Tennessee Senate Bills

TennCare - As introduced, authorizes the comptroller of the treasury to submit the annual actuarial study of the TennCare program and participating managed care organizations, along with any related oral and written comments, to the designated legislative committees and offices in an electronic format. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Banks and Financial Institutions - As introduced, prohibits a bank from digitizing or otherwise converting money held by the bank on behalf of a consumer into a digital currency, digital medium of exchange, or digital monetary unit of account, including cryptocurrency, without express, written authorization from the consumer for whom the money is held. - Amends TCA Title 45.

Salaries and Benefits - As introduced, requires employers to pay employees an hourly wage of at least $20 beginning January 1, 2027, with annual adjustments by the commissioner of labor and workforce development based on increases in the consumer price index; establishes posting mandates, civil liability for violations, and a two-to-three-year statute of limitations for recovery actions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 9; Title 13; Title 29; Title 47; Title 50; Title 57; Title 58; Title 65; Title 67 and Title 68.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, removes an obsolete reference to reimbursement requirements related to anatomic pathology services applying to anatomic pathology services billed by gastroenterologists only applying on and after July 1, 2014. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 47; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Fire Prevention and Investigation - As introduced, requires the state fire marshal, in addition to the present law requirement of being available for the training of owners of educational and institutional occupancies, their tenants, or employees in methods of fire drills, to make available on the state fire marshal's website training materials to assist in such training. - Amends TCA Title 68.

Employees, Employers - As introduced, creates the "Anti-Retaliation for Reporting Unsafe Work Act." - Amends TCA Title 50.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As introduced, increases from 15 to 30 days, the time before the originally scheduled health facilities commission meeting at which an applicant's certificate of need application is to be heard by the commission by which a healthcare institution wishing to oppose such application must file written notice with the commission, and about which the applicant's published letter of intent in a newspaper of general circulation in the proposed service area of the project must contain a statement of notice. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68, Title 71 and Chapter 985 of the Public Acts of 2024.

Uniform Commercial Code - As introduced, changes, from the local law of the securities intermediary's jurisdiction to the law of this state, the law governing certain aspects of an investment security transaction; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 47.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, authorizes the attorney general to establish a do not call registry; places certain restrictions upon telephone solicitations and robocallers; authorizes the attorney general to enforce restrictions and sets monetary amounts for penalties imposed by a court that makes a finding of a violation. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 47 and Title 65.

Health Care - As introduced, authorizes electronic filing of the annual report by a sponsoring not-for-profit corporation providing healthcare services to low income individuals pursuant to the Memphis Plan Act of 1991, with the commissioner of commerce and insurance. - Amends TCA Title 56, Chapter 7.

Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies - As introduced, establishes the Tennessee commission of insurance review; prohibits a health insurance entity from offering or maintaining a health benefit plan that uses downcoding in a manner that prevents the provider from collecting the fee for actual services performed either from the health benefit plan or the patient; makes other changes related to health insurance and health insurers. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 56 and Title 71.

Business Organizations - As introduced, requires the comptroller of the treasury to submit a report, on or before December 31, 2026, to the governor, the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the chair of the state and local government committee of the senate, and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over housing containing a summary of certain de-identified information related to real estate investment trusts' purchases and sales of single-family homes in this state in 2025. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 47; Title 48; Title 61; Title 66 and Title 67.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, prohibits a person from requiring another to use programmable money for a transaction; prohibits an issuer of programmable money from denying a transaction based upon certain factors; requires an issuer of programmable money that denies a transaction to provide reasons for the denial to the affected party upon request; designates violations to be violations of the Consumer Protection Act of 1977 and provides for other forms of relief and enforcement. - Amends TCA Title 47.

