalties, or interest allocated, in part, to the board of licensing contractors be utilized for the purposes set forth in the Go Build Tennessee Act; and makes other changes relative to occupational boards. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2; Title 20, Chapter 9, Part 6; Title 55, Chapter 17, Part 1; Title 62, Chapter 13; Title 62, Chapter 18; Title 62, Chapter 2; Title 62, Chapter 20; Title 62, Chapter 27; Title 62, Chapter 35; Title 62, Chapter 4; Title 62, Chapter 6; Title 62, Chapter 76; Title 68, Chapter 102 and Title 68, Chapter 105.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, authorizes a health insurance entity to offer a short-term limited-duration plan and hospital indemnity coverage on the marketplace. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 12; Title 29; Title 35; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 42; Title 45; Title 47; Title 49; Title 50; Title 52; Title 53; Title 56; Title 58; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, lowers the standard for the use of deadly force to protect property. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Monterey - Subject to local approval, deletes obsolete provisions authorizing the mayor to serve as the ex officio recorder for the town of Monterey; establishes the position of Town Administrator and prescribes the Administrator's powers, duties, and functions. - Amends Chapter 492 of the Acts of 1901; as amended.

Real Estate Agents and Brokers - As introduced, exempts an affiliate broker or broker licensed under the Tennessee Real Estate Broker License Act from the additional licensure and classroom hours in training programs requirements for a vacation lodging service firm's designated agent; requires that vacation lodging services be under the supervision of the principal broker of an affiliate broker, broker, or firm. - Amends TCA Title 62, Chapter 13.

Recreational Areas - As introduced, expands the purposes for which monies from the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund may be expended by the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund board; replaces the park manager member of the board with the director of the division of state parks. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 10 and Title 11, Chapter 8.

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission - As introduced, requires the executive director of the Tennessee wildlife resources agency to post a list of areas within the state that allow the use of off-highway motor vehicles, including the acreage of the area and the estimated length of the trails, on the commission's website. - Amends TCA Title 70, Chapter 9.

Stanton - Subject to local approval, revises the general powers of the town; revises provisions related to the town judge. - Amends Chapter 142 of the Private Acts of 1990.

Niota - Subject to local approval, rewrites the charter of the City of Niota. - Amends Chapter 48 of the Private Acts of 1919; as amended and rewritten.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, expands the offense of adulteration of food, liquids, or pharmaceuticals to include adulteration for the purpose of making the user of the food, liquid, or pharmaceutical involuntarily intoxicated; classifies the offense as a Class D felony; requires a licensee that sells or offers samples of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage for consumption on the licensed premises to maintain drink drug testing devices for customers for the purpose of rapidly testing a beverage suspected of being spiked or laced with a controlled substance or drug. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Title 57.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As introduced, prohibits hospital emergency departments from denying an appropriate medical screening examination to a pregnant woman who presents at the emergency department reporting to be in active labor or experiencing an emergency medical condition; prohibits transferring the pregnant woman unless her condition has been stabilized; requires that a transfer be under certain conditions and only upon the recommendation of an examining physician or qualified medical professional; imposes penalties and licensing sanctions for violations. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Housing - As introduced, establishes the community workforce housing innovation pilot program to be administered by the Tennessee housing development agency; authorizes the agency to provide loans to an applicant for construction or rehabilitation of workforce housing in each of the three grand divisions; requires the housing to be affordable to natural persons or families whose total annual household income does not exceed 150 percent of area median income; prioritizes projects that set aside at least 80 percent of units for workforce housing. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 53; Title 13; Title 48, Chapter 101, Part 3; Title 56 and Title 67.

Licenses - As introduced, enacts the "Military Families Licensing Recognition Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 58; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 68.

Education - As introduced, changes the definition of economically disadvantaged for purposes of the weighted allocations generated for such students in the Tennessee investment in student achievement formula; requires the department of education to allocate additional funds to an LEA that experiences a reduction in the LEA's TISA allocation in certain circumstances; requires the department to seek an amendment to this state's Every Student Succeeds Act plan to change the definition of the economically disadvantaged student subgroup. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 3.

