Tennessee Bills

Election Laws - As introduced, requires county election commissions to include three non-binding questions related to the legalization of marijuana on the November 2026 ballot; requires the secretary of state to compile the results of the non-binding, advisory referendum, publish the results on the secretary of state's website, and forward the results to the members of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, prohibits the possession of an assault weapon; directs those in possession of an assault weapon before July 1, 2025, to apply for a certificate of possession; creates the Class E felony offense of purchasing, selling, possessing, or using a part, component, device, or attachment designed to accelerate the fire of a semiautomatic rifle and makes any semiautomatic rifle that includes an accelerated fire part, component, or device a prohibited weapon. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 54; Section 38-3-119 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the “Oral-Fluid DUI Testing and Evidence-Based Enforcement Safeguards Act." - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 4.

Planning, Public - As introduced, enacts the "Electric Grid Resilience, Transparency, and Planning Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 58 and Title 65.

Immigration - As introduced, prohibits the bureau of immigration and customs enforcement of the United States department of homeland security from entering into and conducting law enforcement activities in a healthcare facility, physician's office, or a shelter located in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 33; Title 38; Title 52; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Election Laws - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Ballot Access Act." - Amends TCA Title 2.

Safety - As introduced, requires newly installed storm drains and culverts constructed after July 1, 2026, to be equipped with a safety cover or grate if the opening is large enough that a child could reasonably fall into or become trapped within the structure. - Amends TCA Title 12 and Title 68.

Controlled Substances - As introduced, enacts the "Pot for Potholes Act"; establishes a regulatory structure for the cultivation, processing, and retail sale of marijuana and marijuana products in this state to be administered by the department of agriculture. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 29; Title 33; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 45; Title 50; Title 53; Title 54; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, changes from April 1 to April 30, the date by which a county legislative body must submit to the judges of the general sessions criminal court of the county and the chairs of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over criminal matters a written report setting forth findings and the overall evaluation of the use of judicial commissioners. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Holidays and Days of Special Observance - As introduced, enacts the "No Pride Flag or Month Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 15; Title 20 and Title 49.

Immigration - As introduced, affords an individual detained pursuant to a federal detention agreement certain rights while detained. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 10; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Registers of Deeds - As introduced, creates a two-year pilot program that requires the register of deeds in Shelby County to verify and record the government-issued photo identification of individuals presenting documents for in-person property transfers. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 66 and Title 67.

Taxes, Ad Valorem - As introduced, establishes limitations on the property tax rates set by a county or municipality. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires a county election commission, upon receipt of a bona fide complaint of a violation of a person's right to vote in an election, to document the details of the complaint and electronically submit the complaint to the state election commission. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 8; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 41.

Jails, Local Lock-ups - As introduced, specifies that a jailer's authorization to evaluate a person confined in the county jail for purposes of the person's care includes evaluating the person's need for medical attention. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 8; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 41.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for vehicular homicide from a Class C felony to a Class B felony if the offense occurred as the proximate result of the driver's extreme and excessive rate of speed; defines "extreme and excessive rate of speed" as traveling at more than 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 55.

Annexation - As introduced, requires a municipality to obtain approval of a proposed annexation from the county legislative body; requires the municipality to submit certain reports to the county legislative body regarding the proposed annexation. - Amends TCA Title 6, Chapter 51, Part 1.

Public Records - As introduced, specifies that certain information related to the carrying out of a sentence of death is not confidential and is open to public inspection. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7.

Real Property - As introduced, makes void and unenforceable any restrictions on the operation of a family child care home or group child care home that may be in a homeowners' association declaration that applies to a property where a family child care home or group child care home is or will be sited by the property owner; makes other changes relative to restrictions on the use of real property. - Amends TCA Title 66.

County Government - As introduced, increases from two to three days, the minimum notice period required for a county mayor to convene a special session of the county legislative body for emergency purposes. - Amends TCA Title 5 and Title 6.

County Government - As introduced, requires each county to create a county ethics commission. - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 6 and Title 5.

Planning, Public - As introduced, requires an establishment resolution adopted by the governing body of a municipality to form an infrastructure development district to include an itemization of the funded costs for infrastructure related to each utility service that will serve the development district. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 65 and Title 66.

State Government - As introduced, enacts the "DEI Compliance Certification Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 49.