Public Utility Commission - As introduced, authorizes the commission to electronically provide to the general assembly its annual report of all matters relating to the commissioner's office for the preceding year, including practical workings of companies under its jurisdiction in this state and an abstract of the minutes of all of the commission's meetings. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 13; Title 54; Title 64; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to conduct a study on health concerns of, and identifying obstacles for receiving better care for, persons whose biological sex is female; requires the department to submit a report to the members of the general assembly on the results of the study on or before January 1, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 28; Title 29; Title 49; Title 56; Title 63 and Title 68.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, creates the "Regulate Artificial Intelligence (AI) In Health Care Act." - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 27; Title 56 and Title 71.

Disability and Aging, Dept. Of - As introduced, creates a licensure process for prescribed pediatric extended care programs; requires TennCare to submit a waiver to the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services seeking approval to provide coverage and benefits for those who receive services from a prescribed pediatric extended care program. - Amends TCA Title 52; Title 56 and Title 71.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Transactional Gold and Silver Act," which recognizes gold and silver as legal tender for private transactions and, when accepted, for paying state and local taxes or fees; authorizes the creation of a secure bullion depository and an electronic payment system to support the use of gold and silver; exempts gold and silver transactions from state and local taxation. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, prohibits an entity from setting the price of a specific good or service using personalized algorithmic pricing; designates a violation as an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting trade or commerce in violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 45; Title 47 and Title 66.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, directs the commissioner of commerce and insurance to publish and submit to the general assembly on or before October 1, 2026, a report containing data on alleged statutory violations by pharmacy benefits managers during the previous fiscal year for failing to meet requirements for timely reimbursements to pharmacies; the report must include data on the number of alleged violations reported, the commissioner's findings from any ensuing investigations, and any penalties imposed for findings of violations. - Amends TCA Title 56, Chapter 7, Part 31 and Title 56, Chapter 7, Part 32.

Commerce and Insurance, Dept. of - As introduced, extends from 30 days to 30 business days the period of time within which an insurer must respond to the department's request for information in regard to a complaint filed against the insurer. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 39; Title 52; Title 56; Title 58; Title 68 and Title 71.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits an out-of-network ambulance service provider from balance billing an enrollee in a health benefit plan for emergency ambulance services; establishes allowable billable costs for such services. - Amends TCA Title 56, Chapter 7 and Title 68, Chapter 140.

Economic and Community Development - As introduced, enacts the "Small Business Growth and Empowerment Act"; authorizes business tax credits for small businesses hiring locally or providing workforce training; creates grants for minority-owned and women-owned businesses in underserved areas. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 7 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

Memorials, Recognition - Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, 225th anniversary -

Naming and Designating - Designates Miiss Tennessee as an official ambassador for the State of Tennessee. -

Taxes - As introduced, clarifies that the monthly list of taxpayers delinquent in paying professional privilege tax that the commissioner of revenue transmits to licensing boards and agencies is subject to such restrictions on use as determined by the commissioner. - Amends TCA Title 67.

Landlord and Tenant - As enacted, generally restricts a landlord from prohibiting a residential tenant from lawfully possessing, carrying, transporting, or storing a firearm, any part of a firearm, or firearm ammunition in the tenant's residential property; a vehicle located in a parking area provided for tenants or tenants' guests; or other locations controlled by the landlord necessary to enter or exit any such location in leases entered into, amended, extended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 66.

Election Laws - As enacted, revises present law that prohibits a person convicted of an infamous crime after May 18, 1981, from being eligible to have the right to vote restored unless the person meets certain requirements, including having been compliant with all child support orders for the previous 12 months, including orders related to child support arrearages. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, clarifies that a school employee does not commit the criminal offense of falsifying educational and academic documents for altering, creating, or duplicating the grade of a student in an educational or academic document if the alteration, creation, or duplication is due to the student obtaining the grade through a program that allows students to retake a failed course, exam, or assignment and earn credit. - Amends TCA Section 39-14-136 and Title 49.

Taxes - As introduced, requires every taxpayer eligible for an excise tax exemption under present law to file the application for, or renewal of, the exemption on or before the 20th day, instead of the 15th day, of the fourth month following the close of the first tax year for which the person claims the exemption. - Amends TCA Title 67.