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, prohibits the initial issuance of registration of a motor vehicle if the vehicle has not met the requirements of the "Financial Responsibility Law of 1977," which provides insurance and financial responsibility requirements for motor vehicle operators; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 55 and Title 56.

Fire Prevention and Investigation - As introduced, removes the requirements that grants awarded to volunteer fire departments each year must be equally divided among the three grand divisions of the state and that the grant funds cannot be used to purchase fire trucks or vehicles. - Amends TCA Title 68.

Education - As introduced, terminates the dyslexia advisory council and directs the advisory council for the education of students with disabilities to advise the department of education on matters related to dyslexia; terminates the energy efficient schools council and creates an office of energy efficient schools within the department; expands student eligibility for an individualized education account; revises other various provisions of law related to education. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 5, Chapter 21; Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14; Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 13; Title 49, Chapter 15, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 16, Part 2; Title 49, Chapter 17; Section 49-2-203; Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 4; Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 10; Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 16; Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 18; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 15; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 22; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 23; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 34; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 42; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 81; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 2; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Section 68-204-110.

Local Government, General - As introduced, requires a local government to approve, deny, or identify deficiencies in a development application, development plan, or a site inspection submitted by a developer within 30 days; requires changes in contracts between local governments and contractors or developers to be in writing; requires a local government to release a contractor or developer from its required bond within 30 days of receiving a determination from an independent inspector that the contractor or developer has completed all work required by the contract; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 7.

Haywood County - Subject to local approval, for county attorney, requires state law license; hiring preference to be given to a resident; oath of office; to advise and represent county commission, the county mayor, and other county officials; authorizes county commission to employ legal counsel other than county attorney; replaces "quarterly county court" with "county commission"; and replaces "county judge" with "county mayor". - Amends Chapter 350 of the Private Acts of 1945; as amended.

Education - As enacted, revises the assessment testing requirements for students who participate in the education savings account (ESA) program. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 12; Title 48; Title 49 and Title 67.

Shelby County - Subject to local approval, changes the conditions under which the occupancy tax will no longer be levied; changes the allocation of the revenue from the occupancy tax if the tenant of the indoor sports facility no longer occupies such facility. - Amends Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended.

Election Laws - As enacted, authorizes the county election commission to designate restroom facilities in each building in which the election is held that are for the use of workers or volunteers working for a campaign with certain limitations on access. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 7.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, requires that if a vandalism offense occurred at a house of worship, the sentencing court to include as part of the sentence a fine of no less than two times the total amount of any property damage or loss or cleaning and restoration expenses incurred by the house of worship as a result of the offense. - Amends TCA Title 29 and Title 39.

Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, establishes new premier type tourist resorts, restaurants, community theaters, clubs, retirement centers, premises, and commercial passenger boat companies that can offer liquor by the drink; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 57.

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the department of children's services to June 30, 2028; requires the department to report back to the government operations committee by December 31, 2026, to update the committee on its progress in addressing the findings and observations set forth in the December 2025 performance audit report. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 37, Chapter 5.

Education, Curriculum - As enacted, establishes a pilot program that provides grants to local education agencies to advance substance abuse and violence prevention programs. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Gleason - Subject to local approval, for the term beginning December 2028, increases the mayor's compensation from $200 to $400 per month and compensation for each alderman from $100 to $200 per month. - Amends Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended.

Open Meetings - As enacted, authorizes a governing body to conduct an executive session for the purpose of interviewing applicants for employment as director-level staff of the body without providing public notice of such session. - Amends TCA Title 8.

Education - As introduced, changes the date, from October 31 to October 1, by which the departments of education and health must submit a report to the governor and general assembly regarding the self-administered medications and healthcare procedures for students served in all public and nonpublic accredited schools in this state and recommendations for meeting the needs for comprehensive school health. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 49.

Tullahoma - Subject to local approval, allocates 3.8 percent of each annual operating budget, but not less than $1.5 million, to the maintenance of streets and roads within the city limits of the City of Tullahoma. - Amends Chapter 553 of the Acts of 1903.