Tennessee Senate Bills

Consumer Protection - As introduced, enacts "The Tennessee Safe Stores and Staffed Stores Act;" requires drug and food retail establishments using self-service checkout stations to maintain a minimum staffing ratio, limits self-service transactions to no more than 15 items, and prohibits the purchase of age-restricted or security-tagged merchandise at self-service checkout stations. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 50.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As introduced, authorizes the use of unexpended campaign funds by an officeholder to procure home security equipment and monitoring services for the officeholder's personal residence. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

Anatomical Gifts - As introduced, permits medical examiners to deny an anatomical gift of a deceased whose death occurs under suspicious, unusual, or unnatural circumstances if the medical examiner believes one of the listed criteria is met; requires the procurement organization to provide certain listed information prior to and following the procurement of an anatomical gift. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 7 and Title 68, Chapter 30.

Children - As introduced, establishes when a minor is engaged in the work of content creation; creates protections and requirements related to a minor engaged in the work of content creation. - Amends TCA Title 35; Title 37; Title 47 and Title 50.

State Employees - As introduced, enacts the "Parental Right to Participate in Schools Act," which entitles a state employee to up to 48 hours of annual paid or unpaid leave to attend school-related activities of a dependent child. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50.

Health Care - As introduced, requires the board of medical examiners, board of nursing, and board of osteopathic examination to initiate a criminal background check for each applicant for a renewal of licensure. - Amends TCA Title 38 and Title 63.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, enacts the "School District Capital Improvements Investment Trust Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

TennCare - As introduced, requires, on and after July 1, 2026, a minor who is enrolled in TennCare medicaid or the CoverKids program to remain eligible for such program until the minor reaches 18; prohibits the division of TennCare from subjecting the minor to a redetermination of eligibility or disenrollment, except under certain circumstances; requires the director of TennCare to submit any necessary federal waiver request by December 31, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 71.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, authorizes a county legislative body to elect not to permit persons within the county to lawfully carry a handgun without a handgun carry permit by passage of a resolution; requires a county that has passed such a resolution to provide notice to persons present within the county by posting notice of the resolution in conspicuous public locations throughout the county. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Memorials, Recognition - Human Trafficking Awareness Month, January 2026 -

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, enacts the "mRNA Bioweapons Prohibition Act," which prohibits the manufacture, acquisition, possession, or making accessible to others of mRNA injections and products; requires state and local government officials to use all lawful means necessary to investigate or enforce suspected violations; punishes violations the same as manufacturing, acquiring, possessing, or transferring a weapon of mass destruction, which is a Class B felony. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 14; Title 39; Title 40; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Autopsies - As introduced, requires a county medical examiner to report certain instances of the natural death of an infant or young person under 20 to the federal Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young Case Registry; requires the county medical examiner to review the deceased infant's or young person's immunization and medical records; authorizes civil penalties and license sanctions for violations. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 63 and Title 68.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, deletes an obsolete requirement that the department of commerce and insurance conduct a study to determine the appropriateness of a separate premium rating for medicare supplement policies for populations under 65 years of age upon the expiration of five years from May 27, 2010. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 56 and Title 71.

Pensions and Retirement Benefits - As introduced, clarifies that the notification provided by a retiree's new employer to the retirement system concerning the reemployment of the retiree as a law enforcement officer must be provided in writing. - Amends TCA Title 8.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, reduces, from five to four business days, the amount of time a warden has to report an offense in a penal institution to the appropriate district attorney generals. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Children's Services, Dept. of - As introduced, changes from January 31 to February 15 the date by which the commissioner shall publish an annual report regarding operation of the department and the services and programs under its supervision. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.

Evidence - As introduced, permits the introduction into evidence of a video recording of a child victim being interviewed by a forensic interviewer regarding sexual or physically violent contact with the child if the forensic interviewer is an employee of the department of children's services and meets certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4, Part 2 and Title 24, Chapter 7, Part 1.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As introduced, requires bondsmen to file the quarterly reports on number of bonds issued by the bondsman in the preceding quarter by the thirtieth day of January, April, July, and October, rather than the twenty-fifth day; requires court clerks to file the quarterly reports on number of bonds accepted by the clerk in the preceding quarter by the thirtieth day of January, April, July, and October, rather than the twenty-fifth day. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 11.

