Tennessee Bills

Eminent Domain - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Just Compensation for Property Owners Act," which requires an airport authority that exercises eminent domain to acquire private property to pay enhanced damages and costs to the owner of the subject real property. - Amends TCA Title 29 and Title 42.

Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the governing board for each public institution of higher education to install and maintain a "Charlie Kirk Memorial Courtyard for Civil Debate" at the main campus of each public institution of higher education governed by the board. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

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.

State Employees - As introduced, enacts the "Parental Right to Participate in Schools Act," which entitles a state employee to up to 48 hours of annual paid or unpaid leave to attend school-related activities of a dependent child. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50.

Education, Higher - As introduced, allows a public institution of higher education to suspend a faculty member, including tenured faculty members, without pay during the pendency of any investigation or hearings conducted to determine whether adequate cause for the faculty member's termination exists; requires the president or chief executive officer for a public institution of higher education who is selected or appointed by the institution's governing board on or after July 1, 2026, to be confirmed by the senate and house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits an insurer from denying, conditioning the issuance or effectiveness of, or discriminating in the pricing of a medicare supplement policy if an applicant meets certain listed requirements, including a non-age eligible person who submits an application for enrollment in a medicare supplement policy with a different insurer within 60 days of such person's birthday and makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 56.

Health Care - As introduced, requires the board of medical examiners, board of nursing, and board of osteopathic examination to initiate a criminal background check for each applicant for a renewal of licensure. - Amends TCA Title 38 and Title 63.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, sets the value of residential property for tax purposes at the higher of the most recent price paid for the property or the value attributed to the property by a financial institution when the owner refinances the mortgage on the property or otherwise uses the property as collateral for a loan; prohibits the sale of real property used by the owner as a principal place of residence for 10 years or more to satisfy a tax debt. - Amends TCA Title 26 and Title 67.

Nuisances - As introduced, prohibits any cause of action for nuisance, taking, or another claim against a racing facility or racetrack by the owner of a surrounding real property if the racing facility or racetrack was built before the owner of the surrounding real property purchased the real property or built in the area of the racing facility or racetrack, regardless of the date on which the cause of action is alleged to have arisen; prohibits a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, or regulation that would restrict, limit, or prohibit the operation of a racing facility or racetrack in a manner inconsistent. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 29.

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.

State Government - As introduced, requires each state department and agency to post to the department's or agency's website the report provided annually to the general assembly that describes the department's or agency's progress in achieving economic efficiency. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits a person who is convicted of a felony from running for public office, regardless of whether the person receives a presidential pardon; prohibits a public employee from receiving retirement benefits from the Tennessee consolidated retirement system, any superseded retirement system, or any other public pension system, if such employee or official is convicted of a felony. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 8; Title 39 and Title 40.

Real Property - As introduced, increases, from 10 days to 10 business days, the time that a clerk and master has to send by certified mail a copy of the notice that the clerk and master has received a complaint of claim of abandoned mineral interest identifying the recipient as the owner of the mineral interest and that the interest will lapse in 60 days after publication of the complaint once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the mineral interest is located. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12; Title 13; Title 29; Title 54; Title 55; Title 59; Title 60; Title 66 and Title 68.

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.

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 an insurer from denying, conditioning the issuance or effectiveness of, or discriminating in the pricing of a medicare supplement policy if an applicant meets certain listed requirements, including a non-age eligible person who submits an application for enrollment in a medicare supplement policy with a different insurer within 60 days of such person's birthday and makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 56.

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.

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.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Vehicle Value Protection Product Act." - Amends TCA Title 47; Title 55 and Title 56.

Corporations, Not for Profit - As introduced, requires a nonprofit organization that receives state or federal grants to compile, maintain, and publish in a publicly available location the salaries of the nonprofit organization's employees. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 35; Title 48 and Title 50.

Local Government, General - As introduced, deletes the provision that classifies a local government official's affirmative vote for adoption of a prohibited sanctuary policy as a Class E felony. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 8.

