Tennessee Senate Bills

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Teri Dockery, Smith County High School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Death - Jerry Ray Brown II -

Memorials, Interns - Alexandria Tetterton -

Memorials, Recognition - Barry Crews, Tennessee Master Logger of the Year -

Memorials, Recognition - Aryanna Smith, Boys & Girls Clubs Tennessee State Youth of the Year -

Memorials, Retirement - Dr. John Combs -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Rustin Jones, Excellence in Teaching Award -

Memorials, Recognition - Kimberly Black -

Memorials, Recognition - 2026 Outdoors Day on the Hill -

Naming and Designating - Designates March 12, 2026, as "Be the One to End Suicide Day." -

Memorials, Recognition - Endometriosis Awareness Month, March 2026 -

Election Laws - As introduced, requires a voter to designate on the voter registration record a political party with which the voter is affiliated in order to vote in primary elections for such political party. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Veterans - As introduced, requires local governmental entities to invite honorably discharged veterans who apply for employment or promotion to interview; requires preference be given to such veteran if the minimum qualifications and the skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge of the veteran and any another applicant being interviewed for the position are equal; requires state and local application forms to provide the option for an applicant to declare veteran status. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51; Title 8, Chapter 30, Part 3 and Title 58, Chapter 2.

Opioids - As introduced, removes nonresidential substitution-based treatment centers for opiate addiction from the requirement of obtaining a certificate of need beginning July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 11 and Chapter 985 of the Public Acts of 2024.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, eliminates liability for rollback taxes on agricultural, forest, or open space land with a greenbelt classification when the land is sold; requires that a buyer of property with a greenbelt classification submit a new application to renew the property's greenbelt classification. - Amends TCA Section 11-14-307; Section 11-14-406; Section 11-7-109; Title 66; Section 67-4-409; Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 10 and Section 67-5-2402.

Real Property - As introduced, prohibits the state or a local or municipal government from requiring a builder or developer of real property to pay for the building or development of infrastructure that is nonessential to the development, maintenance, or growth of the builder's development property. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 54 and Title 66.

Employees, Employers - As enacted, defines for purposes of the Tennessee Lawful Employment Act, a "private employer" as any person who is required by federal law and regulations to report remuneration paid to at least one employee; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 50.

State Employees - As enacted, grants eligible state employees mandatory paid leave for fostering a minor child. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 8.

Education, Curriculum - As enacted, authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to offer students in any of the grades five through 12 a hunter education course that is approved by the wildlife resources agency as part of physical education, health, or safety instruction. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 70, Chapter 2, Part 1.

Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, authorizes a retailer to deliver hemp derived cannabinoid products to a consumer, including by means of a licensed delivery service; reduces the wholesale tax on hemp derived cannabinoid products from 2 cents per milligram to 1 cent per milligram. - Amends TCA Title 57.

Pharmacy, Pharmacists - As introduced, changes from April 15 to October 15, the date on which the bureau of TennCare is directed to annually report to the senate health and welfare committee and the health committee of the house of representatives regarding program costs and patient outcomes related to incorporating the pharmacist-provided medication therapy management pilot program each year the pilot program is supported. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, limits, for Carroll County, the weighted full-time equivalent average daily attendance for which the county is required to apportion all school funds collected by the county for current operation and maintenance purposes to that generated by students whose primary legal residence is located in Carroll County. - Amends TCA Title 5 and Title 49, Chapter 3.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As enacted, establishes a presumption that a defendant should not be released on the defendant’s personal recognizance if the defendant is charged with a felony offense that involved the use or display of a firearm or resulted in the serious bodily injury or death of the victim; requires a magistrate who determines that the presumption has been rebutted to include in the bail order written findings for each factor considered in making such a determination. - Amends TCA Title 40.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, excludes from the definition of a public swimming pool subject to regulation in the same manner as a hotel or public swimming pool by the department of health any privately owned, controlled-access, above-ground swimming pool that is installed indoors at a fitness facility and used only by facility staff and students for the purpose of swimming instruction if the pool meets certain criteria. - Amends TCA Title 68.

