Tennessee Senate Bills

Public Employees - As introduced, allows up to five days' leave for any eligible employee who is a foster parent or kinship caregiver regarding appearances in court or counseling sessions related to the placement of the foster child. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As introduced, removes provision that allows speakers to alternatively appoint a senator or representative whose district was in a central business improvement district as of January 1, 1999, as ex officio board of directors member. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 9, Chapter 21 and Title 67.

Zoning - As introduced, requires a person to reside in the county at least 12 months prior to being eligible to be appointed to a county board of zoning appeals. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12 and Title 13.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As introduced, requires notice to be published on the governing body's website for at least two weeks prior to the date set for a hearing on whether to create an airport authority. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 31; Title 7, Chapter 51; Title 42, Chapter 4 and Title 42, Chapter 3.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, compiles a list of certain training requirements and opportunities for certain school staff and volunteers; changes the required frequency for certain de-escalation training, child abuse training, and training on harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyberbullying policies. - Amends TCA Section 37-1-408; Title 49 and Section 68-6-103.

Human Resources, Department of - As introduced, urges the department to allocate a minimum of $16,000 annually in vocational rehabilitation funds for the purpose of supporting accessible information services for blind persons in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 71.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, authorizes a local board of education and public charter school governing body to employ or accept as a volunteer a school chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students, school staff, and students' parents. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits a person who is convicted of a felony from running for public office, regardless of whether the person receives a presidential pardon; prohibits a public employee from receiving retirement benefits from the Tennessee consolidated retirement system, any superseded retirement system, or any other public pension system, if such employee or official is convicted of a felony. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 8; Title 39 and Title 40.

Real Property - As introduced, increases, from 10 days to 10 business days, the time that a clerk and master has to send by certified mail a copy of the notice that the clerk and master has received a complaint of claim of abandoned mineral interest identifying the recipient as the owner of the mineral interest and that the interest will lapse in 60 days after publication of the complaint once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the mineral interest is located. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12; Title 13; Title 29; Title 54; Title 55; Title 59; Title 60; Title 66 and Title 68.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from contracting with a state department, agency, or entity if the pharmacy benefits manager has been disciplined by the department of finance and administration or the department of commerce and insurance. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3; Title 8, Chapter 27; Title 56 and Title 71.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from reimbursing a contracted pharmacy for a prescription drug or device or a pharmacy service in an amount that is less than the greatest of certain listed amounts and makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 27; Title 56, Chapter 7 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits an insurer from denying, conditioning the issuance or effectiveness of, or discriminating in the pricing of a medicare supplement policy if an applicant meets certain listed requirements, including a non-age eligible person who submits an application for enrollment in a medicare supplement policy with a different insurer within 60 days of such person's birthday and makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 56.

Pharmacy, Pharmacists - As introduced, prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from certain listed actions, including modifying, restricting, or denying a medication ordered by a healthcare prescriber; requires that a request for a formulary exception or prior authorization be granted or denied by a pharmacy benefits manager within a specified amount of time or such request is deemed approved. - Amends TCA Title 53; Title 56; Title 63 and Title 71.

Economic and Community Development - As introduced, creates a condition of eligibility for certain economic development incentives that employers certify that they pay employees working on the development project for which the incentive was granted at least $21.99 an hour beginning July 1, 2026, with annual adjustments thereafter by the commissioner of economic and community development based on the MIT living wage calculator; allows for recovering from employers found to be in violation of such wage requirements the incentives already provided. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 50.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Vehicle Value Protection Product Act." - Amends TCA Title 47; Title 55 and Title 56.

Corporations, Not for Profit - As introduced, requires a nonprofit organization that receives state or federal grants to compile, maintain, and publish in a publicly available location the salaries of the nonprofit organization's employees. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 35; Title 48 and Title 50.

Local Government, General - As introduced, deletes the provision that classifies a local government official's affirmative vote for adoption of a prohibited sanctuary policy as a Class E felony. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 8.

Codes - As introduced, revises authority of state fire marshal to prescribe rules relating to minimum statewide building construction safety standards, specifically for fire prevention for multi-family dwelling units. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 120.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, increases, from 15 to 20, the number of calendar days that may pass from the actual date specified in the first notice after a person responsible for excavation or demolition has given the notice of the intent to excavate or demolish before the person is required to serve additional notice if the excavation or demolition has not yet been completed; makes other changes to the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act. - Amends TCA Title 65, Chapter 31, Part 1.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, reduces from 15 to 10 days, the time within which a person licensed to provide deferred presentment services must file a written report with the commissioner of financial institutions following the occurrence of the filing for bankruptcy or reorganization; the institution of revocation or suspension proceedings by any state or governmental authority; the denial of the opportunity to engage in deferred presentment services by any state or governmental authority; any felony indictment or conviction of the licensee or any of its directors, officers, or principals; and other events that the commissioner may determine and identify by rule. - Amends TCA Title 45 and Title 47.

