Tennessee Bills

Food and Food Products - As introduced, prohibits the sale of food containing nanotechnology created by humans that is capable of collecting and transmitting data unless the food is labeled as containing nanotechnology. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 53.

Controlled Substances - As introduced, prohibits a healthcare facility from authorizing a licensed healthcare professional from performing a drug or alcohol test or screen on a patient who is pregnant, less than one year postpartum, or a newborn without written and oral consent; allows for a drug or alcohol test or screen to be performed without the consent of the patient in certain listed situations. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68.

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article XI, Section 12 of the Constitution of Tennessee to establish that parents have the inherent right to direct the education of the parent's child; prohibits the state from interfering with such rights through the adoption or enforcement of any law or rule that abridges, infringes upon, or restricts a parent's right to provide home-based education. -

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.

Driver Licenses - As introduced, clarifies that the report made by a participant in the digital driver license system that the participant's electronic device has been lost or stolen must be made to the department of safety for purposes of terminating the person's participation in the system. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50.

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.

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.

Schools, Charter - As introduced, changes from December 11 to December 15, the date by which the state board of education is required to post the information received from each local education agency regarding the total amount of authorizer fees collected by the LEA in the previous school year and the authorizing obligations fulfilled using the authorizer fees collected on its website. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 13.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows a nonprofit or for-profit entity that operates an adult high school under a contract with a local board of education to receive state and local funding in years subsequent to the first year of the adult high school's operation based on current enrollment numbers that are reported and adjusted no less than three times per year. - Amends TCA Title 49.

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.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, requires the department of safety to report to the chairs of the transportation and safety committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over transportation matters, the number of persons who participated in the motorcycle rider education program and the types of expenses for which the funds in the motorcycle rider safety fund were used during the last three years. - Amends TCA Title 55.

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

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.

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.

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.

State Government - As introduced, enacts the "Safe Access to Schools and Child Services Act," which prohibits the following entities from conditioning enrollment, attendance, or receipt of services for a child under 18 on the disclosure of the child's immigration status, except as explicitly required by federal or state law or court order: a county, municipality, or branch or agency thereof; public utility, utility district, entity created pursuant to any interlocal agreement, or any other political subdivision thereof; LEA, public school, or public charter school; and state board, commission, committee, department, office, or other unit of state government; clarifies that the prohibition does not limit compliance with federal immigration law or limit cooperation with federal authorities as required by law. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 37; Title 49; Title 68 and Title 71.

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

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires the department of transportation to allocate federal and state funds to rural planning organizations in parity with its allocation of such funds to metropolitan planning organizations. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 54 and Title 64, Chapter 8.

Election Laws - As introduced, prohibits a person from qualifying as a candidate in a primary election for federal office who holds dual citizenship or is not a natural-born citizen of the United States. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Appropriations - As introduced, prohibits this state from obligating, appropriating, or otherwise expending state funds, personnel, or other state resources to support any United States immigration and customs enforcement activities in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 10; Title 4, Chapter 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 38 and Title 39.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Traffic Safety - As introduced, enacts the "Super Speeder Accountability Act," which requires intelligent speed assistance devices to be installed on motor vehicles operated by persons convicted of certain driving offenses where speed was a factor; creates a licensing system for device providers; requires compliance-based device removal; authorizes indigent users to apply for assistance from the electronic monitoring indigency fund; makes other revisions. - Amends TCA Title 55.

Railroads - As introduced, prohibits a railroad company from allowing a train to obstruct a railroad crossing for more than 30 consecutive minutes; subjects the railroad company to civil penalties for violations. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 54 and Title 65.

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.

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.

Financial Responsibility Law - As introduced, changes the amount of time that proof of financial responsibility must be maintained from the period of the suspension or revocation to one year or the period of the suspension or revocation, whichever is longer, when a person's driver license or motor vehicle registration has been suspended or revoked because of the person's failure to furnish proof of financial responsibility. - Amends TCA Section 55-12-126.

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.

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.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires a municipality that adopts an ordinance requiring nonresident property owners to vote by absentee ballot to file such ordinance with the county election commission no later than 75 days, rather than 60 days, before the election. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 41.

Taxes, Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, deletes an obsolete provision relating to a tax credit for beer or ale that was destroyed in a flood occurring between May 1, 2010, and May 8, 2010. - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.

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.

