Tennessee Senate Bills

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, exempts from the state sales and use tax the retail sale of food and food ingredients that are voucher-eligible under the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, reduces the rate on the state sales tax on food and food ingredients from 4 percent to 2 percent of the sales price. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, exempts the retail sale of food and food ingredients from the sales and use tax when purchased by families with qualified dependents that meet certain household income requirements. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, adds certain definitions concerning precious metals; makes precious metal coins legal tender; prohibits a person from compelling another to accept precious metal coins as legal tender. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 1.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, enacts "The Mint Act," which establishes a precious metals enterprise fund to be administered by the state treasurer for the purpose of acquiring, converting, storing, and selling bullion and specie. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4.

TennCare - As introduced, increases from 67.5 percent to 110 percent the rate of reimbursement of the federal medicare program's allowable charges for participating providers the bureau shall reimburse an ambulance service provider; deletes the Ground Ambulance Service Provider Assessment Act. - Amends TCA Title 68 and Title 71.

Taxes, Ad Valorem - As introduced, changes the reimbursement amount for property tax relief for disabled veteran homeowners; increases the reimbursement amount from payment on the first $175,000 of the full market value of the home to payment on the first $200,000 of the full market value. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 7.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, establishes a sales tax holiday for the retail sale of firearms and ammunition during the period of July 3-6, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, reallocates the increase in the rate of sales and use tax from 6 percent to 7 percent pursuant to Chapter 856 of the Public Acts of 2002 by apportioning 4.6030 percent of such increase to municipalities. - Amends TCA Section 67-6-103.

Sentencing - As introduced, increases the penalty for leaving the scene of an accident resulting in injury from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony; increases the penalty for leaving the scene of an accident that the person knew or should reasonably have known resulted in death from a Class E felony to a Class D felony. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 55, Chapter 10.

Courts - As introduced, effective September 1, 2030, divides counties into five, instead of seven, different classes by population for the purpose of determining the compensation of general sessions and juvenile judges; revises provisions setting minimum salary requirements for general sessions and juvenile judges; establishes a county litigation tax on each civil, criminal, juvenile, and traffic case initiated in a general sessions or juvenile court to defray general sessions and juvenile judges' salaries; makes other related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 16, Chapter 15, Part 50.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, requires LEAs to classify school nurses as licensed personnel for salary purposes; requires an LEA to pay a school nurse the base salary established for licensed teachers for the respective school year in certain circumstances; requires an LEA to pay a school nurse more or less than the established base salary per school year if the nurse has more or less training and experience than that required for the base salary. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Civics Education Act," which requires persons seeking the first issuance of a practitioner teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license to achieve a passing score on a United States civics test prepared by the department of education in order to obtain the license. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, authorizes a county with a metropolitan government to levy a tax on the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption within the county at a rate less than the local option sales tax rate. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 67.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, exempts the retail sale of food and food ingredients from the sales and use tax when sold on the fifth day of any month. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

Claims Commission, Tennessee - As introduced, increases the amount for which the state may be liable for damages in causes of action arising in tort from $300,000 per claimant to $500,000 per claimant and from $1 million per occurrence to $1.5 million per occurrence. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 8 and Title 29.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires 95.3970 percent, instead of 100 percent, of sales and use tax revenue generated from the sale of new or used tires to be deposited in the highway fund; adds 95.3970 percent of sales and use tax revenue generated from the sale of new or used motor vehicles to be deposited in the highway fund; requires the remaining 4.6030 percent of such revenue to be allocated to the several incorporated municipalities; allocates single article sales tax collections on the retail sale of new or used motor vehicles to the highway fund. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 54; Title 55; Title 65 and Title 67.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for knowingly using an unmanned aircraft over any portion of a property that includes a correctional facility from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class C felony; authorizes a correctional facility employee to disable an unmanned aircraft that is operating over property that includes a correctional facility and states that the correctional facility and the correctional facility employee are not liable for damage to the unmanned aircraft as a result of being disabled. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for reckless endangerment when the offense is committed by discharging a firearm or antique firearm into a motor vehicle from a Class E felony to a Class C felony, if the motor vehicle is occupied, or a Class D felony, if the motor vehicle is unoccupied. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 1.

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.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, prohibits a court from assessing court costs against a defendant in a criminal proceeding if the defendant is found not guilty by a jury or by a judge following a bench trial on all charges for which the defendant was accused, the prosecution is dismissed or a nolle prosequi is entered by the state, or the charges against the defendant are dismissed by the court. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, allows a student who was ineligible for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman based on their high school grade point average or composite ACT score to regain their eligibility for the HOPE scholarship as a transfer student if the student meets certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, authorizes the commissioner to utilize Title V funds, to the extent permitted by federal law, to establish a program to provide funds to women whose pregnancies have ended in stillbirth for the purposes of offsetting burial or disposition costs of the stillborn child's remains and educational scholarships for such women; authorizes the commissioner to seek any necessary federal waiver or authorization to create such program. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, enacts the "Menstrual Hygiene Products Accessibility Act," which requires, instead of authorizes, LEAs and public charter schools to provide feminine hygiene products at no charge in all women's and girls' bathrooms, in all locker rooms, and with school nurses at each public senior high school for student use only. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 49 and Title 67.

State Inmates - As introduced, requires the state to pay for autopsies of deceased inmates and for any transportation associated with the autopsy. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 7; Title 41, Chapter 21 and Title 68, Chapter 4.