Employees, Employers - As introduced, requires employers that condition employment or prospective employment upon an employee or prospective employee submitting to a mental health evaluation to grant the employee or prospective employee reasonable access to the results of the mental health evaluation, including any report from a mental health professional or other evaluator; provides a private right of action for an employee or prospective employee who is denied such access. - Amends TCA Title 8 and Title 50.

Trade Regulation - As introduced, enacts the "Stop Rent Rigging Act." - Amends TCA Title 47 and Title 66.

Banks and Financial Institutions - As introduced, increases, from 60 to 70 days, the time within which, after the end of the calendar year, the commissioner of financial institutions must submit the department's annual report to the governor. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 35; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 48; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 61; Title 62; Title 63; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

Taxes, Ad Valorem - As introduced, requires the notification submitted by the director of the division of property assessments to the commissioner of finance and administration of the default by a county or city in the repayment of a loan provided by the state to finance the city's or county's real property reappraisal program to be in writing. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Education, Higher - As introduced, prohibits imposing liability against a higher education institution for negligence in admitting, enrolling, or extending housing opportunities to a person who has been previously convicted of a criminal offense based solely upon the previous criminal conviction; prohibits use of the person's prior criminal record as evidence in a cause of action against a higher education institution for negligence in admitting, enrolling, or extending housing opportunities to the person. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 28; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 49.

Unclaimed Property - As introduced, allows the treasurer to file the annual report regarding the total amount and value of abandoned or unclaimed property with certain executive and legislative branch officials electronically. - Amends TCA Title 66.

Probation and Parole - As introduced, permits a trial judge to revoke a defendant's probation for a felony or misdemeanor based on one instance of technical violation; extends the permitted terms of incarceration a court may impose for a technical violation to 90 days for a first revocation, 180 days for a second revocation, and the remainder of the sentence for a third or subsequent revocation. - Amends TCA Title 40.

State Inmates - As introduced, requires the department of correction to keep a copy of each validated risk and needs assessment of each inmate under its supervision and control for the duration of the inmate's period of incarceration. - Amends TCA Title 41.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, removes the requirement for a petitioner for restoration of citizenship or an applicant for a certificate of employability to pay the costs of the proceedings; makes other changes to the process for restoration of citizenship. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 29.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits a health insurance issuer or managed health insurance issuer from reimbursing for testing services a medical laboratory that is eligible to participate as an in-network participating provider at a rate less than the CMS clinical laboratory fee schedule for medical labs in this state; permits a managed health insurance issuer to require such lab to meet the performance metrics required of in-network labs. - Amends TCA Title 56, Chapter 7, Part 23.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, prohibits a city or county collecting official from requiring a taxpayer to pay the full tax due for an assessment for which an appeal is pending before the county or state boards of equalization. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, requires certain data centers to register with the Tennessee public utilities commission; requires electric and water utilities that provide service to registered data centers to report usage and rates to the commission; requires the commission's executive director to compile and publish certain information based on reports received from utilities. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 10; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom from Medical Debt Act," which requires the state treasurer to contract with a nonprofit entity to acquire and repay certain medical debts for Tennessee residents with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level or who owe medical debt equal to 5 percent or more of their household income, and prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to a consumer reporting agency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Landlord and Tenant - As introduced, changes, from three days to three business days from the date written notice is received by a tenant, the date on which a landlord may terminate a rental agreement if the tenant or another person on the premises with the tenant's consent willfully or intentionally commits a violent act; behaves in a manner which constitutes or threatens to be a real and present danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the life or property of other tenants or persons on the premises; creates a hazardous or unsanitary condition on the property that affects the health, safety, or welfare or the life or property of other tenants or persons on the premises; or refuses to vacate the premises after entering the premises as an unauthorized subtenant or other unauthorized occupant. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 56; Title 62; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, urges the comptroller of the treasury to study the feasibility and potential impacts of establishing the value of all residential property as the most recent price paid for the property in lieu of assessors of property appraising the value through the use of assessment manuals; requires a report, if the study is conducted, to be submitted to the finance, ways and means committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over finance matters. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires an employing law enforcement agency to contact any prior law enforcement agency that employed the agency's officer or special deputy as part of the thorough investigation into the person's good moral character. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 8.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates an offense for a vape shop retailer, or a distributor, wholesaler, or importer, who sells or offers for sale a vapor product for retail sale in this state to sell nitrous oxides. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 57, Chapter 7 and Title 67.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, lowers from 20 days to 15 days the notice of a hearing on a petition for restoration of rights of citizenship that must be given to the district attorney general of the county in which the petitioner currently resides and the district attorney general of the county in which the petitioner was convicted in order that, if deemed advisable, each may resist. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 22; Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40.

