Tennessee Bills

Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom from Medical Debt Act," which requires the state treasurer to contract with a nonprofit entity to acquire and repay certain medical debts for Tennessee residents with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level or who owe medical debt equal to 5 percent or more of their household income, and prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to a consumer reporting agency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Statutes of Limitations and Repose - As introduced, specifies that certain statutes of limitation in civil matters apply to the state and the state's political subdivisions. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 28 and Title 29.

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. -

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, requires that a health plan, or an insurer offering a health plan, include coverage for clinical genetic testing for an inherited gene mutation for an individual with a personal or family history of cancer that is recommended by a healthcare professional, and evidence-based cancer imaging for an individual with an increased risk of cancer as recommended by National Comprehensive Cancer Network clinical practice guidelines. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56 and Title 71.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As introduced, enacts the "The Frank J. Lake III Act"; requires a long-term care ombudsman for an assisted-care living facility to notify all residents of such facility if the facility contacts the ombudsman; directs the health facilities commission to post a certain specified notice on the commission's website if an assisted-care living facility is placed on probation; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 11.

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.

Water - As introduced, prohibits the department of environment and conservation from prohibiting a utility that provides drinking water from pumping or otherwise withdrawing water from natural waters for purposes of providing drinking water, including as a prerequisite to renewal of the utility's permit, unless the prohibition is required to comply with federal law. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 68, Chapter 221 and Title 69.

Food and Food Products - As introduced, requires retail food stores and food service establishments to provide notice to consumers of whether fish is imported and whether it is farm-raised or wild fish. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 53 and Title 68.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, entitles qualified law enforcement officers upon retirement or separation from service from their employing law enforcement agency to continue to maintain annual POST-certification upon meeting certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 8.

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.

Contracts - As introduced, requires that contracts entered into between a personal seat license (PSL) holder of 10 or more years and a professional sports franchise for the purchase of a subsequent PSL with an upgraded or improved seating classification include a provision that enables the PSL holder to purchase the subsequent PSL for the same price as the previous PSL; applies to all contracts for subsequent PSL purchases entered into for seating at stadiums in certain counties on or after the effective date of the act. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 9; Title 16; Title 47 and Title 67.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, prohibits the possession, manufacture, transport, repair, or sale of a switch or auto sear device designed, made, or adapted for the purpose of converting a weapon to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger unless certain exceptions apply. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Expunction - As introduced, lowers the period of time that must elapse after completion of the sentence imposed before a petitioner may have an eligible criminal offense expunged, for misdemeanors or Class E felonies, from five years to three years, and for Class D felonies, from 10 years to six years. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Tennessee to authorize the General Assembly to set the dates and manner of elections. -

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes adding a provision establishing the right to food that includes the right to save and exchange seeds and the right to grow, raise, harvest, produce, and acquire and consume the food of their own choosing for their own nourishment, sustenance, bodily health, and well-being. -

Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies - As introduced, decreases from 30 to 21 days, the amount of time each insurer of personal risk insurance must file with the commissioner of commerce and insurance before the proposed effective date of all rates, supplementary rate information, supporting information, policy forms, and endorsements. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56 and Title 71.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, enacts the "Agricultural Right to Repair Act." - Amends TCA Title 43 and Title 47, Chapter 18.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, prohibits electric utilities and high performance computing centers in this state from using transformers, parts, or equipment manufactured or sold by entities owned or controlled by foreign adversaries to support any part of their operations; requires such utilities and centers to report to the comptroller of the treasury; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 65 and Title 68.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, increases, from 60 to 65 days, the time that a controller has after receipt of an appeal from a consumer regarding the controller's refusal to take action on a consumer request under the Tennessee Information Protection Act to inform the consumer in writing of action taken or not taken in response to the appeal, including a written explanation of the reasons for the decision. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 39 and Title 47.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, exempts the retail sale of food and food ingredients from the sales tax if sold to a person who is 65 or older and a Tennessee resident. - Amends TCA Section 67-6-228.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, increases, from 60 to 65 days prior to the effective date of the change, the required minimum notice that a health insurance entity must provide to a healthcare provider of any material change made in the sole discretion of the insurance entity to the entity's previously released provider manual or a reimbursement rule and policy. - Amends TCA Title 56, Chapter 7.

