Tennessee Bills

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.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits a person or entity from distributing an electoral deepfake within 90 days of an election that the person or entity knows or should have known is a deceptive and fraudulent depiction of a candidate or political party; creates civil penalties and outlines exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Dept. of - As introduced, adds the legislative librarian to the list the department of mental health and substance abuse services must submit its quarterly report to on the implementation and impact of available suitable accommodations, including the number and length of any delayed admissions, in state owned or operated hospitals or treatment resources. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 52; Title 63 and Title 68.

Children - As introduced, establishes that children have equal protection under the law and possess fundamental rights to safety, protection from harm, and consideration of their best interests as the paramount concern in all legal proceedings, governmental actions, and policy decisions affecting their welfare. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires the department of transportation to study the development of a new bridge crossing the Mississippi River and connecting to Arkansas. - Amends TCA Title 54.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows certain searches of containers, packages, and certain enclosures used for storage by students or visitors to be conducted by a school employee who has been designated by the school principal to conduct such searches and who has completed an orientation and training program developed by the department of education. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires each county election commission to check each applicant with the systematic alien verification for entitlements (SAVE) program database prior to placing a registrant on the voter rolls in order to ensure non-United States citizens are not registered to vote in the county; requires, at least once each quarter, the county election commission to check the county's entire voter registration list through the SAVE program database to ensure that non-United States citizens are not on the voter rolls in the county. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee mRNA Pharmaceutical Sovereignty and Safety Act," which prohibits individuals, including professional providers of health care and veterinary medicine, from administering any vaccine or other injectable solution that contains an mRNA vaccine or vaccine material. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 37; Title 44; Title 47; Title 49; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Driver Licenses - As introduced, authorizes the department of safety to issue a for-hire endorsement to operate a Class D vehicle to an applicant who would otherwise qualify for a for-hire endorsement but for the requirement of at least two years of unrestricted driving prior to the date of application if the applicant has completed a sentence of incarceration after conviction for an offense and currently has a restricted license for unpaid fines and court costs and is making payments in accordance with a payment plan. - Amends TCA Title 55.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, creates a pathway for a person to obtain an alternative instructional leader license for purposes of serving as a principal, an assistant principal, or an instructional supervisor. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires directors of schools and directors of public charter schools to immediately notify all students, parents, educators, employees, and contractors of the local education agency or public charter school of the presence of an immigration officer on school grounds. - Amends Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6002 / HB 6001); and TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49.

Memorials, Congress - Urges Congress to rename Dogwood Lane on federal property at Mountain Home VA the"Congressman Phil Roe Boulevard." -

Finance and Administration, Dept. of - As introduced, allows the department, office of criminal justice programs, to use available existing resources to seek appropriate funding and resources from the federal and state governments to design and implement grants to reduce gun violence in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38; Title 39; Title 47 and Title 68.

Civil Procedure - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Foreign Law Non-Recognition Act." - Amends TCA Title 20 and Title 29.

Sentencing - As introduced, increases the penalty for failing to stop at the scene of an accident when the person knew or should reasonably have known that death resulted from the accident by requiring a mandatory period of confinement of not less than one year and a minimum fine of $10,000. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55.

Civil Procedure - As introduced, creates an affirmative defense that may be utilized by a covered entity that is the subject of a data breach, if the covered entity’s cybersecurity program meets certain criteria at the time the breach occurs. - Amends TCA Title 20; Title 29 and Title 47, Chapter 18.

Children - As introduced, deletes the responsibility of a parent or legal guardian to ensure that such person's child receives vaccines as recommended by guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the American Academy of Pediatrics. - Amends TCA Title 37.

Weakley County - Subject to local approval, increases, from 15¢ to 20¢, the mineral severance tax in accordance with statutory guidelines. - Amends Chapter 270 of the Private Acts of 1982.

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.

Elder Abuse - As introduced, extends from 10 to 20 days, the time within which a court must schedule a hearing on a petition to freeze the funds of a criminal defendant charged with financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult involving the taking more than $5,000 of property while the criminal proceeding is pending for purposes of restitution to the victim. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, extends from 90 to 120 days, the amount of time any confiscated or seized property that was used in the offense of engaging in camping on public property must be held by the agency or its agent in a secure location before the property is either claimed or disposed of, unless the property is needed for evidence in a criminal proceeding. - Amends TCA Title 13; Title 16; Title 33; Title 39 and Title 40.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires state and local criminal justice agencies to share all criminal justice data and records, including relevant personally identifying information and demographic information, held by that agency with a bona fide researcher for the purpose of facilitating and promoting criminal justice research. - Amends TCA Title 8 and Title 38.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, changes from February 1 to February 15, the date by which the Tennessee bureau of investigation must report to the judiciary committee of the senate and the criminal justice committee of the house of representatives the amount of any background check fees charged to gun dealers that exceeds the costs associated with conducting background checks. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49 and Title 65.

Memorials, Recognition - Gift Horse, Jessica Maloan Vastagh -

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Expresses opposition to The Boring Company's " Music City Loop" tunnel project in Davidson County. -

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Expresses support for the reconstruction of the Columbia Dam Project on the Duck River and recognizes it as a critical priority to establish an adequate water supply system for sustained growth, economic development, and recreational use. -

Memorials, Recognition - Tennessee Shelter Animal Awareness Month -

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.

Livestock - As introduced, broadens the definition of alternative livestock under the Tennessee Livestock Dealer Act to include non-traditional livestock without hooves. - Amends TCA Title 44, Chapter 10.

Solid Waste Disposal - As introduced, prohibits municipalities, counties, and other political subdivisions of this state from disposing, or contracting for the disposal of, solid waste in a landfill located outside their territorial boundaries unless the host county or host municipality in which the landfill is located has entered into a host community agreement approving such disposal; applies to all contracts entered into for the disposal of solid waste on or after July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 68, Chapter 211.

