Tennessee Bills

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to submit a report on the feasibility and cost projections for creating and maintaining an implanted medical device registry available to each healthcare facility in this state to the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives on or before January 1, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Human Services, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to apply, no later than January 1, 2027, for federal grants and other federal funds available to the state through the federal summer electronic benefits transfer (EBT) for children program for the purpose of providing nutrition assistance through EBT during the summer months for each eligible child. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 71.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, authorizes school districts to establish fund pools for the investment of school district funds. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 49.

Education - As introduced, deletes obsolete pilot program to improve parent-teacher engagement that terminated at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires each local school board to establish a school lunch program and a school breakfast program that provide a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in a school under the board's jurisdiction; requires the state to reimburse each LEA for the cost of providing a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in the LEA after all available federal funds have been applied. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As introduced, creates the school safety grant fund to be administered by the department of education; requires that school safety grants be used to support local education agencies and public charter schools with prevention, reduction, and response efforts with regard to school shootings. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 49.

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, creates the Tennessee board of sign language interpreting. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 63; Title 68, Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 71, Chapter 4, Part 21.

Memorials, Recognition - Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) Awareness Day, May 17 -

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article I, Section 26 of the Constitution of Tennessee to enshrine permitless carry in this state by clarifying that citizens have a right to keep and bear arms in public without a permit or license and to delete provision that authorizes the legislature to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime. -

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article I of the Constitution of Tennessee to prohibit the state from compelling a person to undergo medical treatment, even in the case of a declared state emergency. -

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes constitutional amendment to Article XI, Section 5 of the Tennessee Constitution to allow the general assembly to authorize the entity operating the state lottery to develop lottery games to be used exclusively to fund veterans' services. -

Handgun Permits - As introduced, extends the time, from 30 days to 60 days, within which a person whose handgun carry permit has been suspended or revoked may petition the chancery court for judicial review of the department of safety's final determination. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 29; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 70.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires each law enforcement agency to develop and implement an alternative crisis response unit; requires the Tennessee peace officer standards and training commission to establish uniform training standards for alternative crisis response units in all law enforcement agencies. - Amends TCA Title 33 and Title 38.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, requires, subject to certain exemptions, that a sale or transfer of a firearm be done through a federally licensed gun dealer; creates a Class B misdemeanor offense for sales or transfers that are not conducted through a gun dealer. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 54; Title 38, Chapter 3, Part 1 and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, removes the criminal offense of possession of a weapon in a building or on property that is properly posted; removes the requirement that the department of safety suspend or revoke a handgun carry permit for a violation of that offense by a handgun permit holder. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Marriage - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act" to create covenant marriage, which is entered into by one male and one female, who understand and agree that marriage is a lifelong relationship; permits a spouse in a covenant marriage to obtain a judgment of divorce under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 36; Title 39; Title 67 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, extends from January 15 to February 15, the date by which, every five years, the fiscal review committee must report to the chief clerks of the senate and the house of representatives of the general assembly the percentage of change in the average consumer price index (all items-city average) as published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics and must inform the general assembly what the statutory minimum and maximum authorized fine for each offense classification would be if adjusted to reflect the compounded cost-of-living increases during the five-year period. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Voluntary Do Not Sell Firearms Act," which permits a person to voluntarily waive their firearm rights through filing a waiver with the clerk of the circuit court in the county of the person's residence; specifies procedures the clerk, TBI, and department of safety must follow upon receipt of a waiver. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3; Section 10-7-504 and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires a law enforcement officer initiating a traffic stop or pedestrian stop, on or after January 1, 2026, to inform the person stopped of the reason for the stop before engaging the person in questioning related to an investigation of a possible criminal offense or traffic violation; permits the officer to withhold such information if the officer believes that doing so is necessary to protect life or property from an imminent threat. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Medical Occupations - As introduced, extends from 30 business days to 60 business days the period of time an individual, applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or registrant has to file a petition in Davidson County chancery court following receipt of a notice from a health-related licensing authority that the authority is denying an application for or refusing to renew a license, certificate, or registration on the basis of a prior criminal conviction. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 63 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, enacts the "Fair Background Check and Due Process Act." - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 47; Title 50; Title 62; Title 66 and Title 71.

