Tennessee Bills

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to submit a report on the feasibility of creating and implementing a graduate physician licensure program that would allow a person who has graduated from an allopathic medical school and passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination, but who has not completed an accredited postgraduate residency program, to provide medical services within a framework of a continuous collaboration and supervision agreement with a licensed physician to the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over health-related matters on or before January 1, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Schools, Private - As introduced, prohibits the state board of education from requiring a private school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program to annually administer a nationally standardized achievement test in English language arts and mathematics to each student each year; directs the state board to require such private schools that provide a high school program to administer a nationally standardized achievement test in English language arts and mathematics to certain students based on the percentage of their high school program that the student has completed. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 50.

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.

Massage Therapy - As introduced, enacts the "Interstate Massage Compact." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 63.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, prohibits professional employees and local boards of education from collaborative conferencing; prohibits a local board of education from allowing a professional employees' organization to use or access facilities when such use or access is otherwise prohibited by the local board's policies or procedures for community use. - 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.

School Vouchers - As introduced, requires private schools that participate in the education savings account program or the individualized education account program, or that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship, to publish various items on the school's website; requires such private schools to ensure educators hold a valid license to teach and are evaluated in the same manner as public school teachers; requires students participating in any such program to be administered various assessments; requires the department of education to assign a school letter grade to such private schools. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Reckless Bullet Prevention Act," which creates an offense of recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water, or an object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is discharged at a place where other people are or may be present; punishes the offense as a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain exceptions to the offense; requires handgun safety courses for enhanced handgun carry permits to instruct on the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Education - As introduced, prohibits local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies from allowing, through their policies, a material in a library collection to be removed while it is being evaluated by the local board, governing body, or the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission, if applicable, until a determination is made as to whether the material is appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students who may access it, and whether the material is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Education - As introduced, requires the state to elect to participate in the federal tax credit established under federal law for individuals who make qualified contributions to scholarship granting organizations. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Correction, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Women's Childbirth Alternatives, Resources, and Education Act." - Amends TCA Title 24; Title 33; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

School Vouchers - As introduced, establishes various audit and reporting requirements for the department of education and private schools that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship; limits eligibility for the scholarship program to students who are members of a family with an annual household income that does not exceed 300 percent of the amount required for a student to qualify for free or reduced lunch; requires scholarship recipients to be administered the same TCAP tests administered to public school students enrolled in the same grade level or course subject. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 8, Chapter 44; Title 10, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Education, Higher - As introduced, allows a public institution of higher education to suspend a faculty member, including tenured faculty members, without pay during the pendency of any investigation or hearings conducted to determine whether adequate cause for the faculty member's termination exists; requires the president or chief executive officer for a public institution of higher education who is selected or appointed by the institution's governing board on or after July 1, 2026, to be confirmed by the senate and house of representatives. - 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.

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.

School Vouchers - As introduced, requires the department of education to submit an annual report to the general assembly on information about the education freedom scholarship program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Sports - As introduced, requires each student who participates in a school youth athletic activity to file with the local education agency (LEA) or public charter school a preparticipation medical evaluation or an exemption; creates the safe stars advisory committee. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 36 and Title 68, Chapter 6.

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.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires the department of education, by July 31 each year, to list on its website each LEA designated as a high performing school district for the upcoming school year and how long the LEA will be designated a high performing school district before having to meet the criteria for re-designation. - Amends TCA Title 49.

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Condemns NES's response to the January 2026 ice storm. -

Education, Higher - As introduced, adds the general assembly to the list of entities that each public institution of higher education must submit its annual foreign gifts and contracts disclosure report. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 14; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

Courts, General Sessions - As introduced, increases from $25,000 to $50,000 the jurisdictional dollar limit for general sessions courts in civil cases generally. - Amends TCA Title 13; Title 16 and Title 29.

Housing - As introduced, enacts the "Affordable Housing and Tenant Protection Act"; allows local governments to adopt ordinances and resolutions to control rent for private residential rental units; creates the increased housing program and increased housing fund; authorizes the Tennessee housing development agency to make grants from the fund to eligible developers and first-time homebuyers to assist in gap financing and down payment assistance. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 53; Title 9; Title 12; Title 13; Title 66 and Title 67.

Economic and Community Development - As introduced, enacts the "Small Business Growth and Empowerment Act"; authorizes business tax credits for small businesses hiring locally or providing workforce training; creates grants for minority-owned and women-owned businesses in underserved areas. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 7 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

Energy - As introduced, requires an applicant and an electric utility service to perform and submit to the locality a site assessment prior to the approval of a rezoning request, special exception, or special use permit for the siting of a new high energy use facility (HEUF). - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 54; Title 65 and Title 68.

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, removes the requirement that a student with a documented intellectual disability be admitted to, and enrolled in, an eligible postsecondary institution in an eligible postsecondary program no later than 16 months after completing high school in order to be eligible to receive a Tennessee STEP UP scholarship. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 4.

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, adds William R. Moore College of Technology as an eligible institution for receipt of the Wilder-Naifeh reconnect grant and Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant; specifies that the amount of the scholarship for such students enrolled is the average cost of tuition and mandatory fees at TCATs less all other gift aid. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4.