Solid Waste Disposal - As introduced, authorizes the department of environment and conservation to permit solid waste disposal systems to submit groundwater sampling reports in electronic format. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 11; Title 64; Title 67 and Title 68.

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

Schools, Charter - As introduced, prevents a public charter school that has had its charter agreement renewed on appeal by the Tennessee public charter school commission from mutually agreeing with the local board of education for the LEA in which the public charter school is located for the local board to serve as its authorizer; allows the commission to determine, between five and 10 years, the term of a charter agreement renewed by the commission instead of automatically assigning all charter agreements renewed by the commission a 10-year term. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "School Mental Health Transparency Act"; requires the department to consult relevant agencies to compile a list of mental health resources; requires public schools to use the department's list to compile lists of mental health resources available to enrolled students and provide the lists to students' parents; requires that lists of mental health resources be published on the website of the department and each public school. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 33 and Title 49.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, expands the authority for the department to set tolls to existing transportation facilities that are part of the state highway system or interstate and national defense highway system, located at the border of this state with another state, and where, on or after July 1, 2026, one or more new vehicle travel lanes are added to the facility or an HOV lane on the facility is converted to a high occupancy user fee lane. - Amends TCA Title 12; Title 54 and Title 55.

Tourism - As introduced, requires each local tourism development authority to file its annual report of its business affairs and transactions with the department of tourist development. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67.

Energy - As introduced, authorizes the state energy policy council to submit electronically its annual comprehensive reports on its assessment of the state's energy sector and comprehensive state energy policy plan to the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2; Title 4, Chapter 3 and Title 68, Chapter 204, Part 1.

Health Care - As introduced, creates the state uterine fibroids commission. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 63 and Title 68.

Energy - As introduced, removes restriction on the number of terms a member may serve on the state energy policy council. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2 and Title 68, Chapter 204.

Public Employees - As introduced, allows up to five days' leave for any eligible employee who is a foster parent or kinship caregiver regarding appearances in court or counseling sessions related to the placement of the foster child. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As introduced, removes provision that allows speakers to alternatively appoint a senator or representative whose district was in a central business improvement district as of January 1, 1999, as ex officio board of directors member. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 9, Chapter 21 and Title 67.

Zoning - As introduced, requires a person to reside in the county at least 12 months prior to being eligible to be appointed to a county board of zoning appeals. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12 and Title 13.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As introduced, requires notice to be published on the governing body's website for at least two weeks prior to the date set for a hearing on whether to create an airport authority. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 31; Title 7, Chapter 51; Title 42, Chapter 4 and Title 42, Chapter 3.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, compiles a list of certain training requirements and opportunities for certain school staff and volunteers; changes the required frequency for certain de-escalation training, child abuse training, and training on harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyberbullying policies. - Amends TCA Section 37-1-408; Title 49 and Section 68-6-103.

Human Resources, Department of - As introduced, urges the department to allocate a minimum of $16,000 annually in vocational rehabilitation funds for the purpose of supporting accessible information services for blind persons in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 71.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, authorizes a local board of education and public charter school governing body to employ or accept as a volunteer a school chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students, school staff, and students' parents. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, authorizes the commissioner to develop and maintain an essential buffer stock of necessary medicines and healthcare supplies to be distributed during a natural or man-made disaster, mass casualty event, or public health emergency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 53; Title 58; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

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

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.

Economic and Community Development - As introduced, creates a condition of eligibility for certain economic development incentives that employers certify that they pay employees working on the development project for which the incentive was granted at least $21.99 an hour beginning July 1, 2026, with annual adjustments thereafter by the commissioner of economic and community development based on the MIT living wage calculator; allows for recovering from employers found to be in violation of such wage requirements the incentives already provided. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 50.

Pharmacy, Pharmacists - As introduced, prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from certain listed actions, including modifying, restricting, or denying a medication ordered by a healthcare prescriber; requires that a request for a formulary exception or prior authorization be granted or denied by a pharmacy benefits manager within a specified amount of time or such request is deemed approved. - Amends TCA Title 53; Title 56; Title 63 and Title 71.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from reimbursing a contracted pharmacy for a prescription drug or device or a pharmacy service in an amount that is less than the greatest of certain listed amounts and makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 27; Title 56, Chapter 7 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits a pharmacy benefits manager from contracting with a state department, agency, or entity if the pharmacy benefits manager has been disciplined by the department of finance and administration or the department of commerce and insurance. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3; Title 8, Chapter 27; Title 56 and Title 71.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds insects to the offense of displaying, exhibiting, handling, or using a venomous or dangerous snake or reptile in a manner that endangers the life or health of another person. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Pensions and Retirement Benefits - As introduced, requires the board of trustees of TCRS to include in its annual report to the general assembly a certification of the amount of normal contributions, accumulated liability contributions, and cost of living contributions required from the employer to meet the funding needs of retirements for state judges and attorneys general participating in Groups 1, 3, and 4 of the consolidated retirement system. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 8.

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.

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

Women - As introduced, requires the department of health to maintain a database of demographic information of women diagnosed with uterine fibroids; requires the department to publish on its website existing resources and educational materials on uterine fibroids to increase public awareness of uterine fibroids and treatment options. - Amends TCA Title 68.

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.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, enacts "The Tennessee Safe Stores and Staffed Stores Act;" requires drug and food retail establishments using self-service checkout stations to maintain a minimum staffing ratio, limits self-service transactions to no more than 15 items, and prohibits the purchase of age-restricted or security-tagged merchandise at self-service checkout stations. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 50.