Tennessee Bills

Election Laws - As introduced, requires county election commissions to set uniform hours for each polling place used for early voting such that each polling place opens and closes at the same time on a single day. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, expands the offense of unlawful exposure to include the distribution, with the intent to cause emotional distress, of an image of the intimate parts of another identifiable person or an image of an identifiable person engaged in sexually explicit conduct and the image was created or modified by means of a computer software program, artificial intelligence application, or other digital editing tools. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Traffic Safety - As introduced, creates a Class B misdemeanor for failure to properly adjust headlights by a person or entity that installs tires on a passenger motor vehicle or truck that are larger in total diameter than the original equipment manufacturer's tires installed; creates a Class B misdemeanor for installing such tires so as to cause the bumper or frame to exceed the maximum heights established in present law. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 9.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As introduced, requires a court or magistrate to impose global positioning monitoring as a condition of release for a defendant accused of certain offenses, unless the court or magistrate enters written findings that the defendant does not pose a threat to the victim or public safety; requires the administrative office of the courts to compile an annual report of the number of defendants subject to such an order. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 55; Chapter 969 of the Public Acts of 2024 and Chapter 1033 of the Public Acts of 2024.

Public Officials - As introduced, authorizes local governments to adopt a process by which local elected officials may be removed from office in a recall election. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 8, Chapter 47 and Title 49, Chapter 2.

Courts - As introduced, specifies that certain actions for declaratory judgments or injunctive relief regarding the legality or constitutionality of a governmental action must be brought in state court and that the privileges and immunities afforded to this state, state entities, and state officials under state or federal law are not waived for purposes of such actions. - Amends TCA Title 1, Chapter 3 and Title 27, Chapter 1.

State Government - As introduced, creates the "Tennessee Critical Infrastructure Act." - Amends TCA Title 4.

Credit and Debit Cards - As introduced, requires state and local taxes and fees be excluded from the calculation of interchange fees by payment card networks for electronic payment transactions. - Amends TCA Title 67.

Purchasing and Procurement - As introduced, requires local governments to obtain, when possible, three written quotations for purchases costing less than the threshold established pursuant to law but more than 40 percent of such threshold, or some lower amount as may be established by the governing body of the local government. - Amends TCA Section 5-14-204; Section 5-14-205 and Section 6-56-305.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires the officers of a party to file with the secretary of state and with the coordinator of elections a copy of the rules under which the party and its subdivisions operate within 15 days, instead of 30 days, following adoption in order for the party to have nominees on a ballot or exercise other rights of a political party. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 10; Title 17; Title 27; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 54; Title 57 and Title 67.

Health Care - As introduced, reduces, from 30 days to 14 days, the period of time within which a licensing board that assesses discipline or a penalty against a healthcare provider for a violation of pain management rules must notify the department of health of such discipline or penalty. - Amends TCA Title 63.

Zoning - As introduced, prohibits the construction of correctional facilities, hospitals, and nursing homes in areas designated as 100-year flood plains; applies to all applications for construction permits submitted on or after July 1, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 13.

General Assembly, Directed Studies - As introduced, requires TACIR to study the economic impact that the cosmetology and barbering professions have in this state; upon completion of the study, requires TACIR to report its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to legislative committees having jurisdiction over cosmetology and barbering, and to provide a copy of the report to the legislative librarian. - Amends TCA Title 64, Chapter 3 and Title 64, Chapter 4.

State Employees - As introduced, requires each appointing authority of a state department or agency to electronically report to the commissioner of human resources the job performance evaluations for the employees in the appointing authority's department or state agency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 50.

State Government - As introduced, requires the Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations to file its biennial report of its recommendations and findings with respect to intergovernmental relations with the governor. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 41; Title 52; Title 57 and Title 58.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As introduced, increases from 4 percent to 5 percent the percentage of general assembly candidates and their committees who will be selected for an audit by the registry of election finance. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 3 and Title 8.

Public Officials - As introduced, requires the chief executive officer of a state agency or department to ensure that its policies, practices, and procedures relating to the recruitment, hiring, advancement, and retention of qualified individuals with disabilities are posted on the respective agency or department website. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 13; Title 14; Title 41; Title 52; Title 58; Title 66 and Title 67.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires the state coordinator of elections to monthly compare the statewide voter registration database with relevant databases of state and federal agencies to ensure non-United States citizens are not registered to vote in this state; revises documents that may be provided to prove United States citizenship upon request by a county election commission; revises the process of appealing a determination that an individual is not qualified to vote based upon citizenship status. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Election Laws - As introduced, revises the definition of "signature" for purposes of certain election-related documents, including absentee ballot and voter registration forms, and petitions for nomination, referendum, or another purpose; revises requirements for signing such petitions. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Abortion - As introduced, specifies that the offense of criminal abortion does not include an abortion that was necessary due to a medical emergency affecting the physical or mental health of the pregnant person or performed on a patient whose pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15; Title 63 and Title 68.

