Tennessee Senate Bills

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As introduced, prohibits the registry of election finance from charging a member of the public more than the registry's actual costs when providing a copy of a report regarding a required disclosure statement filed with the registry. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 39 and Title 47.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, specifies that the administrative office of the courts may distribute to the courts electronically the discharge from conditions of release form that is required to be sent to law enforcement agencies by the court when a defendant upon whom conditions of release have been imposed is discharged or released from those conditions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 16; Title 18; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 55; Title 56; Title 62; Title 68 and Title 71.

Forfeiture of Assets - As introduced, increases the burden of proof required to be met by the state in civil asset forfeiture proceedings from a preponderance of evidence standard to a clear and convincing evidence standard. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 33.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, specifies that a person does not commit an offense if the person possesses or carries a firearm into an area that is posted if, upon the request of an individual authorized to control access to the property, the person immediately leaves the property or stores the firearm in a personal vehicle in accordance with state law. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, requires the department of economic and community development to revise and certify the population of each county and municipality, and the aggregate population of the state, prior to July 1 each year during the interim between the regular decennial federal census to ensure equitable allocation and distribution of the local share of state sales tax revenue; requires the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, through the Tennessee state data center, to generate annual population estimates for each county and municipality and provide the estimates to the department of economic and community development for review and certification. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 7; Section 9-16-101 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

Election Laws - As introduced, directs the state coordinator of elections to promulgate rules regulating the spacing of political campaign signs by candidates seeking election to state and local offices. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Immigration - As introduced, requires a financial institution to verify the immigration status of a person sending funds electronically outside of the United States and its territories; changes the definition of resident or citizen of this state to mean citizens of the United States and aliens lawfully present in this state; requires the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a pupil who is not lawfully residing in this state, but who attends a public school in this state, to pay tuition. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 4; Title 7; Title 45 and Title 49.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires law enforcement agencies to investigate for the presence of workplace bullying concurrent with investigations of crimes of violence in the workplace; requires law enforcement agencies to report findings to the TBI; requires the TBI to annually submit a report to legislative committees concerning workplace bullying and violence. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 50.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, makes it an offense for farmers to keep breeding pigs and veal calves in certain small enclosures, subject to certain exceptions, effective July 1, 2030. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14; Title 40, Chapter 39; Title 43; Title 44 and Title 53.

Tennessee Housing Development Agency - As introduced, deletes provision requiring Tennessee rural and workforce housing tax credits to be authorized by joint resolution of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Section 13-23-134 and Chapter 971 of the Public Acts of 2024.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, creates the offense of carrying or possessing a firearm, including a firearm that was privately assembled and does not contain a serial number or other mark that conforms with federal law, if, at the time of carrying or possessing, the person is not a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13 and Title 55, Chapter 50.

Taxes, Personal Property - As introduced, authorizes, subject to a two-thirds vote of the legislative body, the county trustee or other property tax collecting official in Hamilton County to decline to bill or refer for collection a de minimis personal property tax totaling less than $20 under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Section 67-5-2013.

Controlled Substances - As introduced, enacts the "Pot for Potholes Act"; establishes a regulatory structure for the cultivation, processing, and retail sale of marijuana and marijuana products in this state to be administered by the department of agriculture. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 29; Title 33; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 45; Title 50; Title 53; Title 54; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Sexual Offenses - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Sexual Violence Justice Act," making various changes to the requirements for investigating sexual offenses. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 67.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, increases, from 15 to 20, the number of background investigations that the speaker of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives may request a year for persons under consideration for appointment to a position of trust and responsibility. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 67.

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.

Drugs, Synthetic or Analogue - As introduced, removes the limitation that a person who is experiencing a drug overdose only has immunity from being arrested, charged, or prosecuted on the first drug overdose. - Amends TCA Title 50; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a Class C felony of reckless endangerment involving community terrorism, which is committed against a population within a geographic territory by members of a criminal gang or within 1,000 feet of a school or park; requires the sentencing court to revoke or prohibit the issuance of a driver license to individuals convicted of such offense for a five-year period following conviction. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 40, Chapter 35.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, requires a law enforcement agency to release calls for emergency assistance services at rental homes and apartment complexes to qualified nonprofit organizations for the purpose of distributing the calls to rental property managers and owners to detect and act on escalating crime patterns. - Amends TCA Title 38.