Public Contracts - As introduced, requires a tire manufacturer or supplier responding to a solicitation to bid with this state, or who has an existing contract with this state, to indicate each tire, by product, and material number, that is manufactured with 100 percent French process zinc oxide. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9 and Title 12.

Election Laws - As introduced, enacts the "Election Integrity Act of 2026"; creates a process by which a candidate in a local election may challenge the results of the election prior to certification of the election if the candidate has reason to believe errors were made in the adminstration of the election. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 49.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, requires a written notice of the intended seizure of personal property given by the county trustee, deputy trustee, or delinquent tax attorney that is mailed to the taxpayer's last known address be provided by certified, registered, or first class mail. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, requires certain data centers to register with the department of revenue; requires fuel suppliers, and electric and water utilities that provide fuel and service respectively to registered data centers to report usage and rates to the department; requires the commissioner 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.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires the secretary of state to direct each county election commission to place a ballot question on the ballot for the November general election in 2026 asking voters whether this state should legalize the sale, possession, and use of medical cannabis. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Natural Disasters - As introduced, requires TACIR to perform a comprehensive evaluation on the preparedness and response of local and state officials, departments, and agencies to the Hurricane Helene natural disaster. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4, Chapter 10 and Title 58.

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "One America Act," which requires every person who has resided in this state for a period of more than 30 days and who is not lawfully present in the United States to register and submit to an interview with the department at which time the department may issue the person a one-year visa for re-entry into the United States and to this state; if the person does not commit a criminal offense within such one-year period, the person is eligible to apply for permanent resident status upon completion of the one-year period. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 39.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, limits the setting of the tax rate on property by a county, municipality, metropolitan government, or other taxing entity in any fiscal year at a rate that would render in total receipts from all levies an amount more than the receipts from that source from the immediately preceding fiscal year for the county, municipality, metropolitan government, or other taxing jurisdiction, plus an additional 2 percent, subject to certain exceptions; establishes a procedure by which the 2 percent increase may be exceeded by passage of a referendum. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Election Laws - As introduced, authorizes senators who have served for at least eight consecutive years and representatives who have served for at least 10 consecutive years to use signatures of registered voters outside of such senator's or representative's district for purposes of completing a nominating petition. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Prisons and Reformatory Institutions - As introduced, prohibits this state or a local government from entering into a new contract or renewing an existing contract for the provision of correctional services for an inmate under the custody and care of the department of correction or the local government. - Amends TCA Title 41, Chapter 24.

Immigration - As introduced, enacts the “Tennessee Freedom from Unlawful Immigration Detention Act.” - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 8; Title 38; Title 40 and Title 41.

Veterans - As introduced, enacts the “Tennessee Veteran Protection and Due Process Act.” - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 8; Title 38 and Title 58.

Notary Public - As introduced, requires the secretary of state to appoint notaries public to commissions in this state; prescribes additional requirements to be commissioned as a notary public in this state. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 16 and Title 23.

Holidays and Days of Special Observance - As introduced, designates September 10 of each year as "Charlie Kirk Day." - Amends TCA Title 15, Chapter 2.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, redefines "movable structure" for purposes of classification and assessment of property so that a mobile home or other movable structure that is used as a residence or apartment must be used permanently as such instead of temporarily or permanently. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds as an affirmative defense to the offense of criminal exposure of another to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), proof by a preponderance of the evidence that a person infected with HIV was in compliance with a treatment regime prescribed by the person's healthcare provider to medically suppress the risk of HIV transmission. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

DUI Offenses - As introduced, allows a person convicted of driving under the influence of an intoxicant involving alcohol or opioids to agree to receive naltrexone injections at the person's own expense for a period of 12 continuous months in lieu of being required to operate only a motor vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock device. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, Chapter 10.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, prohibits a utility that provides electric, water, wastewater, or natural gas services from increasing the rate charged to customers who are 65 years of age or older upon notice that the customer qualifies for such rate cap pursuant to an age verification process established by the Tennessee public utilities commission (TPUC) by rule; requires notification to customers of the rate cap program within 90 days of a final rule; authorizes TPUC to promulgate a rule to develop an age verification and notification process. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 64; Title 65; Title 67 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C felony the available sentence for an aggravated criminal trespass if, while in commission of the trespass, the trespasser encounters the owner using or displaying a firearm in self-defense; upgrades trespass offenses to Class C felonies. - Amends TCA Section 39-11-611; Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 10 and Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 4.

