Tennessee Bills

Memorials, Interns - Makayla Paris -

Memorials, Interns - Erin Craven -

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, revises the formula for calculating tax relief on real property owned by eligible disabled veterans so that in determining the amount of relief to such a taxpayer, the assessed value on the first $175,000 of full market value is to be multiplied by the ad valorem tax rate of the jurisdiction instead of by a rate that has been adjusted to reflect the relationship between appraised value and market value in that jurisdiction. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 7.

Firefighters - As introduced, increases from one year to two years post the duration of employment, the period of which a criminal background required as a condition of employment as a paid or volunteer fire protection personnel, or applicant for such position, must be maintained by the employer. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 38; Title 50 and Title 68.

Annexation - As introduced, specifies circumstances in which a referendum will not be required to effectuate annexation of territory; removes repealer provision for exceptions to the referendum requirement. - Amends TCA Section 6-51-104.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows certain school employees to conduct physical searches of students and searches of vehicles, containers, packages, lockers, or other enclosures used for storage by students or visitors in certain circumstances; narrows, from all threats of violence or significantly disruptive behavior at a public school that are reported to a state or local law enforcement agency to only those first determined by the LEA to be credible, the threats or behavior for which an LEA must notify parents and guardians within 48 hours. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

General Assembly, Directed Studies - As introduced, establishes a nine-member Tennessee K-12 nutrition task force to evaluate the prevalence of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and other substances in public school meal programs and the impact of UPFs on student health, to report its findings by December 1, 2026, and to terminate January 31, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education, Higher - As introduced, establishes the hunger-free campus grant program; provides grants to higher education institutions to address student hunger. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Memorials, Recognition - Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program, 25th anniversary -

Memorials, Recognition - Mickie Whitaker -

Memorials, Retirement - Reuben Henry Sanders, House Sergeant at Arms -

Education - As introduced, deletes an obsolete section requiring the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee to, by December 15, 2014, perform a study on the economic feasibility of creating and utilizing a statewide comprehensive energy policy and submit its final report to the energy task force of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, changes the definition of "definable group" for purposes of the Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act of 2024 to include a choral group rather than a glee club. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 25, Part 11.

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.

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.

Memorials, Recognition - Reverend Dr. William Seth Martin -

Memorials, Death - Edward Allen Hickman -

Search & Seizure - As introduced, requires officials who are employed or contracted by the federal government, the state government, or a local government within this state, or an agency or department thereof, to obtain a search warrant that identifies the person or property that is the subject of the search before entering private property, unless a judicially recognized exception to the warrant requirement exists. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 44.

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 Procedure - As introduced, restores the right of suffrage for persons convicted of an infamous crime after expiration of the sentence imposed for the infamous crime; removes requirement that the person pay restitution and court costs and be current in all child support obligations before having the person's right of suffrage restored; permits a person to have the right of suffrage restored without having the person's full rights of citizenship restored. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, requires the bureau to maintain with each investigative case file copies of all original investigative materials, including audio and video files, recordings, transcripts, documents, reports, paperwork, and other print or digital media generated by the bureau and germane to the investigation by the bureau. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5 and Title 38, Chapter 6.

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

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.

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.

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. -

Health Care - As enacted, prohibits a person from developing or deploying an artificial intelligence system that advertises or represents to the public that such system is or is able to act as a qualified mental health professional. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 47 and Title 63.

Correction, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to conduct an annual education assessment of each inmate who is serving a period of confinement for committing a felony offense to ascertain the inmate's highest grade or educational level attained, as well as their interest in continuing, completing, or advancing their education; requires the department to notify such inmates of the educational programming and opportunities available. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 41 and Title 49.

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the Tennessee public charter school commission to June 30, 2030. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 49, Chapter 13.

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the Tennessee fish and wildlife commission to June 30, 2030. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 70, Chapter 1, Part 2.

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the Sequatchie Valley educational development agency to June 30, 2032. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 64, Chapter 1, Part 5.

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact to June 30, 2034. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 63, Chapter 13, Part 5.