Expunction - As introduced, requires a clerk of a court with criminal jurisdiction to automatically remove and destroy all public records of a conviction for a Class E felony or misdemeanor that is eligible for expunction, one year after the person has completed any sentence imposed by the court. - Amends TCA Title 10; Title 18 and Title 40.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, deletes the exception to the criminal offense of unlawfully carrying a firearm with intent to go armed for persons who lawfully possess a handgun, are in a place where the person is lawfully present, and are at least 21 years old or 18 years old with certain military service. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Civil Procedure - As introduced, revives causes of action based on a sexual assault that occurred when the injured party was 18 years of age or older and are time-barred because the applicable statute of limitations has expired; allows such actions to be commenced within a certain time period. - Amends TCA Title 28, Chapter 3; Title 39 and Title 40.

Expunction - As introduced, authorizes court clerks in certain counties to implement an automatic expunction processing program that initiates processing the expunction of public records without petition by the person, certification of eligibility from the TBI, or court order in certain limited circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 32.

Children and Youth, Commission on - As introduced, changes from September 1 to October 1 the date by which the commission must make budget recommendations for the following fiscal year to the governor, finance committees of the house and senate, legislative budget offices, and affected state departments. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 33; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 49.

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Urges Tennesseans to donate feminine hygiene products to local schools. -

Naming and Designating - Designates March 13 as "Father Charles Strobel Day." -

Naming and Designating - Designates March 3 as "Sister Sandra Smithson Day." -

Memorials, Recognition - Myositis Awareness Month -

Energy - As introduced, changes the administrative, reporting, oversight, and accountability of the state energy policy council from the state energy policy council to the department of economic and community development and the department of environment and conservation. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 204.

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, increases, from three to five days after receipt, the maximum time that the department has to publish on the department's website a notice of intent to appeal a final order by the board of water quality, oil and gas or an administrative judge. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 11; Title 66; Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 4; Title 68 and Title 69.

Education - As introduced, requires the state board of education to authorize a student who is working toward completing a career and technical education elective focus to substitute up to four career and technical education course credits for the required chemistry course credit, computer science course credit, world language course credit, and Algebra II course credit necessary to earn a full diploma upon graduation from high school. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Psychologists - As introduced, creates prescribing authority for certain psychologists if certain conditions and prerequisites are met. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As introduced, removes the restriction on the direct employment of radiologists, pathologists, anesthesiologists, and emergency physicians by hospitals and certain healthcare facilities. - Amends TCA Title 47; Title 63 and Title 68.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to publish the Tennessee investment in student achievement formula guide on the department's website. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Anatomical Gifts - As introduced, creates a process by which an individual or terminal patient can refuse to make an anatomical gift that cannot be amended by another person; requires a procurement organization to follow certain procedures for contacting a decedent's family member or other authorized person. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Physicians and Surgeons - As introduced, increases from 10 to 30 business days, the period of time that must be included in a non-compete agreement between an employing entity and a physician regarding the time after which, if no agreement on the fair market value of the practice can be determined when an attempt to repurchase the practice is made, the physician may remove any restrictions on the physician’s ability to practice by tendering the amount that was paid to the physician for the sale of the practice. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

TennCare - As introduced, authorizes the governor to expand medicaid pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; authorizes the governor to negotiate with the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services to determine the terms of the expansion. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

Education, Higher - As introduced, changes the date, from October to November 1, by which a public institution of higher education that receives funds from the distribution of credit cards to students or any percentage from the use of cards bearing the college or university name or logo to report the amount of such funds or percentage that it received as well as how the funds were expended during the previous fiscal year. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 49.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the commissioner to report to the chairs of legislative committees having jurisdiction over health-related matters on the standards and policies for assisted reproductive technology in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 36; Title 63 and Title 68.

Dentists and Dentistry - As introduced, requires the commissioner of health to create programs designed to enhance access to dental services in rural and underserved areas subject to the approval of the commissioner of finance and administration. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 5 and Title 68.