Traffic Safety - As enacted, exempts utility terrain vehicles being operated for agricultural purposes from the restriction that such vehicles are authorized to operate only on certain state highways and county roads with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less. - Amends TCA Section 55-8-185.

Human Rights - As enacted, repeals rules transferred from the defunct human rights commission to the attorney general and reporter; clarifies that complaints filed with the attorney general pursuant to a human rights investigation must not be produced for inspection by or disclosed to a person, other than an authorized representative of the attorney general, without the consent of the person who filed the complaint. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21.

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, authorizes enforcement of a garagekeeper's lien on a motor vehicle that was stored for the purpose of repairs without express written authorization from the owner for such storage if the garagekeeper makes a good faith attempt to acquire consent prior to repairs and provides notice to the owner by certified mail. - Amends TCA Title 47; Title 55, Chapter 31 and Title 66, Chapter 19.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, clarifies that commissioners for utility districts created pursuant to the Utility District Law of 1937 in Gibson County are not prohibited from serving more than two consecutive terms. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 82, Part 3.

State Government - As enacted, clarifies that the four trustees for other post-employment benefits may appoint a designee in their absence. - Amends TCA Section 8-27-801.

Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, requires the bureau of TennCare to biannually publish two comprehensive statewide data reports on the use of psychotropic medications and the psychotropic medications' associated costs with certain list categories and data points that must be included in each report. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 68 and Title 71.

Employees, Employers - As enacted, exempts from the requirement that wages earned by employees in private employment are due and payable no later than the fifth day of the succeeding month those employees who are employed on a piece-work or commission basis, and requires that compensation for such employees is due and payable by the last day of the succeeding month; makes certain other changes relative to employee compensation. - Amends TCA Title 50, Chapter 2, Part 1.

Pensions and Retirement Benefits - As enacted, revises provisions relating to the production of documents in certain proceedings relating to the retirement of a member of the Tennessee consolidated retirement system (TCRS); revises provisions relating to the temporary reemployment of such a member upon retirement. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 25; Title 8, Chapter 34; Title 8, Chapter 35 and Title 8, Chapter 36.

Appropriations - As introduced, prohibits this state from obligating, appropriating, or otherwise expending state funds, personnel, or other state resources to support any United States immigration and customs enforcement activities in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 10; Title 4, Chapter 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 38 and Title 39.

Landlord and Tenant - As enacted, prohibits certain persons from publishing, transmitting, or broadcasting any video of the service of civil process related to an eviction proceeding without the express written permission of the individual being served with civil process; specifies that an individual who is a victim of the publication, transmission, or broadcast of such a video without the individual's permission has a private right of action against the person violating the prohibition. - Amends TCA Title 13; Title 29 and Title 66.

School Transportation - As enacted, authorizes a school bus that is used exclusively to transport students from school to an after-school program to be used until the bus reaches the 20th year from the in-service date of the bus, or until the bus accumulates 300,000 miles of recorded travel, whichever occurs later; requires the owner of a bus that reaches the later of 20 years of service or 300,000 miles of recorded travel to, at the conclusion of the school year, discontinue use of, or replace, the bus; requires certain notice to, and inspections by, the commissioner for certain buses. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Trusts - As enacted, makes various changes regarding trusts and wills, including permitting confidential information related to trusts that is contained in court filings, including court orders, to be redacted or filed under seal without a prior court order. - Amends TCA Title 32; Title 35 and Title 67.

Education, Dept. of - As enacted, allows a local board of education or public charter school governing body that has not received funding from the department for purposes of awarding its teachers the bonus authorized in the Education Freedom Act of 2025 to pass the required resolution and notify the department of the same within 21 calendar days from the date the Act becomes a law, to receive funding from the department to award bonuses to teachers employed in the 2024-2025 school year. - Amends Chapter 7 of the Public Acts of the First Extraordinary Session of 2025.

Sports - As enacted, makes changes relative to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, including reducing membership on the executive committee from seven to six members; adding to board responsibilities by requiring it to direct the mission of the hall of fame; and making other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 54.

