Tennessee Senate Bills

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, adds certain criminal offenses to the list of dangerous felonies for purposes of the offense of possessing a firearm or antique firearm during commission or attempt to commit a dangerous felony. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Firearms and Ammunition - As enacted, expands the definition of "machine gun" to include any part, or combination of parts, designed and intended solely for use in converting a firearm into a machine gun; increases the classification for the intentional or knowing possession, manufacture, transport, repair, or sale of a machine gun from a Class E to a Class C felony; reclassifies certain other offenses involving the possession of firearm or handgun ammunition; makes a defendant ineligible for parole if convicted of aggravated assault that involved the use of a firearm from within a motor vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Wine & Wineries - As enacted, exempts the sale of wine for consumption on the premises of a winery or farm wine producer, including the premises of a satellite facility, including tastings and sealed bottles sold at retail for consumption on the premises, from the liquor-by-the-drink tax on alcoholic beverages. - Amends TCA Section 57-3-207.

County Officers - As enacted, revises present law relative to constables. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 10 and Title 38, Chapter 8.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As enacted, prohibits political campaign committees formed to support or oppose a measure from receiving, soliciting, or accepting contributions or expenditures from a foreign national; requires such political campaign committees and persons making independent expenditures supporting or opposing a measure to file certain disclosures regarding funding sources with the registry of election finance. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

Schools, Charter - As enacted, permits a public charter school authorized in the county local education agency for a county in which only one city school system operates to use available buildings or facilities located within the geographic boundaries of the city school system located in the same county if certain conditions are met. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Employees, Employers - As introduced, requires a person who employs an unemancipated minor and who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that the minor has been subjected to child sexual abuse or attempted child sexual abuse in the course of the minor’s employment or on the premises of the employer to report such knowledge or suspicion to the minor’s parent within 24 hours of discovering the abuse or attempted abuse; imposes a penalty of $1,000 for a first violation or $2,000 for a second or subsequent violation, to be paid to the commissioner of labor and workforce development. - Amends TCA Title 37 and Title 50.

Education - As enacted, creates a federal education deregulation cooperation task force to prepare Tennessee for the potential of deregulation of federal laws, regulations, requirements, and guidance for K-12 education. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As enacted, prohibits a public school, LEA, or teacher, employee, or contractor of a public school or LEA from requiring a student, teacher, employee, or contractor of the public school or LEA to provide the individual's preferred pronouns; makes related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49.

Boards and Commissions - As enacted, makes various revisions to the governing boards of public higher education institutions. -

DUI Offenses - As enacted, creates a distance to drive program study committee to help determine the feasibility of implementing a distance to drive program that would facilitate reinstatement of suspended and revoked driver licenses for criminal defendants based on meeting the objectives set by the court and completing all the requirements set by the department of safety. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55.

Food and Food Products - As enacted, prohibits labeling a cell-cultured food product as meat or a meat food product. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 39; Title 40; Title 43; Title 44; Title 47 and Title 53.

Taxes, Sales - As enacted, sets the end date at June 30, 2027, for the exemption from sales and use tax for purchases and leases of equipment and infrastructure used to produce broadband communications services or provide internet access. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3.

Education - As enacted, changes the standard for entry-resistant window treatment for school buildings constructed or remodeled on or after July 1, 2025; requires the state-level school safety team to issue guidelines to the state fire marshal for inclusion in rules. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 8.

Health Care - As enacted, revises present law relative to a patient's electronic health record and requires a health insurance entity to establish and maintain a provider access API and a prior authorization API; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 47; Title 56; Title 63 and Title 68.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, removes the aggregate penalty limits for violations of law concerning pharmacy benefits managers; provides that a pharmacy benefits manager regulated under law relative to pharmacy benefits managers is subject to the insurance laws relative to timely reimbursement of health insurance claims and its requirements for timing of payments to pharmacists; provides that a violation of the prompt pay standards is governed by the penalties set out in insurance laws relative to timely reimbursement of health insurance claims. - Amends TCA Title 56.

General Assembly, Directed Studies - As enacted, directs TACIR to conduct a study and prepare a report on recommendations on the continuum of care in this state and how the continuum of care can be improved; requires the study and report to survey the continuum of care in other states and compare such care to the continuum of care in this state; requires TACIR to submit the report. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Licenses - As enacted, creates a bait privilege license to allow hunting or taking of whitetail deer using bait on privately owned or privately leased land. - Amends TCA Title 70.

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission - As enacted, directs the commission to promulgate rules to create and issue guide licenses for persons who work as guides at Reelfoot Lake. - Amends TCA Title 11, Chapter 14, Part 1 and Title 70.