Tort Liability and Reform - As introduced, expands the definition of a person for whom a wrongful death action may be brought to include an unborn child beginning at fertilization, rather than in utero; extends the period of time from two to three years after which a spouse is rebuttably presumed to have abandoned a deceased spouse for purposes of bringing a wrongful death claim. - Amends TCA Title 20 and Section 63-6-1102.

Immigration - As introduced, prohibits the use of certain public properties, schools, and religious institutions for certain civil immigration enforcement activities; requires state departments and agencies to make available to the public certain information concerning person's rights with regard to federal agents. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7, Chapter 68; Title 12; Title 38; Title 49 and Title 50, Chapter 1.

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, authorizes the issuance of a retail package store license to an operator within the general services district of a metropolitan government that has approved the retail sale of liquor for off-premises consumption by local option election. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 57.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, requires a gun dealer to ensure that three days have passed since the transaction was initiated by the purchaser before transferring a firearm to a purchaser if the purchaser is older than 17 but younger than 21. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, requires the administrative office of the courts to report by October 1, 2025, to the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives the number of persons found guilty of the Class A misdemeanor of, as an employer, dismissing from employment an employee because of jury service by that employee, from January 1, 1990, until January 1, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Search & Seizure - As introduced, requires officials who are employed or contracted by the federal government, the state government, or a local government within this state, or an agency or department thereof, to obtain a search warrant that identifies the person or property that is the subject of the search before entering private property, unless a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement exists. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 44.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As introduced, requires evidence of compliance with the financial responsibility law prior to registering vehicles; increases from $25 to $50 the coverage failure fee imposed by the department of revenue for the first failure to comply with the James Lee Atwood Jr. Law; increases that fee to $250 for a second failure to comply and to $500 for a third or subsequent failure to comply; allocates 50 percent of the fees to county clerks. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 12 and Title 55, Chapter 4.

Education - As introduced, deletes an antiquated section, which required the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee to, by December 15, 2014, perform a study on the economic feasibility of creating and utilizing a statewide comprehensive energy policy and submit its final report to the energy task force of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Children - As introduced, exempts a school social worker, licensed by the state board of education, who provides preventative and developmental counseling, from having to obtain the consent of a parent of a minor prior to rendering such services. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 8; Title 49 and Title 63, Chapter 1.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Public Education Investments Act"; increases, from $50,000 to $50,290, the minimum base salary in the state salary schedule for teachers; increases from 5 percent to 10 percent the weighted allocation for a student who is a member in a school that is eligible for Title I schoolwide designation in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act; increases the amount of a Tennessee middle college scholarship by 3 percent each academic year for 10 academic years. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Libraries - As introduced, clarifies that the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022 does not apply to any materials in the Tennessee Electronic Library. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, prohibits public water system operators from adding fluoride to their water systems. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 221.

Jails, Local Lock-ups - As introduced, specifies that a jailer's authorization to evaluate a person confined in the county jail for purposes of the person's care includes evaluating the person's need for medical attention. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 8; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 41.

School Vouchers - As introduced, expands eligibility for an education freedom scholarship to students who are enrolled in an out-of-district public school. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Agriculture, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the commissioner to annually report the amount of fees, fines, and proceeds resulting from the sale of seized properties collected under Tennessee Apiary Act of 1995 to the chairpersons of the committees having subject jurisdiction over agriculture in both chambers of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 4; Title 8; Title 11; Title 12; Title 35; Title 36; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 44; Title 47; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 62; Title 63; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70 and Title 71.

School Vouchers - As introduced, repeals the "Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program," the "Education Freedom Scholarship Act," and the "Individualized Education Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Career Readiness Enhancement Act," which requires public high schools to integrate career readiness tools that enable students to earn credentials related to job readiness into career technical education; establishes a pilot program to obtain feedback from the business sector; makes other additions and changes to present law related to the provision and evaluation of career readiness tools. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As introduced, establishes that a public institution of education may provide an opportunity or benefit exclusively to one sex through a program if the institution provides a substantially similar or reasonably comparable opportunity or benefit to the opposite sex through a different program. - Amends TCA Title 49.