Sentencing - As introduced, increases from one year to three years the amount of time a defendant receiving a split sentence of confinement and probation may be required to serve a portion of the sentence in continuous confinement in the local jail or workhouse; specifies that the state is responsible for all costs of incarceration after the first year. - Amends TCA Title 40 and Title 41.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, deletes the offense of carrying a firearm or a club with the intent to go armed, prohibits the carrying of a firearm or weapon inside of a K-12 public or private school and on a school bus if the person's intent is to go armed and the school and the bus are posted in a certain manner; deletes the offense of carrying a firearm on the property of a university, college campus, and other public or private non-K-12 educational institutions or property; rewrites the offense of possessing a handgun while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance or controlled substance analogue; rewrites the offense of carrying weapons during judicial proceedings; makes various other changes related to firearms. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 55 and Title 65.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, repeals the criminal offenses of unlawfully carrying a firearm or club with the intent to go armed and carrying or possessing a weapon in or on public parks, playgrounds, civic centers, and other public recreational buildings and grounds; allows persons convicted of stalking or a misdemeanor domestic violence offense to possess a firearm after five years from the date of conviction. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49 and Title 65.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, changes from February 1 to February 15 the date by which the Tennessee bureau of investigation must report excess money collected pursuant to background check fees charged to gun dealers. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 45; Title 49; Title 50; Title 55; Title 62; Title 67 and Title 70.

Expunction - As introduced, extends the time period within which a court ordering the expunction of a person's public records of a criminal offense must send a copy of the expunction order to the Tennessee bureau of investigation from 30 days to 45 days. - Amends TCA Section 8-21-401 and Title 40.

Evidence - As introduced, adds a rebuttable presumption that the criteria for a child victim to testify by two-way closed circuit television in a criminal matter involving certain offenses are met if the child is under 13 years of age. - Amends TCA Title 24, Chapter 7 and Title 39.

Sentencing - As introduced, establishes parole criteria for certain persons convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to imprisonment for life; specifies that if a person is convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to imprisonment for life, then the sentence must automatically expire after the person has served 40 years. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 40, Chapter 35.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, enacts the "Federal Enforcement Accountability and Community Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 38 and Title 50.

Privacy, Confidentiality - As introduced, enacts the "Protecting Everyone from Excessive Police Surveillance (PEEPS) Act" for the purposes of protecting, maintaining, and accessing historical location data. - Amends TCA Title 10; Title 24 and Title 38.

Juvenile Offenders - As introduced, deletes an obsolete statute requiring the administrative office of the courts, department of children's services, and the commission on children and youth to jointly submit a report on juvenile justice data collection by January 1, 2019. - Amends TCA Title 36; Title 37 and Title 39.

Courts, Administrative Office of the - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Court Appearance Reminder Program Act." - Amends TCA Title 16 and Title 40.

Judicial Districts - As introduced, creates an additional criminal court in the thirtieth judicial district to be designated as part IX; requires the governor to appoint a criminal court judge to serve until the person's successor is elected at the August 2028 general election. - Amends TCA Title 16, Chapter 2.

Sheriffs - As introduced, prohibits the county legislative body of a county with a charter form of government from adopting a budget that reduces the budget for the sheriff below the budgeted amount for the previous fiscal year unless the reduction is approved in writing by the sheriff; authorizes a sheriff to approve or disapprove a budget amendment that would reduce personnel, operational, or capital expenditures below the level proposed by the sheriff; authorizes the county legislative body to override the sheriff's disapproval by a two-thirds vote. - Amends TCA Title 5, Chapter 1, Part 2; Title 5, Chapter 9, Part 4 and Title 8, Chapter 20, Part 1.

Landlord and Tenant - As introduced, states that unlawful detainer actions are confidential and shielded from public inspection if the action was filed on or after July 1, 2026, the case was dismissed by the court or a party, an appeal is not pending in the case, and three years have passed since the date the action was filed or the parties have agreed in writing to shield the records from public disclosure. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 29, Chapter 18 and Title 66.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, enacts the "Stop American Gestapo Act (SAGA)." - Amends TCA Title 38 and Title 39.

Immigration - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Private Workplace Due Process and Warrant Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 8; Title 38; Title 50; Title 62 and Title 66.

Real Property - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Private Property Vesting Rights of 2026," which entitles a property owner to just compensation from a public entity if the public entity enacts a land use regulation that has the effect of reducing the fair market value of the property. - Amends TCA Title 29, Chapter 16.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, removes certain criminal offenses relative to the possession and carrying of firearms, including the offense of carrying a firearm with the intent to go armed if the person has been convicted of stalking or DUI in certain circumstances and the offense of possession of a firearm by a person under 25 if the person was adjudicated delinquent for certain offenses as a juvenile; removes the offense of possessing or carrying a weapon in a public park, playground, civic center, or other public recreational area; makes various other changes relative to the possession and carrying of firearms. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49 and Title 65.