Solid Waste Disposal - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act," which requires producers of goods to participate in a responsibility organization for recycling, reuse, and composting of certain packaging material. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2 and Title 68, Chapter 211.

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.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Homebuyer Harassment Prevention Act"; limits the number of times that a real estate developer, business entity, or individual working on behalf of the developer or business entity is permitted to contact a property owner to make an unsolicited offer to buy the property owner's property; makes other changes related to telephone and text message solicitations. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 33, Part 2; Title 47; Title 65 and Title 66.

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.

Ethics - As introduced, prohibits a person from acting as an agent of a hostile foreign principal unless the person has filed a registration statement with the Tennessee ethics commission; requires each foreign-supported political organization to register with the Tennessee ethics commission. - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 6 and Title 4.

Health Care - As introduced, authorizes a patient with a severe chronic disease or terminal illness to access, and a physician to recommend, investigational stem cell treatment; requires the commissioner of health to promulgate rules to, among other things, list the medical conditions that constitute a qualifying severe chronic disease or terminal illness. - Amends TCA Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, creates tax exemption for portions of property that provide tree canopy cover in counties whose local governing bodies elect to create the exemption. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6 and Title 67, Chapter 5.

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.

General Assembly - As introduced, enacts the "Restoring State Sovereignty Through Nullification Act," which establishes processes by which the general assembly may nullify an unconstitutional federal statute, regulation, agency order, or executive order. - Amends TCA Title 3 and Title 4.

Zoning - As introduced, reduces from 21 to 14 calendar days, the duration of the notice that a chief governing body must provide to the public before holding a public hearing to adopt a zoning ordinance or amendment. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13 and Title 67.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, removes an obsolete reference to reimbursement requirements related to anatomic pathology services applying to anatomic pathology services billed by gastroenterologists only applying on and after July 1, 2014. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 47; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Reckless Bullet Prevention Act," which creates an offense of recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water, or an object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is discharged at a place where other people are or may be present; punishes the offense as a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain exceptions to the offense; requires handgun safety courses for enhanced handgun carry permits to instruct on the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Dentists and Dentistry - As introduced, changes from at least five years to at least six years, the period of residency and practice in this state that each of the two dental hygienist members appointed to the board of dentistry on or after July 1, 2026, must have prior to such appointment. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56; Title 63, Chapter 5; Title 68 and Title 71.

Medical Occupations - As introduced, reduces from 45 to 35 days, the amount of time the board of physician assistants has to either render a decision on a licensure application submitted by an individual licensed, registered, or certified as a physician assistant in another jurisdiction or inform the licensure applicant from another jurisdiction of the need to appear before the board. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 24; Title 33; Title 38; Title 49; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68; Title 71 and Chapter 1042 of the Public Acts of 2024.

Nurses, Nursing - As introduced, reduces from 30 to 15 days the period following an election of the officers of the board of nursing within which the executive director must certify to the governor the names of the officers elected; reduces from 30 to 15 days the period following a vacancy in any office or in the board of nursing within which the executive director must certify such vacancy to the governor. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 33; Title 38; Title 53; Title 55; Title 63 and Title 68.

Tourist Development, Dept. of - As introduced, requires a copy of an annual audit report prepared by certain organizations under the department to be submitted to the legislative librarian. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 11; Title 13; Title 24; Title 36; Title 39; Title 42; Title 43; Title 47; Title 49; Title 54; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 58; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69 and Title 70.

Agriculture - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom to Farm Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4; Title 40 and Title 43.

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.

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.

Welfare - As introduced, directs TACIR to conduct a study into homelessness and ways to combat the rise of homelessness; requires TACIR to file the report with the health and welfare committee of the senate, the committee in the house of representatives with jurisdiction over matters pertaining to homelessness, and the legislative librarian before January 31, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 71.

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 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.

Business and Commerce - As introduced, creates the "Tennessee Data Center Impact Review Act." - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 10; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

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.

Tickets, Admission - As introduced, enacts the "Fair Access to Non-Inflated Seats (FANS) Act." - Amends TCA Title 47.

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

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.

Salaries and Benefits - As introduced, requires employers to pay employees an hourly wage of at least $20 beginning January 1, 2027, with annual adjustments by the commissioner of labor and workforce development based on increases in the consumer price index; establishes posting mandates, civil liability for violations, and a two-to-three-year statute of limitations for recovery actions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 9; Title 13; Title 29; Title 47; Title 50; Title 57; Title 58; Title 65; Title 67 and Title 68.

Tennessee Housing Development Agency - As introduced, enacts the "First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program," which creates a first-time homebuyer assistance program, to be administered by the agency. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 13, Chapter 23.

Human Rights - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Fair Chance Housing Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21 and Title 66.

Massage Therapy - As introduced, enacts the "Interstate Massage Compact." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 63.

Agriculture, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to prohibit the sale of a food product that includes certain chemical ingredients, unless it has a warning label, if the FDA requires the ingredient to be disclosed and the food product is intended to be consumed by humans. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 53.

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.