Codes - As introduced, revises authority of state fire marshal to prescribe rules relating to minimum statewide building construction safety standards, specifically for fire prevention for multi-family dwelling units. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 120.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, increases, from 15 to 20, the number of calendar days that may pass from the actual date specified in the first notice after a person responsible for excavation or demolition has given the notice of the intent to excavate or demolish before the person is required to serve additional notice if the excavation or demolition has not yet been completed; makes other changes to the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act. - Amends TCA Title 65, Chapter 31, Part 1.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, reduces from 15 to 10 days, the time within which a person licensed to provide deferred presentment services must file a written report with the commissioner of financial institutions following the occurrence of the filing for bankruptcy or reorganization; the institution of revocation or suspension proceedings by any state or governmental authority; the denial of the opportunity to engage in deferred presentment services by any state or governmental authority; any felony indictment or conviction of the licensee or any of its directors, officers, or principals; and other events that the commissioner may determine and identify by rule. - Amends TCA Title 45 and Title 47.

Employees, Employers - As introduced, requires employers that condition employment or prospective employment upon an employee or prospective employee submitting to a mental health evaluation to grant the employee or prospective employee reasonable access to the results of the mental health evaluation, including any report from a mental health professional or other evaluator; provides a private right of action for an employee or prospective employee who is denied such access. - Amends TCA Title 8 and Title 50.

Trade Regulation - As introduced, enacts the "Stop Rent Rigging Act." - Amends TCA Title 47 and Title 66.

Banks and Financial Institutions - As introduced, increases, from 60 to 70 days, the time within which, after the end of the calendar year, the commissioner of financial institutions must submit the department's annual report to the governor. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 35; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 48; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 61; Title 62; Title 63; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

Taxes, Ad Valorem - As introduced, requires the notification submitted by the director of the division of property assessments to the commissioner of finance and administration of the default by a county or city in the repayment of a loan provided by the state to finance the city's or county's real property reappraisal program to be in writing. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Education, Higher - As introduced, prohibits imposing liability against a higher education institution for negligence in admitting, enrolling, or extending housing opportunities to a person who has been previously convicted of a criminal offense based solely upon the previous criminal conviction; prohibits use of the person's prior criminal record as evidence in a cause of action against a higher education institution for negligence in admitting, enrolling, or extending housing opportunities to the person. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 28; Title 29; Title 40 and Title 49.

Unclaimed Property - As introduced, allows the treasurer to file the annual report regarding the total amount and value of abandoned or unclaimed property with certain executive and legislative branch officials electronically. - Amends TCA Title 66.

Probation and Parole - As introduced, permits a trial judge to revoke a defendant's probation for a felony or misdemeanor based on one instance of technical violation; extends the permitted terms of incarceration a court may impose for a technical violation to 90 days for a first revocation, 180 days for a second revocation, and the remainder of the sentence for a third or subsequent revocation. - Amends TCA Title 40.

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.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, removes the requirement for a petitioner for restoration of citizenship or an applicant for a certificate of employability to pay the costs of the proceedings; makes other changes to the process for restoration of citizenship. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 29.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits a health insurance issuer or managed health insurance issuer from reimbursing for testing services a medical laboratory that is eligible to participate as an in-network participating provider at a rate less than the CMS clinical laboratory fee schedule for medical labs in this state; permits a managed health insurance issuer to require such lab to meet the performance metrics required of in-network labs. - Amends TCA Title 56, Chapter 7, Part 23.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, prohibits a city or county collecting official from requiring a taxpayer to pay the full tax due for an assessment for which an appeal is pending before the county or state boards of equalization. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, requires certain data centers to register with the Tennessee public utilities commission; requires electric and water utilities that provide service to registered data centers to report usage and rates to the commission; requires the commission's executive director to compile and publish certain information based on reports received from utilities. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 10; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

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.