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Recognizes importance of substance abuse prevention education. -

Naming and Designating - Designates July 2026 as "Uterine Fibroid Awareness Month." -

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires, with certain exceptions, each LEA and public charter school to implement a computer-based system that must be used by its teachers and school staff to collect data of early warning signs demonstrated by students enrolled in the LEA or public charter school. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 37 and Title 49.

Prisons and Reformatory Institutions - As introduced, authorizes the Tennessee rehabilitative initiative in correction (TRICOR) program to operate commissary programs within state prisons. - Amends TCA Title 41, Chapter 22.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, removes from the offense of violation of a protective order or restraining order the requirement that the person violating the order must have had an opportunity to appear and be heard in connection with the order of protection or restraining order and that the court must have made specific findings of fact in the order that the person committed a certain offense. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 39.

Insurance, Motor Vehicles - As introduced, prohibits an insurance company from requiring a visually impaired owner of a motor vehicle to obtain a commercial motor vehicle liability policy in lieu of a standard owner's policy of liability insurance if the covered motor vehicle is not used for commercial purposes. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 12.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, allocates all revenue generated from the state sales tax on retail sales of new or used motor vehicles and new or used tires in excess of base tax revenues to the state highway fund. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 54; Title 55 and Title 67.

Commerce and Insurance, Dept. of - As introduced, deletes an obsolete requirement that the commissioner conduct a study of this state's insurance laws to determine what impediments, if any, exist that may be acting as deterrents for insurance companies in this state to underwrite policies of insurance to insure a person who has used force that is justified, including deadly force, in protecting such person's self or property, and to submit a report of the study to the general assembly no later than March 1, 2012. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Assessors - As introduced, creates the Tennessee assessor of property certification board to review qualifications for the county office of assessor of property; creates new qualifications for such office. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 8, Chapter 18 and Title 67, Chapter 1.

Comptroller, State - As introduced, increases from $50,000 to $100,000 the bond amount that every insurance company doing a workers' compensation business in this state must furnish with a surety company; increases from $100,000 to $200,000 the certificate amount that such a company may deposit with the commissioner of labor and workforce development in lieu of the bond. - Amends TCA Title 12; Title 29; Title 50 and Title 56.

Safety - As introduced, decreases from five to three the number of business days an ambulance service provider has to furnish to a patient or their authorized representative a copy of the patient's run record upon written request; decreases from five to three the number of business days an ambulance service provider has to furnish a copy of the patient's run record to a surveyor employed by the health facilities commission upon written request. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71.

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, provides for a new definition for the term "artificial intelligence" for the Tennessee artificial intelligence advisory council act; expands, from 24 to at least 24 and at most 27, the number of members on the council; directs the council to make various other changes. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 31.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires LEAs and public charter schools to adopt a policy to prohibit students from using wireless communication devices during instructional time except in certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, creates two special accounts in the state treasury, the K-12 lottery capital outlay special account and the early learning program account, for excess lottery funds; requires the comptroller of the treasury to develop and administer a program to provide grants from such accounts to local education agencies to be used for capital outlay projects for K-12 educational facilities and for new or existing pre-K programs. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 51; Title 8, Chapter 4; Title 9 and Title 49.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, enacts the "Junk Fee Prevention Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 19 and Title 47, Chapter 18.

Divorce, Annulment and Alimony - As introduced, states that a divorce proceeding shall not be stayed or delayed due to the pregnancy of one of the parties if the court can determine or both parties can agree to stipulate as to whether the other party is the parent of the unborn child and, if applicable, the court enters an agreed parenting plan and child support order. - Amends TCA Title 36.

Education, Higher - As introduced, waives, for the dependent child of a law enforcement officer or firefighter who was killed or who died as a direct result of injuries received while performing their official duties, the tuition and fees charged by the public institution of higher education at which the dependent child is enrolled as a student. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, adds sixth grade to the grade levels for which a local board of education is required to establish an alternative school for students who have been suspended or expelled from the regular school program; requires a student in sixth grade who has been suspended for more than 10 days or expelled from the regular school program to attend an alternative school if there is space and staff available, with certain exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, requires the bureau to maintain with each investigative case file copies of all original investigative materials, including audio and video files, recordings, transcripts, documents, reports, paperwork, and other print or digital media generated by the bureau and germane to the investigation by the bureau. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5 and Title 38, Chapter 6.

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Urges TDOT to consider plight of monarch butterflies and provide habitat and no-mow areas on highway rights-of-ways. -

Water Pollution - As introduced, requires local approval of a tipping fee for application of sludge from water treatment plants onto agricultural lands, with proceeds earmarked for water treatment facilities, as a condition of such applications continuing in a locality; places a moratorium on certain permits in jurisdictions that do not provide such local approval. - Amends TCA Section 1-3-105; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13, Chapter 7; Title 43; Title 68 and Title 69.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, imposes a tax on electric power used in all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; requires electric vehicle power dealers to register for collection of the tax; establishes other regulations for electric vehicle charging stations. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 54; Title 55 and Title 67.