Autopsies - As introduced, requires the expenses of an autopsy ordered by a district attorney general to be paid by this state. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 7.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for aggravated cruelty to animals from a Class E felony to a Class D felony; adds aggravated cruelty to animals as an offense for which a juvenile may be classified as a serious youthful offender. - Amends TCA Title 37 and Title 39.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, restates the criminal offense of drag racing as street drag racing; expands the offense to include acts committed on commercial property; authorizes a vehicle used in the commission of the offense or to flee after commission of the offense to be impounded for the purpose of collecting evidence; makes various other changes regarding the offense of street drag racing. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 39; Title 40; Title 55 and Title 68.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts from sales and use tax labor and service costs made as part of the sale of a taxable item of tangible personal property; exempts from sales and use tax repair and installation labor performed on tangible personal property. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, expands eligibility for a dual enrollment grant to include students who are sophomores in high school and admitted to an eligible postsecondary institution as a dual enrollment student. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4.

Budget Procedures - As introduced, authorizes grant payments under the grant assistance program for nursing home care to be made either monthly or quarterly. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 10; Title 11; Title 12; Title 13; Title 16; Title 17; Title 18; Title 29; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 47; Title 48; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 54; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 58; Title 59; Title 60; Title 61; Title 62; Title 63; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70 and Title 71.

Budget Procedures - As introduced, deletes requirements that budget document includes personal income statement for calendar year 1977 and actual state appropriations for fiscal year 1977-1978. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4, Part 52.

Appropriations - As introduced, makes appropriations for the purpose of defraying the expenses of certain legislative enactments passed during the 2025 session of the 114th General Assembly; earmarks sufficient state funds for the purpose of funding any bill naming a highway or bridge in honor of a service member killed in action. -

Bond Issues - As introduced, authorizes the state, acting by resolution of its funding board, to issue and sell its bonds and bond anticipation notes for certain purposes. -

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to establish and administer a grant program to reimburse local education agencies, public charter schools, private schools, and medical first responders for the costs of anti-choking devices purchased by the local education agency, public charter school, private school, or medical first responder on or after July 1, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

Scholarships and Financial Aid - As introduced, adds Western Governors University as a postsecondary institution at which Tennessee resident students may be enrolled for purposes of receiving a Senator Ben Atchley opportunity grant. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 8.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts from the state sales and use tax the retail sale of food and food ingredients. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 3 and Title 67.

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, requires the department to create and maintain an informational tool on the department's website that provides data related to the presence of facilities that are required to submit toxic release inventory data to the environmental protection agency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 59; Title 60; Title 68 and Title 69.

Recreational Areas - As introduced, changes from January 8 to January 31 the date by which the executive director of the Tennessee wildlife resources agency must submit an annual report on the administration of Reelfoot Lake natural area. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 11; Section 28-3-117; Title 39 and Title 70, Chapter 5.

Controlled Substances - As introduced, removes Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and Tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCp) from the list of authorized hemp-derived cannabinoids. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4 and Title 43, Chapter 27.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts the sale or use of menstrual hygiene products from sales and use tax. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

Historical Sites and Preservation - As introduced, enacts the "African American Cultural and Historical Grant Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9 and Title 13.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, deletes obsolete language concerning a one-time sales tax holiday that occurred in August 2020. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts the retail sale of fresh, frozen, and canned fruit and vegetables for human consumption from the food retail sales tax. - Amends TCA Section 67-6-228.

Licenses - As introduced, enacts the "Ola Mae Ransom Reintegration Act," which exempts veterans of the United States military, including the national guard and reserves, from payment of the $15 fee for a business license. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67.

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, removes the requirement that a student with a documented intellectual disability be admitted to, and enrolled in, an eligible postsecondary institution in an eligible postsecondary program no later than 16 months after completing high school in order to be eligible to receive a Tennessee STEP UP scholarship. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 4.

Sexual Offenses - As introduced, establishes a sexual assault response team coordinator for the purpose of providing statewide training, support, and technical assistance to and oversight of sexual assault response teams. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 38.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts from sales tax, the first $20 of the sales price on a sale of tangible personal property paid for with physical cash declared legal tender, including gold and silver. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3.

Taxes - As introduced, adds the office of legislative budget analysis as a recipient of the annual report submitted by the commissioner of revenue to the members of the committees of the house of representatives and the senate with subject matter jurisdiction over finance-related matters on franchise and excise tax credits claimed under present law. - Amends TCA Title 55 and Title 67.

Taxes - As introduced, requires 50 percent of collections of the recordation tax levied on transfers of realty to be remitted to each county; requires counties to use such funds for transportation infrastructure, schools, and other nonrecurring expenses. - Amends TCA Section 67-4-409.

Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the institute of American civics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to develop materials and curricula for a course in a baccalaureate degree program including American government or American history; requires each student enrolled in a public institution of higher education to complete a course of instruction that includes such curricula prior to the student obtaining a baccalaureate degree. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

TennCare - As introduced, requires the director to take such actions as the director deems necessary to enable the bureau to make available to an enrollee in Part A of the Katie Beckett program the option to use the wraparound home- and community-based services funds allotted to the enrollee by means of a health reimbursement arrangement, including seeking a waiver amendment or new amendment. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, expands "law enforcement officer" to include a correctional officer employed by a county jail, the department of correction, or a private prison contractor and a probation or parole officer employed by the department of correction or a private probation provider for purposes of the offense of assault against a law enforcement officer. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 1.

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

Memorials, Recognition - Tennessee Society Sons of the American Revolution, 135th anniversary -

Memorials, Interns - Brant Edward Hall II -

Memorials, Recognition - Nicole Herschberger -

Memorials, Recognition - Kori Atkins, 2026 Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga Youth of the Year -

Memorials, Interns - Jasmine Heard -

Memorials, Interns - Amaya Garrett -