Education - As introduced, deletes a pilot program, which was established to improve parent-teacher engagement in any grade from kindergarten through grade two in public schools, that expired in 2021. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to submit a request to the United States department of education to amend this state's Every Student Succeeds Act plan to remove all end-of-course assessment requirements for students in grades nine through 12 and to allow the ACT, SAT, or another postsecondary readiness assessment approved by the commissioner to be annually administered to students in such grades and for student performance on such assessments to be used for student, school, and district accountability purposes. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Physicians and Surgeons - As introduced, extends from 30 to 60 days the period of time following a change in the address listed on a physician's registration certificate within which a physician licensed by the board of medical examiners must notify the board of such change. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 49; Title 63 and Title 68.

Physicians and Surgeons - As introduced, allows, instead of requires, the governor to consult with medical groups in making appointments to the board of medical examiners. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 63 and Title 68.

Welfare - As introduced, requires the department of human services to develop and implement a five-year pilot program in which eligible households are awarded an annual supplemental income grant of $5,000 beginning in 2026. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 67, Chapter 4 and Title 71.

TennCare - As introduced, authorizes the governor to expand medicaid eligibility solely for the purpose of providing treatment for a patient with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease in accordance with the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and to negotiate with the centers for medicare and medicaid services with respect to the terms of such expansion. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

Medical Occupations - As introduced, establishes the scope of practice for anesthesiologist assistants, subject to regulatory oversight by the board of medical examiners as part of such practice. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 63 and Title 68.

Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) - As introduced, revises the weighted allocations generated by a student for purposes of the TISA based on the number of student members of the LEA in which the student resides; establishes a $50 direct allocation for each student member of each LEA to assist each LEA with maintenance and infrastructure. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Early Behavioral Intervention and Reporting Act"; clarifies that public charter schools are required to have a threat assessment team in the same manner as required of local education agencies. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 37 and Title 49.

Nurses, Nursing - As introduced, requires all hospitals licensed by the health facilities commission or by the department of mental health and substance abuse services to report annually to the department of health, on a form promulgated by the department, the number of advanced practice registered nurses who are working in the hospital for each month. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 33; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63 and Title 68.

Health Care - As introduced, changes from March 1 to January 15 the date by which the bureau of TennCare, in consultation with the perinatal advisory committee and with the assistance of relevant state agencies, must report to legislative committees concerning aspects of quality and outcomes in perinatal care for the last two available fiscal years or calendar years, as may be available. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 14; Title 29; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Education, Higher - As introduced, extends to the dependent children and spouses of veterans who sustained a permanent and total service-connected disability during a qualifying period of armed conflict the same waiver of all tuition and fees at public institutions of higher education being provided to the dependent children and spouses of veterans who were killed, died due to injuries received, or reported as prisoners of war or missing in action during a qualifying period of armed conflict. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Universal Pre-K Funding Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 51; Title 49 and Title 67.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to use student performance on career readiness assessments administered to high school seniors as part of the school grading system if the department uses student performance on postsecondary readiness assessments for such purpose; directs the department to only consider student performance on the assessment type for which the student achieved the highest score for school grading purposes, if the student was administered a postsecondary readiness assessment and a career readiness assessment. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education, Higher - As introduced, requires institutions of higher education to conduct various programs for intercollegiate athletes covering name, image, and likeness; authorizes institutions of higher education to collect talent fees; makes various other changes to intercollegiate athletes' name, image, and likeness authorizations and requirements. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

Education - As introduced, creates the division of early child care and education within the department of education. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

Children - As introduced, reduces the time in which the department of children's services has to determine whether a temporary childcare licensee has complied with all regulations to receive a permanent childcare license from 90 days from the date the temporary license was issued to 80 days. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 13; Title 37; Title 49; Title 62; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the commission to review and update the outcomes-based funding formula model at least once every five years to provide incentives for institutions that offer programs leading to job placement in high-demand fields in this state. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 49 and Title 62.

Comptroller, State - As introduced, requires the office of research and education accountability in the office of the comptroller of the treasury to annually report information about the students participating in the education freedom scholarship program to the general assembly by October 30. - Amends Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Education - As introduced, removes a provision that required the board of regents, the University of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association to provide a report by April 1, 2009, to the Tennessee higher education commission on the reasonable efforts their institutions have taken to attempt to deter infringement of copyrighted works over the school's computer and network resources. - Amends TCA Title 49.