Memorials, Congress - Urges the U.S. Congress to enact H.R. 2350 (S. 1137), which permits states to deploy cell-phone jamming systems in prisons. -

Child Custody and Support - As introduced, authorizes a court to order additional parenting time to compensate for previously denied parenting time; requires a court to order additional parenting time to compensate for time that was denied on the basis of an investigation that did not result in a finding of abuse or neglect if the affected parent can show that the other parent intentionally made or participated in false allegations of abuse against the affected parent. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 6, Part 5.

Railroads - As introduced, prohibits a railroad company from allowing a train to obstruct a railroad crossing for more than 30 consecutive minutes; subjects the railroad company to civil penalties for violations. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 54 and Title 65.

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.

Evidence - As introduced, states that in certain civil actions a licensed nurse practitioner or licensed physician assistant who is properly qualified as an expert witness may testify as to certain medical findings. - Amends TCA Title 24; Title 29, Chapter 26 and Title 50, Chapter 6.

Evidence - As introduced, prohibits a court from excluding evidence against a criminal defendant unless the evidence was obtained by deliberate, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct or recurring or systemic negligence that violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and refusal to suppress the evidence would contradict a clearly established holding of the United States supreme court; establishes an immediate interlocutory appeal to the Tennessee supreme court when a court grants a motion to suppress evidence. - Amends TCA Title 40.

Traffic Safety - As introduced, authorizes a law enforcement officer to seize and impound a motor vehicle in any county or municipality that has passed a resolution or ordinance authorizing the seizure and impoundment of a motor vehicle observed by law enforcement to have been used to commit the offense of drag racing or to flee after commission of the offense of drag racing subject to certain restrictions. - Amends TCA Title 6; Title 7; Title 16; Title 40 and Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 5.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, allows certain persons deprived of the right of suffrage to apply for a voter registration card and have the right of suffrage provisionally restored if the person enters into a payment plan to become current on all child support obligations. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 29.

Mason - Subject to local approval, authorizes the town to appoint a town administrator; requires the town administrator to perform some of the duties previously performed by the mayor. - Amends Chapter 120 of the Private Acts of 1915; as amended and rewritten.

Memorials, Recognition - 250th Celebration of the Revolutionary War Veterans buried in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding areas -

Naming and Designating - Designates October 2 as "School Custodian Day" in Tennessee. -

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 "School Safety and Mental Health Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

Game and Fish Laws - As introduced, requires, by January 15 of each year, the office of the governor to submit a report to legislative committees with subject matter jurisdiction over natural resources detailing all such lands and waters set apart and dedicated by the governor for wildlife preserves, including the limits fixed of the lands and waters for such state wildlife preserves. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 11; Title 12; Title 43; Title 44; Title 55; Title 64; Title 67; Title 69 and Title 70.

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, requires the department to make available a list of the registered withdrawals of 10,000 or more gallons of water per day from a surface water or a groundwater source in a publicly accessible place on the department's website. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 59; Title 65; Title 66; Title 68 and Title 69.

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.

Schools, Charter - As introduced, changes from December 11 to December 15, the date by which the state board of education is required to post the information received from each local education agency regarding the total amount of authorizer fees collected by the LEA in the previous school year and the authorizing obligations fulfilled using the authorizer fees collected on its website. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 13.

Education - As introduced, amends the criminal offense of threatening to commit an act of mass violence on school property to apply only to a valid and credible threat; requires a local education agency's threat assessment procedures to include, when assessing a student based on dangerous or threatening behavior, a written assessment of the student by a mental healthcare provider, which may be performed via telehealth. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 49.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, increases from 10 to 15 the number of days from the date of an order suspending or revoking a commercial driver license that a petition may be filed to appeal the decision. - Amends TCA Title 55.

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.

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 and a driver who has a mental illness a green envelope that holds the driver's essential documents, including a driver license, vehicle registration, and contact card. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38; Title 52 and Title 55.

Local Government, General - As introduced, creates the "Tennessee Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund," with monies from the fund to be expended for grants and loans to counties, municipalities, state agencies, and nongovernmental entities for improvement and restoration projects; creates the board of trustees for the trust fund. - Amends TCA Title 68 and Title 70.

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, changes from January 31 to January 15, the date by which the commissioner must submit an annual report to the chair of the energy, agriculture and natural resources committee of the senate and the chair of the agriculture and natural resources committee of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 69.

Health Care - As introduced, authorizes an individual to submit a request for a pre-application determination of eligibility for an occupational license based on criminal history either in writing or electronically, rather than exclusively in writing, and updates the provision regarding judicial review to clarify that the 30-day window to petition the Davidson County chancery court is triggered by the receipt of either written or electronic notice of disqualification. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.