Correction, Dept. of - As introduced, increases from 90 to 100 days of receiving a valid judgment of conviction for when the department has to notify the victim witness coordinator of the scheduled parole hearing date when the inmate will be eligible for parole consideration. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, changes, beginning in 2027, the deadline for the department to submit its annual report on the school safety alert grant pilot fund from February 1 to January 15. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education, Higher - As introduced, extends, from January 1 to January 15, the deadline for the department of correction to submit its annual report on higher education opportunities available to incarcerated individuals to the chairs of the judiciary and education committees of the senate and the criminal justice and education administration committees of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Adoption - As introduced, changes from 100 years to 90 years the amount of time that must elapse from the date the adoption was finalized before confidential adoption records become public records open to inspection. - Amends TCA Title 18; Title 36, Chapter 1; Title 37; Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9; Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 7 and Section 49-6-1304.

TennCare - As introduced, enacts the "TennCare Buy-In Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 10 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

Naming and Designating - As introduced, redesignates the Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Plaza, respectively, in front of the War Memorial Building as the "Winfield Dunn War Memorial Plaza." - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 1; Title 4 and Title 58, Chapter 4.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As introduced, subjects plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, instead of all hybrid electric vehicles, to the $100 additional vehicle registration fee for electric vehicles. - Amends TCA Section 55-4-116.

Traffic Safety - As introduced, authorizes a tow truck to display a single, steady-burning or flashing blue light to the rear, but not the front, of the tow truck when stationary and engaged in the recovery of, or otherwise providing assistance to, another vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 9, Part 4.

Gaming - As introduced, requires a licensee offering interactive sports wagering in this state to restrict access to such wagering on certain campuses of public institutions of higher education; requires certain public institutions of higher education to restrict internet access to interactive sports wagering on campus. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49, Part 1 and Title 49.

Correction, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to develop and implement a performance-based contracting program for each contractor with which it contracts to operate prison facilities; requires the program to make the payment of an amount equal to 25 percent of the total funds appropriated to the contractor during a fiscal year conditional upon yearly performance improvements based upon a set of performance measures. - Amends TCA Title 41.

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article XI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Tennessee, to allow for bingo games conducted by 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organizations to meet a charitable, nonprofit, or community service purpose. -

Food and Food Products - As introduced, prohibits the sale, delivery for sale, holding for sale, or offering for sale of food that contains forever chemicals, unless the food is labeled as containing forever chemicals and discloses the known or possible health effects of the chemical; defines forever chemicals as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 53.

Healthcare Liability - As introduced, removes the three-year statute of repose for a healthcare liability action based on an injury that was not discovered when the negligent act or injury occurred so that the action may be brought within one year from the date of such discovery. - Amends TCA Title 28 and Title 29.

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to develop and design for a driver who has a developmental or intellectual disability a blue envelope that holds the driver's essential documents, including a driver license, vehicle registration, and contact card. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 52 and Title 55.

Election Laws - As introduced, restores a person's right of suffrage automatically upon the person's discharge from custody by reason of service or expiration of the maximum sentence imposed by the court for the infamous crime. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires the commissioner of transportation to establish rules governing reimbursement of relocation costs to a utility; requires reimbursement of at least $2.5 million for projects with utility relocation costs exceeding $2.5 million; requires the department to approve a utility owner's plan to accomplish the proposed new location of utility facilities in highway rights-of-way if the proposal would effectuate the relocation at the lowest cost to the utility's ratepayers; makes other related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 54.

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, requires each officer who takes possession of intoxicating liquor to file within 10 days, rather than five days, a written statement with the circuit or criminal court clerk identifying the kind and quantity of the liquor taken, and from whom the liquor was taken, if known. - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.

Election Laws - As introduced, authorizes the county election commission to notify individuals filing a petition for recall, referendum, or initiative to notify the individuals of a defect in the petition that must be cured prior to certification for final approval. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, removes the limitation on the penalty for illegally possessing a telecommunication device in a penal institution that required the Class E felony to be punished by a fine only. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Real Property - As introduced, prohibits a homeowners' association from prohibiting a first responder from parking an emergency vehicle at the first responder's residence or on a roadway adjacent to the first responder's real property or from penalizing or threatening to penalize a first responder for parking an emergency vehicle at the first responder's residence or on a roadway adjacent to the first responder's real property. - Amends TCA Title 47 and Title 66.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As introduced, requires the registry of election finance to provide a nonexclusive list of the various categories of contributions that constitute in-kind contributions requiring disclosure to each member of the general assembly at the beginning of each yearly session and each candidate for state office within one week of the candidate certifying a treasurer with the registry. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

State Government - As introduced, requires governor to cause proposed legislation that transfers functions between state departments be forwarded to the chairs of the government operations committees of both houses. - Amends TCA Title 4.