State Government - As introduced, expands the requirements of the 2026 and 2027 annual reports to be submitted by the artificial intelligence advisory council to the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house of representatives by requiring such reports to include recommendations on strategies to detect and minimize the risk of fraud committed by persons using artificial intelligence. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 29; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 45; Title 47; Title 48; Title 49; Title 53; Title 62; Title 63; Title 65; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, updates the mandatory notice regarding security freezes to specify that identity theft complaints to the federal trade commission and attorney general and reporter may be submitted via electronic means as specified by the federal trade commission and the attorney general and reporter, instead of only in writing or via their websites. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 47; Title 49; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Corporations, Not for Profit - As introduced, enacts the "Volunteer Communities Act," which provides an unincorporated association or nonprofit corporation organized primarily to provide mutual support and assistance within a community or neighborhood certain benefits, including franchise and excise, sales, and property tax credits and exemptions, and certain liability, food, and zoning protections for mutual aid activities conducted by the organization. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 13, Chapter 7; Title 29; Title 48; Title 53 and Title 67.

Employees, Employers - As introduced, enacts the "Workers' Right to Live Act," which places mandatory reporting requirements on employers concerning workplace fatalities and imposes penalties on employers for workplace fatalities that were a result of employer negligence; makes changes related to workers' compensation benefits. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 29 and Title 50.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the commissioner to use existing resources to conduct a study of the use of designated caregivers for admitted patients in hospitals in neighboring states in order to determine the prevalence of and identify the best practices for the use of designated caregivers; requires the commissioner to compile study findings and any legislative recommendations into a report to the general assembly no later than December 31, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 68.

Contractors - As introduced, requires the state board for licensing contractors to notify the department of commerce and insurance of a disciplinary action against a contractor upon posting the notice of disciplinary action on its website. - Amends TCA Title 13; Title 62, Chapter 6 and Title 66.

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

TennCare - As introduced, requires a managed care organization or pharmacy benefits manager that is contracted with the bureau to reimburse a claim for a long-acting injectable drug intended for treatment and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus and administered in a pharmacy, physician's office, clinic, ambulatory surgical treatment center, or hospital. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56 and Title 71.

Health Care - As introduced, exempts a nurse who provides home health services to four or less patients from hiring staff or maintaining an office in order to qualify for licensure as a home care organization by the health facilities commission; requires a nurse who does not hire staff or maintain an office to submit a request to the department of health for space at a location deemed appropriate by the department to securely store patient records. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Children - As introduced, requires certain commercial online platforms, websites, and applications to maintain a content moderation system that allows users to report material harmful to minors that is not properly marked or age-restricted; makes other changes related to platform content and minors. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 9 and Title 47, Chapter 18.

Employees, Employers - As introduced, requires private-sector employers to compensate employees for accumulated paid leave upon separation from service from employment. - Amends TCA Title 8 and Title 50, Chapter 2.

Professions and Occupations - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Professionals' Freedom of Religion Act." - Amends TCA Title 4.

Pensions and Retirement Benefits - As introduced, increases the employer contribution under the hybrid retirement plan from 5 percent to 10 percent for current members of the general assembly who have 10 years of creditable service on or after July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Section 8-36-916.

Housing - As introduced, provides for the regulation of accessory dwelling units. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 66 and Title 68.

Energy - As introduced, enacts the "Data Center, Artificial Intelligence, and Clean Transition Tariff Accountability Act." - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 65.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, requires certain food retail establishments to use a nondigital presentation of price; prohibits a food retail establishment from using personalized algorithmic pricing; makes other changes related to food retail establishments. - Amends TCA Title 47 and Title 53.

Children - As introduced, requires, in contested child custody, dependency and neglect, adoption, and guardianship proceedings in which the court has appointed a guardian ad litem, a court to order the child to be evaluated by a qualified expert unless the court determines an examination is unnecessary; requires the expert to submit a report containing certain information; specifies that the submitted report constitutes prima facie evidence of the child's condition and the factors relevant to the child's best interest; specifies various other requirements for the guardian ad litem's consideration of the report and the allocation of the examination costs. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, states that a person who has not been convicted of a violent, felony crime and who is lawfully able to own or to possess a firearm under the Constitution of Tennessee is considered to be individually licensed and verified by this state within the meaning of the provisions regarding individual licensure and verification in the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Computers and Electronic Processing - As introduced, requires high performance computing (HPC) facility operators to devote 50 percent of the computing and data processing output of the facility for a public benefit; requires HPC facility operators to produce an annual report of the facility's energy consumption and carbon footprint; requires such operators to conduct an annual internal compliance audit and submit to an audit upon request by certain governmental entities. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 68.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, requires health benefit plans entered into, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, to provide coverage for services related to acquired brain injury; requires the commissioner of commerce and insurance to promulgate rules to provide a process for an expedited appeal of an adverse determination related to such coverage. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 56 and Title 71.