Health Care - As introduced, requires the secretary of state to place an advisory ballot question on the November general election ballot in 2026 regarding the legalization of a regulated medical cannabis program. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 39; Title 43; Title 53; Title 57; Title 63; Title 67 and Title 68.

Marriage - As introduced, states that private citizens and organizations are not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment or the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges to recognize a marriage between individuals of the same sex; prohibits the board of professional responsibility from disciplining or sanctioning an attorney for declining to officiate a marriage between two persons of the same sex. - Amends TCA Title 17, Chapter 5 and Title 36.

Sex Discrimination - As introduced, enacts the "Banning Bostock Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds the advisement or encouragement to commit suicide to the offense of assisted suicide under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, changes the timeframe within which a permit holder must notify the department in writing of the permit holder's new address from within 60 days of a change in the permit holder's principal place of residence to within 90 days of a change in the permit holder's principal place of residence. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 13; Title 16; Title 29; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 47; Title 49; Title 50; Title 52; Title 55; Title 58; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 70.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, restores the right of suffrage for persons convicted of an infamous crime after expiration of the sentence imposed for the infamous crime; removes requirement that the person pay restitution and court costs and be current in all child support obligations before having the person's right of suffrage restored; permits a person to have the right of suffrage restored without having the person's full rights of citizenship restored. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, allows a court to issue an extreme risk protection order upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to the person or others if allowed to possess or purchase a firearm; authorizes a law enforcement officer or relative to file a petition for an extreme risk protection order; creates an offense to store or keep a firearm in any place unless the firearm is secured in a locked container, unloaded, and separate from ammunition except when the firearm is carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user; prohibits a gun dealer from delivering a firearm to a purchaser until 15 business days after the completion of certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, renames enhanced and concealed handgun carry permits as enhanced and concealed firearm carry permits and authorizes a permit holder to carry any firearms, rather than handguns, that the permit holder legally owns or possesses. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 50; Title 57; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 70.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Anti-Road Rage Act of 2024," which creates a Class E felony for the reckless discharge of a firearm while operating, or as a passenger in, a motor vehicle; creates a Class A misdemeanor for the reckless brandishing or display of a firearm while operating, or as a passenger in, a motor vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 55.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, creates a criminal offense of storing or keeping a firearm in any place if the firearm is not secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device that is properly engaged so as to render the firearm inoperable by any person other than the owner or another lawfully authorized user; punishes a violation of the offense as a Class A misdemeanor. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a Class E felony that is committed when a person exercises control over a motor vehicle knowing that the person does not have the permission of the owner of the motor vehicle; creates a Class A misdemeanor of possessing a firearm that the person knows or reasonably should know has been stolen. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Domestic Violence - As introduced, enacts "Katherine's Law"; creates the offense of aggravated domestic assault, which is a Class B felony. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Courts, Administrative Office of the - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Court Appearance Reminder Program Act." - Amends TCA Title 16 and Title 40.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, expresses the legislative intent that a county in which a county-wide fire department is established, or in which a volunteer fire department provides services, direct priority for the appropriation and allocation of county funds to fund the activities of the county-wide or volunteer fire department. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 38 and Title 68, Chapter 102, Part 3.

Naming and Designating - Designates Tennessee a Purple Heart State. -

Memorials, Recognition - Honors and celebrates the laws of the United States and longstanding legal precedent that makes clear that the federal government may not retain any funds collected by the U.S. government based on tariffs that have been ruled invalid. -

Education - As introduced, deletes obsolete pilot program to improve parent-teacher engagement that terminated at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, creates the Tennessee board of sign language interpreting. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 63; Title 68, Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 71, Chapter 4, Part 21.

Education - As introduced, deletes obsolete provisions regarding implementation of the school grading system. - Amends Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and TCA Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8 and Title 49.

Medical Occupations - As introduced, prohibits a healthcare provider from inquiring as to a patient's ownership, possession of, or access to firearm ammunition or firearm accessories; subjects the healthcare provider to disciplinary action and a fine of $1,000 if the healthcare provider makes such inquires. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, repeals the "Tennessee Community Schools Act"; enacts the "Tennessee Full Service Community Schools Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.