TennCare - As introduced, deletes an obsolete provision that required the comptroller of the treasury, in conjunction with any appropriate TennCare drug utilization review committees, to study the use of prescription drugs in nursing homes and the costs of those prescription drugs for residents of nursing homes; to examine prescription use overall; to focus on any practices that would improve the quality of resident care while reducing costs to the TennCare program; and to report by January 1, 2005, to the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56 and Title 71.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, authorizes counties and cities to create by majority vote of the local legislative body the elected office of school superintendent. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 49.

Children - As introduced, adds to the definition of a dependent and neglected child a child whose parent or guardian is unable to provide care and control of the child due to circumstances beyond the parent's or guardian's control; requires this finding to be made by a court at an adjudicatory hearing. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.

Women - As introduced, requires the department of health to maintain a database of demographic information of women diagnosed with uterine fibroids; requires the department to publish on its website existing resources and educational materials on uterine fibroids to increase public awareness of uterine fibroids and treatment options. - Amends TCA Title 68.

Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the Tennessee higher education commission to develop a program to award full-time students enrolled in public institutions of higher education in this state a $250 grant for voluntarily obtaining testing for sexually transmitted diseases. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7 and Title 49.

Public Records - As introduced, creates an offense for using or selling an individual's personal identifying information obtained from a governmental entity for commercial use, punishable as a Class B misdemeanor. -

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, authorizes a retail alcohol licensee in a terminal building of a commercial air carrier airport to offer complimentary tastings for samples of the products it sells. - Amends TCA Title 57.

Education, Higher - As introduced, increases, from 30 to 45 days before the start of the academic term, the time by which a state government entity that establishes a scholarship using an educational investment plan must select the scholarship beneficiary and notify the board of trustees of the college savings trust fund program of the beneficiary. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 10; Title 12; Title 49 and Title 50.

Health Care - As introduced, requires the annual report by the board of dentistry to be made by February 1 each year and sent to the general assembly, in addition to the governor. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Controlled Substances - As introduced, revises the definition of hemp to align with the federal definition as enacted in the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act of 2026. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 43 and Title 57.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As introduced, revises various provisions of the Real Estate Infrastructure Development Act of 2025. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 9; Title 12; Title 13; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

Nuisances - As introduced, prohibits any cause of action for nuisance, taking, or another claim against a racing facility or racetrack by the owner of a surrounding real property if the racing facility or racetrack was built before the owner of the surrounding real property purchased the real property or built in the area of the racing facility or racetrack, regardless of the date on which the cause of action is alleged to have arisen; prohibits a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, or regulation that would restrict, limit, or prohibit the operation of a racing facility or racetrack in a manner inconsistent. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 29.

Foster Care - As introduced, enacts the "Stable Homes for Foster Youth Act." - Amends TCA Title 37.

Health Care - As introduced, adds clinical informatics, lifestyle medicine, and medical virtualist to the list of words or abbreviations that a person may attach to a name to indicate or induce another person to believe that the person is engaged in the practice of medicine or osteopathic medicine. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 6.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to a consumer reporting agency; prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including on a consumer report a record of a medical debt. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 16; Title 18; Title 20; Title 21; Title 27; Title 28; Title 29; Title 45; Title 47; Title 63 and Title 68.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, deletes the criminal offenses of carrying a firearm or club with intent to go armed and carrying a weapon in a public park with the intent to go armed; prohibits a juvenile from carrying a firearm with intent to go armed except in certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 36; Title 37; Title 39; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 55.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee School Safety Act of 2026"; requires a student who has been expelled on two or more separate occasions for the zero tolerance offense of threatening mass violence on school property or at a school-related activity to submit to a psychiatric examination conducted by a medical professional; prohibits the student from returning to school or a school-related activity until the medical professional finds that the student is no longer a threat to the school and can safely return to school. - Amends TCA Section 39-13-813 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As introduced, requires the validation or revalidation tab, sticker, or other device issued for a calendar year that is affixed to a registration plate must be a different color scheme than the color scheme of the validation or revalidation tab, sticker, or device issued for the previous calendar year. - Amends TCA Section 5-8-102 and Title 55, Chapter 4.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for assault against a first responder from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony with a mandatory fine of $10,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 days. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

Tort Liability and Reform - As introduced, creates a cause of action through which a victim can recover from a person, other than a professional bondsman or person with a bailable interest, who posts bail for a defendant and the defendant is subsequently convicted for a criminal offense that occurred while the defendant was on bail; allows the victim to recover for damage to property, injury, or death arising from the subsequent criminal offense. - Amends TCA Title 40.