Remedies and Special Proceedings - As introduced, prevents a receivership proceeding from interfering with the rights of a superior interest holder in property subject to the receivership absent the express consent of the superior interest holder. - Amends TCA Title 29.

Courts, Juvenile - As introduced, requires the department of children's services, and others, to provide certain information to court-appointed special advocates in order to provide judicial officers with the most comprehensive information to be used in the consideration of the placement and custody of a child. - Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 1, Part 1.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, entitles qualified law enforcement officers upon retirement or separation from service from their employing law enforcement agency to continue to maintain annual POST-certification upon meeting certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 8.

Real Property - As introduced, requires corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships that purchase or acquire residential rental property in this state to register the property with the secretary of state. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 47; Title 48; Title 61 and Title 66.

Local Government, General - As introduced, authorizes a municipality to create and require the use of a landlord registry for a real estate investment trust that owns, operates, or finances 10 or more dwelling units located within the municipality. - Amends TCA Title 66.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, requires the office of the attorney general and reporter to submit to the chair of the house committee having jurisdiction over consumer protection and the chair of the commerce and labor committee of the senate a report on the number of investigations into violations of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977 in which artificial intelligence was used to effectuate an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting the conduct of any trade or commerce between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2025; requires the report to be submitted no later than July 1, 2026; allows the report to be submitted electronically. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12; Title 39; Title 45; Title 47; Title 48; Title 50; Title 55; Title 61; Title 62; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires all ballots cast in an election to have a secure watermark; requires the official tabulation count of a ballot scanner to be based on the text or machine mark portion of a ballot; makes certain other changes related to ballots and elections; creates programs for the scanning and auditing of ballots. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires all ballots cast in an election to have a secure watermark; requires the official tabulation count of a ballot scanner to be based on the text or machine mark portion of a ballot; makes certain other changes related to ballots and elections; creates programs for the scanning and auditing of ballots. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "School Safety and Mental Health Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

Election Laws - As introduced, makes changes to the forms of identification used to verify a person's identity for voting purposes. - Amends TCA Title 2.

State Government - As introduced, directs the state capitol commission to be responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the monument to unborn children through funds appropriated to the commission. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 20; Title 29; Title 36; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 49; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, exempts an LEA or public charter school from having to assign a third-grade student who is not proficient in English language arts a tutor through the Tennessee accelerating literacy and learning corps if the state does not appropriate sufficient funds to allow each LEA and public charter school to provide the required tutoring; conditions the requirement that LEAs participate in the learning loss remediation and student acceleration program on the availability of state appropriations for the program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Election Laws - As introduced, reduces the period for early voting from 15 days to seven days. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Education - As introduced, creates the task force for educational leadership to publish a comprehensive plan for the state to assume full responsibility for education programs currently administered by the United States department of education; requires the department of education to conduct an inventory of all existing federal education programs and grants administered by the state; requires the attorney general and reporter to conduct a review of all state statutes and rules that reference or incorporate federal education statutes or regulations for purposes of implementing the comprehensive plan. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 49.

Election Laws - As introduced, repeals convenience voting; provides requirements for satellite voting locations during early voting. - Amends TCA Title 2.

School Vouchers - As introduced, changes the reporting date, from June 30 to June 15, by which each private school must provide the results of the tests that are required to be administered to recipients of an education freedom scholarship to the office of research and education accountability in the office of the comptroller of the treasury. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Children's Services, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to release certain information regarding providers that department contracts with to the public by January 1, 2027, and to publish monthly reports on its website on short-term or interim placements. - Amends TCA Title 37.

State Inmates - As introduced, requires the department of correction to keep a copy of each validated risk and needs assessment of each inmate under its supervision and control for the duration of the inmate's period of incarceration. - Amends TCA Title 41.