Housing - As enacted, authorizes any county having made loans in excess of the amount of funds in the initial capitalization of the loan fund pool for the county to terminate its participation in the homebuyers' revolving loan fund pool with notice to the Tennessee housing development agency and to retain all funds, including any funds used for initial capitalization or interest earnings on repayments. - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 23.

Real Property - As enacted, expands the purposes for which monies in the wetland acquisition fund may be used. - Amends TCA Section 67-4-409.

Planning, Public - As enacted, specifies that the vesting period established for a construction project or development plan does not expire because of pending litigation challenging a permit; specifies that the vesting period is tolled while such litigation is pending. - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 3; Title 13, Chapter 4 and Title 13, Chapter 7.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, makes the offense of possession of a used, detached catalytic converter by an unauthorized person punishable by a term of imprisonment not greater than 11 months, 29 days; a fine not to exceed $2,500; or both, instead of only subject to a fine. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39; Title 55 and Title 62.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As enacted, requires TACIR to study sustainable funding sources that meet this state's future transportation infrastructure needs and submit its recommendations. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 54 and Title 55.

Water Pollution - As enacted, requires the division of water resources in the department of environment and conservation, in collaboration with U.S. army corps of engineers, as necessary, to annually report information concerning compensatory mitigation provisions in aquatic resource alteration permits issued during the prior fiscal year to the governor, the comptroller of the treasury, and the chairpersons of the commerce committees; and to establish four categories of isolated wetlands for regulatory purposes; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 11, Chapter 14, Part 4; Title 66; Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 4 and Title 69.

Correction, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to pay from existing budgeted funds a monthly amount to a department employee for the medical care of a retired canine that served the department if the canine is given to the care and custody of the employee. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Nurses, Nursing - As enacted, requires the board of nursing to permit a student to enroll in a practical nursing program offered by a public institution of higher education governed by the Tennessee board of regents if the student meets the qualifications for a high school diploma or its equivalent and meets other requirements; requires the board of nursing to permit a student enrolled in a practical nursing program to sit for the national council licensure exam for practical nurses (NCLEX-PN) upon completion of a practical nursing program. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 63.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As enacted, revises present law to designate as a political campaign committee for purposes of reporting expenditures pursuant to campaign finance laws a corporation that uses corporate funds, moneys, or credits for communications expressly supporting or opposing the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or elected official, and such funds, moneys, or credits are not used with the cooperation or with the prior consent of, or in consultation with, or at the request of, or suggestion of, a candidate or elected official or any agent or authorized committee of the candidate or elected official. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

Education - As enacted, requires the department of education to develop guidelines and criteria for determining how long a student must have been present in a teacher's classroom before the student's record is attributable to the teacher for purposes of evaluating the teacher; authorizes an LEA or public charter school to compensate the estate of a teacher who, on the teacher's death, was in the employ of the LEA or public charter school for the teacher's unused and accrued annual and sick leave in the same manner that the estates of deceased state employees are compensated under present law. - Amends Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and TCA Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8 and Title 49.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, clarifies that a person commits the offense of unlawful exposure by distributing a private, intimate image of another identifiable person with intent to cause emotional distress, regardless of whether the person who distributes the image was a party to the original agreement or understanding that the image would remain private. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17.

Food and Food Products - As enacted, adds certain conditions in order to produce and sell homemade food items. - Amends TCA Title 53 and Title 68, Chapter 14, Part 7.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, decreases from 0.20 to 0.15 percent the minimum weight of alcohol concentration in a defendant's blood or breath as an element of the offense of aggravated vehicular assault and in a defendant's blood as an element of the offense of aggravated vehicular homicide. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

Solid Waste Disposal - As enacted, creates the advisory task force on solid waste to examine and review issues related to solid waste; authorizes the department of environment and conservation to accept voluntary contributions, and to apply for grants, from private companies for grants for recycling infrastructure, recycling projects, and composting. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 11; Title 13; Title 20; Title 28; Title 39; Title 49; Title 54; Title 55; Title 59; Title 62; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 69.

Animal Cruelty and Abuse - As enacted, prohibits the abandonment of an animal in a person's custody and provides that it is not a defense to prosecution that the person abandoned the animal at or near an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, or other place of shelter if the person did not make reasonable arrangements for the care of the animal. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 2.

Education, Curriculum - As enacted, requires the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission, in consultation with the department of education, to develop a plan for the commission to review and submit to the state board of education for approval of electronic textbooks and instructional materials for use by virtual schools established by LEAs. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As enacted, creates an advisory committee on innovations in K-12 education. - Amends TCA Title 8 and Title 49.