Landlord and Tenant - As introduced, changes, from three days to three business days from the date written notice is received by a tenant, the date on which a landlord may terminate a rental agreement if the tenant or another person on the premises with the tenant's consent willfully or intentionally commits a violent act; behaves in a manner which constitutes or threatens to be a real and present danger to the health, safety, or welfare of the life or property of other tenants or persons on the premises; creates a hazardous or unsanitary condition on the property that affects the health, safety, or welfare or the life or property of other tenants or persons on the premises; or refuses to vacate the premises after entering the premises as an unauthorized subtenant or other unauthorized occupant. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 56; Title 62; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article XI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Tennessee, to allow for bingo games conducted by 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organizations to meet a charitable, nonprofit, or community service purpose. -

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to develop or approve a policy allowing for the retake of a TCAP test, including each end-of-course assessment, if the administration of one or more of the state-mandated TCAP tests is interrupted due to an act of God or other circumstance beyond the control of the school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires an LEA in which a child care facility operates to submit a comprehensive list of all underutilized or vacant property to the department of human services and the comptroller of the treasury and to make the list available to each child care facility operating in the LEA; grants certain owners of a child care facility that operates in an LEA a first or second right of refusal to lease or purchase underutilized or vacant property listed by the LEA. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 71.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts the sale or use of feminine hygiene products from sales and use tax; directs the department of education to ensure feminine hygiene products are placed into and made available to students for free in a public school upon the request of a public school administrator, board, or director of schools. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 49 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

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.

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, authorizes the issuance of a retail package store license to an operator within the general services district of a metropolitan government that has approved the retail sale of liquor for off-premises consumption by local option election. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 57.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As introduced, authorizes the use of unexpended campaign funds by an officeholder to procure home security equipment and monitoring services for the officeholder's personal residence. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows time spent by students in a physical education class to meet physical activity time requirements if the students are physically active in the class; clarifies that physical activity may include structured movement breaks; allows a teacher to prevent a student from participating in unstructured play and to assign activities to students during periods of physical activity to improve or correct student behavior. - 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.

Abortion - As introduced, specifies that the offense of criminal abortion does not include an abortion that was necessary due to a medical emergency affecting the physical or mental health of the pregnant person or performed on a patient whose pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15; Title 63 and Title 68.

Gaming - As introduced, requires a licensee offering interactive sports wagering in this state to restrict access to such wagering on certain campuses of public institutions of higher education; requires certain public institutions of higher education to restrict internet access to interactive sports wagering on campus. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49, Part 1 and Title 49.

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.

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, requires each officer who takes possession of intoxicating liquor to file within 10 days, rather than five days, a written statement with the circuit or criminal court clerk identifying the kind and quantity of the liquor taken, and from whom the liquor was taken, if known. - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.

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.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, urges the comptroller of the treasury to study the feasibility and potential impacts of establishing the value of all residential property as the most recent price paid for the property in lieu of assessors of property appraising the value through the use of assessment manuals; requires a report, if the study is conducted, to be submitted to the finance, ways and means committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over finance matters. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5.

Law Enforcement - As introduced, requires an employing law enforcement agency to contact any prior law enforcement agency that employed the agency's officer or special deputy as part of the thorough investigation into the person's good moral character. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 8.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates an offense for a vape shop retailer, or a distributor, wholesaler, or importer, who sells or offers for sale a vapor product for retail sale in this state to sell nitrous oxides. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 57, Chapter 7 and Title 67.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, lowers from 20 days to 15 days the notice of a hearing on a petition for restoration of rights of citizenship that must be given to the district attorney general of the county in which the petitioner currently resides and the district attorney general of the county in which the petitioner was convicted in order that, if deemed advisable, each may resist. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 22; Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40.

Bristol - Subject to local approval, revises election provisions for city council and the board of education to comply with changes to general election law; reduces the time after final passage for an ordinance to take effect from 17 days to seven days; changes the due dates for property taxes; creates a department of education. - Amends Chapter 84 of the Private Acts of 1991; as amended.

Banks and Financial Institutions - As introduced, increases, from 60 to 70 days, the time within which, after the end of the calendar year, the commissioner of financial institutions must submit the department's annual report to the governor. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 35; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 48; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 61; Title 62; Title 63; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, during a five-year period, authorizes excise and franchise tax credit for businesses that make monetary contributions to eligible charitable organizations approved by the governor's office of faith-based and community initiatives. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Recognizes importance of substance abuse prevention education. -