Taxes - As enacted, requires a person using a liquified gas propelled motor vehicle to pay the liquified gas tax on delivery of the liquified gas into the vehicle's fuel supply tank instead of prepaying the tax on an annual basis; eliminates the annual renewal requirement for the liquified gas user permit, instead making it a permanent and valid permit dependent on timely reports and remittance of taxes or until surrendered or canceled; makes other tax-related changes. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 1, Part 18; Title 67, Chapter 3, Part 11 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

Human Services, Dept. of - As enacted, deletes the requirements that the department establish, advertise, and maintain a statewide toll-free telephone line to receive and respond to citizen inquiries and complaints concerning child support collections and disbursements and the department establish satellite offices for the state's central collection and disbursement unit. - Amends TCA Section 36-5-118 and Section 36-5-119.

Fire Prevention and Investigation - As enacted, creates the rescue squad grant program to provide annual grants to rescue squads for the purchase of firefighting equipment and training; directs the commissioner of commerce and insurance to evaluate grant requests and select grant award recipients each year. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 102.

Traffic Safety - As enacted, makes changes to the regulation and prohibition authorized by local governments and state agencies relative to class 1, 2, and 3 electric bicycles in certain locations. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 8.

School Transportation - As introduced, allows, as an alternative to undergoing an annual physical and mental examination, a school bus driver to annually verify to the local board of education that they possess a valid certificate issued by a medical examiner certified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration within the United States department of transportation signifying that the school bus driver is medically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 55.

State Inmates - As enacted, requires by July 1, 2027, and each July 1 thereafter, the commissioner of correction to deliver to the chairs of legislative committees with jurisdiction over the department of correction a report containing data with regard to individuals who may be certified eligible for parole for being chronically debilitated or incapacitated. - Amends TCA Title 40 and Title 41.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As enacted, adds Claiborne, Union, and Grainger counties to the membership of the North East Tennessee Railroad Authority if certain requirements are met; makes other related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 56, Part 2 and Title 64, Chapter 2.

Consumer Protection - As enacted, removes the requirement that an assurance of voluntary compliance with the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977 be in writing, and filed and subject to the approval of the circuit or chancery court of Davidson County; makes other changes related to consumer protection. - Amends TCA Title 47.

Appeal and Review - As enacted, expands when the state may appeal an interlocutory order of a circuit or chancery court. - Amends TCA Title 27, Chapter 1.

Comptroller, State - As enacted, adds to the list of companies for which the comptroller of the treasury may assess for taxation, and for state, county, and municipal purposes, all of the properties within the state owned, and all personal property used or leased, motor bus or truck companies, excluding towing companies, that meet certain criteria. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 66 and Title 67.

Secretary of State - As enacted, requires the secretary of state to omit from each annual publication of agency information mailing addresses and telephone numbers of agency members. - Amends TCA Section 10-7-604.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As enacted, clarifies that stuttering and other types of communication disorders are qualifying medical conditions for purposes of the "2021 Precious Cargo Act," which authorizes drivers who have certain medical conditions to apply for a designation in the Tennessee Vehicle Title and Registration System (VTRS) database of a need for assistance in communicating with first responders during traffic stops. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 21, Part 3.

Courts, Juvenile - As enacted, expands the goals of zero to three court programs to include cases involving children five years of age or younger, with priority given to cases involving children younger than three years of age. - Amends TCA Title 37.

Public Records - As enacted, adds provider reimbursement information that is provided to the comptroller of the treasury to the existing list of examples of proprietary information types that are not subject to disclosure as public records. - Amends TCA Section 71-5-142.

Jails, Local Lock-ups - As enacted, authorizes the Tennessee corrections institute to establish certification requirements for corrections officers and to inspect and certify local correctional training academies; makes various changes regarding plans of action that may be submitted by a local certified facility following annual inspection; allows the director and full-time employees of the Tennessee corrections institute to carry a handgun under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 41.

Statutes and Codification - As enacted, codifies the Acts of the 2025 regular and extraordinary sessions. -