State Employees - As enacted, classifies as state employees for purposes of defense and other related provisions, soil and water conservation district board of supervisors, employees, officers, and agents, and persons designated by a soil and water conservation district as participants in volunteer programs authorized by such districts. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 42 and Title 9, Chapter 8.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates the offense of human smuggling; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Salaries and Benefits - As enacted, grants eligible employees leave of up to six workweeks because the employee is caring for a family member with a serious health condition. - Amends TCA Section 8-50-813.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates new misdemeanor offenses, including intentionally giving a false or fictitious name to a law enforcement officer who has lawfully detained or arrested such person. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 54 and Title 55.

Firefighters - As enacted, adds prostate cancer, breast cancer, and pancreatic cancer to the list of cancers for which a presumption is created that certain conditions or impairments of full-time firefighters caused by prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, or other listed cancers arose out of employment unless the contrary is shown by competent medical evidence. - Amends TCA Section 7-51-201.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, expands the criminal offense of harassment to include harassment that occurs by communicating in the physical presence of the victim, in addition to in writing, by telephone, or electronically. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Naming and Designating - As enacted, designates the National Guard Armory in Cheatham County as the "First Sergeant Charles Anderson Douglas National Guard Armory." -

Children - As enacted, increases the age of an infant from 14 days or younger to 45 days or younger who can be received by a facility without the mother being subject to criminal liability. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 2.

Education, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to convene a working group to study and develop best practices, strategies, and programming for English language learner (EL) educators in this state to utilize in educating EL students enrolled in a public school in this state in any of the grades K-12. - Amends TCA Title 49.

General Assembly, Directed Studies - As enacted, requires TACIR to study the availability of housing and other treatment facilities for juvenile offenders who have been adjudicated delinquent and committed to the department of children's services, and the availability of local juvenile detention centers and other facilities for the housing and treatment of juvenile offenders who have been detained by the juvenile court prior to an adjudicatory hearing; requires TACIR to report its findings and recommendations. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40.

State Government - As enacted, creates the conservatorship management task force. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 34 and Title 71, Chapter 2.

Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies - As enacted, requires TACIR to conduct a study on the feasibility of implementing and potential effects of enacting the insurance coverage requirements proposed in Senate Bill 231 of the 114th General Assembly, as originally filed; requires TACIR to publish a report of its findings and recommendations. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As enacted, makes various changes to campaign finance laws and related laws. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 3 and Title 67.

Juvenile Offenders - As enacted, permits a court to use juvenile court records, including the disposition and evidence, in pretrial reports used to set bond for certain criminal offenses; requires the magistrate to consider the defendant's prior juvenile record in determining the defendant's risk of danger to the community. - Amends TCA Title 37 and Title 40.

Agriculture, Dept. of - As enacted, establishes a fund for the development and implementation of programs that benefit Tennesseans by preserving farmland and forestland, including a grant program for conservation easements. - Amends TCA Title 43, Chapter 1, Part 1.

Local Government, General - As enacted, requires TACIR to study the economic impact on local jurisdictions that are required to provide ambulance services and emergency and non-emergency transport reimbursement; requires TACIR to submit a report of the findings and recommendations. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 61.

Highway Signs - As enacted, requires the department of transportation to install signs or markers displaying language or an appropriate symbol indicating to motorists that a rest area or welcome center has a family restroom; requires the department to post on its website rest areas and welcome centers that have family restrooms. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3; Title 12 and Title 54.

Driver Licenses - As enacted, requires written examinations administered to applicants for a driver license or intermediate driver license to include questions concerning hand signals used by operators of bicycles to communicate turning, slowing, and stopping. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50.

Game and Fish Laws - As enacted, increases the criminal classification for hunting on the land of another without permission from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by a fine only, not to exceed $500 per violation. - Amends TCA Title 70.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates an offense for a person who harms or threatens to harm an individual involved in the judicial process or a family member of such person with the intent to impede, intimidate, interfere with, or retaliate against the justice system participant in connection with their participation in the judicial process, punishable as a Class E felony. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 16.

Local Government, General - As enacted, authorizes a member of a local government's legislative body to participate in a scheduled meeting by electronic means if the member is dealing with a family or medical emergency, has been called into military service, or is unable to attend in person due to inclement weather. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 8, Chapter 44.

Education, Higher - As enacted, authorizes, subject to appropriation, an institution of higher education to request to redirect the institution's capital outlay funds for purposes other than those set out in the 2022 appropriations act; makes related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 10; Title 12; Title 49; Title 66 and Title 67.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates a civil and criminal action for individuals who are the subject of an intimate digital depiction that is intentionally disclosed without the individual's consent under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 28 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

Real Property - As enacted, creates a vested property right upon the submission, rather than the approval, of a development plan or building permit; specifies that the vesting period applicable when it is based on the submission of a building permit is three years. - Amends TCA Title 13.