Zoning - As introduced, specifies that a privately owned property built after 1899 that is located in a tourism development zone is not subject to the authority of a historic zoning commission or a historic zoning law, rule, review guideline, or regulation, with respect to certain aspects of a project. - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 7, Part 4.

Zoning - As introduced, extends the terms of members of historic zoning commissions from five years to six years. - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 7, Part 4.

State Symbols - As introduced, designates "Tennessee" by Arrested Development as an official state song. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 3.

TennCare - As introduced, removes the requirement that the governor receive authorization by the general assembly prior to making any decision or obligating the state with regard to the expansion of optional enrollment in the medical assistance program. - Amends TCA Title 71.

Human Services, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "Workers Need Child Care Act"; establishes the child care infrastructure fund from which the department disperses grants to nonprofit entities for establishing new licensed child care agencies in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 37 and Title 71.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, excludes materials obtained by an individual teacher that are made available in the teacher's classroom to students assigned to the teacher's class from having to be identified in a list of library collection materials posted on the school's website; requires each local board of education and public charter school governing body to adopt a policy for developing and reviewing classroom libraries. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, excludes automated driving system (ADS)-operated vehicles used to transport property for hire in interstate commerce or to transport passengers for hire from the exemption allowing ADS-operated vehicles to be operated without a human driver physically present. - Amends TCA Title 55 and Title 65.

Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, changes from March 1 to February 15 the date by which the executive director of the commission must file an annual report concerning rules promulgated during the prior year with the appropriate standing committees of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 57.

Local Government, General - As introduced, authorizes a local government having a population of 100,000 or more and having centralized purchasing with a full-time purchasing agent to use any project delivery method that the local government determines most effectively meets the needs of the local government for the construction of local projects or additions to existing buildings. - Amends TCA Title 12, Chapter 3, Part 12.

Pensions and Retirement Benefits - As introduced, authorizes a firefighter with a rank equal to or higher than shift commander to continue in service beyond the mandatory retirement age of 62 years of age. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 36.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Mental Health Volunteer Alliance Act." - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 49; Title 63 and Title 68.

Contractors - As introduced, clarifies that an applicant for a license under the "Contractors Licensing Act of 1994" who has been advised to appear before the board at a scheduled time and place must provide notice to the board of the applicant's inability to appear three business days in advance, rather than three calendar days. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 62, Chapter 6 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

Municipal Government - As introduced, prohibits a municipality, or an instrumentality of a municipality, from taking an action that affects or has the potential to affect the tax obligations, fees, or other costs for real property owners whose property is located outside of a municipality's corporate boundary, unless the action is approved by the county legislative body in which such property is located; requires the membership of joint economic and community development boards to proportionately represent the citizenry over which the board exercises jurisdiction by July 1, 2029. - Amends TCA Title 5 and Title 6.

Historical Commission - As introduced, provides for the purchase of the James K. Polk Home in Columbia by the commission; authorizes the commission to contract with a nonprofit corporation for the improvement, maintenance, and operation of the property for the benefit of the citizens of this state and the general public. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Lobbying, Lobbyists - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Foreign Adversary and Chinese Military Company Disclosure and Accountability Act." - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 6; Title 4; Title 39, Chapter 16, Part 5 and Title 58, Chapter 2.

Municipal Government - As introduced, expands the criteria for real property that is eligible for the property owner to petition a municipality to deannex. - Amends TCA Section 6-51-201.

Sewage - As introduced, decreases from 60 to 45 days, the amount of time the executive director of the board of commissioners of a water and wastewater treatment authority has to annually prepare the operating budget of the authority and submit the budget to the board for approval prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

Housing - As introduced, authorizes local governments to regulate sober living homes for recovery from alcohol, drug, and substance abuse to the extent such regulation complies with the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, including prescribing a distance requirement for such homes from primary schools, preschools, and daycares, regulating the location and operation of such homes, and requiring that prospective residents receive a clinical referral for placement in a sober living home. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13 and Title 33.

State Government - As introduced, increases membership of the information systems council by adding a state employee with experience in the field of cybersecurity, to be appointed by the governor. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3.

Economic and Community Development - As introduced, extends, from December 1 to January 1, the date by which the office of business enterprise in the department of economic and community development must submit to the general assembly its annual report on advisements to the commissioner regarding disadvantaged businesses and the number of or amount of community block grants received by disadvantaged businesses. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9 and Title 67.

State Employees - As introduced, increases, from three days to three months, the amount of paid leave provided to the officers and employees of the various agencies, boards, and departments of state government in the event of the death of such officers' or employees' children or stepchildren. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50.

TennCare - As introduced, directs the governor to seek a new TennCare waiver within 180 days of the effective date of this act to provide medical assistance coverage for individuals whose gross annual income is equal to or less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level; clarifies that the amendment takes effect upon federal approval. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, requires the presence of one rather than two credible witnesses to be present when an officer of the commission destroys contraband distillation equipment, paraphernalia, and personal property. - Amends TCA Title 57.

Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, restricts the prohibition on holding an interest in or being employed by a distillery, wholesale dealer, or retail dealer, or holding an alcoholic beverage license in this state, only to family members of voting members of the commission. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 1.

Aircraft and Airports - As introduced, adds the legislative librarian to the list of persons required to receive from the metropolitan airport authority quarterly reports or briefings of the activities, plans, and conditions of the authority, and any proposals for capital expansion or improvements prior to the expansion or improvements. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 42 and Title 67.

Aircraft and Airports - As introduced, increases, from 30 days to 30 business days, the amount of time before the start of a fiscal year that a joint board composed of public agencies overseeing a county or municipal airport has to submit its total expenditures to be made to the governing bodies of its constituent public agencies. - Amends TCA Title 42.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, requires the annual written report submitted to legislative committees with subject matter jurisdiction over criminal matters regarding activities of narcotics investigations by the bureau and the assistant director of the narcotics investigation division be submitted by March 1 of each year. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 27; Title 29; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 53, Chapter 11 and Title 55.

Fireworks - As introduced, extends from 10 to 14 days following the date of last publication in a newspaper of a notice from the state fire marshal about the seizure of and intent to destroy contraband fireworks, the period during which an owner may claim the fireworks and after which, if no such ownership claim is made, the state fire marshal may destroy the fireworks. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 104.

Fireworks - As introduced, extends from 60 to 75 days, the time following receipt of a completed application within which the fire marshal must issue a fireworks exhibitor's license to an applicant who has complied with state law and rule relevant to the exhibitor licensing process. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 104.

Commerce and Insurance, Dept. of - As introduced, deletes obsolete definitions of the term "contractor" and obsolete penalty provisions from statute governing the unlawful representation as a contractor without a license. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12; Title 13; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 48; Title 50; Title 53; Title 54; Title 55; Title 56; Title 61; Title 62; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) - As introduced, requires TEMA to annually submit by February 1 of each year, a report to the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house of representatives detailing recovery efforts engaged in by the agency during the prior calendar year and recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of future recovery efforts. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4, Part 2; Title 50, Chapter 7, Part 3; Title 58, Chapter 8; Title 58, Chapter 2 and Title 67, Chapter 5.

Transportation, Dept. of - As introduced, removes obsolete provision requiring the department, in consultation with the department of safety, local law enforcement agencies, and highway safety offices, to submit a report on or before February 15, 2024, of its findings and recommendations regarding the development of a strategic statewide plan to increase pedestrian safety to legislative committees. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 54.

Education - As introduced, removes an obsolete provision requiring a report be provided by July 1, 2024, from the department of education, after working in partnership with the state board and the Tennessee higher education commission, to legislative committees regarding implementation of legislation concerning student literacy. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8 and Title 49.

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, requires, by February 1 of each year, the department to submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives that provides the number of individuals for whom a court enhanced their statutory penalty because either the conviction is for the commission of a violent crime and the defendant was an illegal alien or the conviction involved the use or display of a deadly weapon and the defendant was an illegal alien. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 55.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) - As introduced, authorizes the suspension of certain requirements for purposes of obtaining unemployment benefits during emergencies; authorizes the agency to assist local governments and local emergency management agencies with recovery from disasters and emergencies on public property. - Amends TCA Section 50-7-302 and Section 58-2-106.

Education, Higher - As introduced, terminates the governing board of directors for the Tennessee student assistance corporation (TSAC); requires the Tennessee higher education commission to be the governing board for TSAC; changes the name of the "Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant" to "TennesseeWORKS scholarship." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 49, Chapter 4 and Title 49, Chapter 7.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As introduced, deletes requirement for the department of revenue to report on the status of the computerized titling and registration system to the transportation and safety committee of the senate and transportation committee of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 55.

Employees, Employers - As introduced, changes the maximum penalty amount from $7,000 for each violation by an employer of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1972, and from $70,000 for each willful and repeated violation of the act, to the maximum penalty allowed by the federal occupational safety and health administration. - Amends TCA Title 50, Chapter 3, Part 4.

Banks and Financial Institutions - As introduced, requires a state-chartered bank to obtain an annual audit of its financial statements at intervals of no longer than 15 months, unless the bank's financial statements are included in the audit of its holding company's consolidated statements; requires the board to review, discuss, and record the audit in meeting minutes; requires each bank to provide the commissioner of financial institutions with a copy of the external audit within 45 days of receiving the audit; requires each bank to notify the commissioner whenever an independent public accountant is engaged to perform external auditing work, or when a change or termination of the bank's independent accountant occurs. - Amends TCA Title 45.

Children's Services, Dept. of - As introduced, changes from 10 to 15, the number of days of prior written notice the department must provide to a relative caregiver of any additional requirements for receiving payments as a relative caregiver. - Amends TCA Title 37 and Title 71.