Immigration - As introduced, requires reporting by law enforcement agencies and local governmental entities and officials regarding persons not lawfully present in the United States; requires the department of finance and administration to report the annual cost incurred by this state for public schools, including public higher education institutions, prisons, hospitals, and social services agencies to provide benefits and services to persons not lawfully present in the United States. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 9.

Education, Curriculum - As enacted, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, requires each LEA and public charter school to, as part of the social studies curriculum, to present a civics instructional video approved by the state board of education at least once to students in grades six through eight and at least once to students in grades nine through 12. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Holidays and Days of Special Observance - As enacted, designates the third Sunday in June of each year as "Fathers' Day." - Amends TCA Title 15, Chapter 2.

Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, requires a manufacture's license for the manufacturing of alcoholic spiritous beverages or vintage alcoholic beverages issued to or renewed by a manufacturer to authorize the sale at retail a product for which a manufacturer owns the intellectual property rights and that the manufacturer received bottled as imported from Mexico; authorizes the manufacturer to serve certain samples of the product manufactured or distilled at the premises or imported and registered for distribution and sale in this state. - Amends TCA Title 57.

Clerks, Court - As enacted, requires a person ordered to use an ignition interlock device to provide the clerk of the court with documentation showing qualifications for certain assistance on the date the person was ordered to use the device to show need to participate in the electronic monitoring indigency fund. - Amends TCA Section 55-10-419.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, specifies that, in regard to the criminal offense of desecration of a venerated object, "desecrate" includes, but is not limited to, the removal of objects from a place of burial by a person other than a family member of the deceased or an authorized representative of the cemetery. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 46.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, establishes a sales tax holiday on food and food ingredients and on prepared food from July 1, 2026, through September 30, 2026, if purchased by a person at least 65 years of age. - Amends TCA Section 67-6-228 and Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3.

Open Meetings - As enacted, requires a local governing body subject to the open meetings laws to reserve a period of public comment to provide the public with the opportunity to comment on any matter germane to the jurisdiction of the governing body, regardless of whether the matter is listed on the agenda for the meeting. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 44.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As enacted, redefines "hybrid electric vehicle" to clarify that it is a motor vehicle that is propelled by a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine or other power source and components thereof. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 4.

Holidays and Days of Special Observance - As enacted, designates November 2nd of each year as "James K. Polk Day." - Amends TCA Title 15, Chapter 2.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for criminal impersonation of a law enforcement officer from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony if the offense occurs while the defendant is committing or attempting to commit a crime of violence. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Zoning - As introduced, removes requirement that a structure rebuilt on a site must conform to the zoning regulations existing at the time of the new construction. - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 7.

Election Laws - As enacted, requires political advertisements to include a disclaimer if the advertisements include deepfake elements impersonating or depicting a candidate engaging in activity or speech in which the impersonated or depicted candidate did not in fact engage; makes a violation of such disclaimer requirement a Class C misdemeanor; entitles candidate to damages and equitable relief for violations. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 19.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, enacts the "Healthy Tennessee Grocery Tax Reform of 2026." - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

Memorials, Sports - Chad Austin, District 13 Coach of the Year -

Memorials, Sports - Adamsville High School girls' basketball team -

Memorials, Recognition - Nehemiah Alliance -

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Recognizes the first Thursday in May each year as the "National Day of Prayer." -

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to refuse to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the United States. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

Children's Services, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to record, by audio recording or video recording, all interviews of children conducted by department employees as part of the department's investigation of claims of abuse or dependency and neglect. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 24; Title 37 and Title 38.

Fiscal Review Committee - As introduced, clarifies which procurement contracts are subject to review by the fiscal review committee of the general assembly; removes requirement that impact to commerce statements be included on fiscal notes prepared by the fiscal review committee. - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 2 and Title 4, Chapter 56.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires each LEA to submit a report to the department of education by July 31 each year that includes, for the immediately preceding school year, the number of students the LEA provided with information on the career and technical education opportunities offered by the LEA after the students were administered a career aptitude assessment in grade seven or eight. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Animal Control - As introduced, requires the owner of a dangerous dog to register the dangerous dog with the animal control authority for the area in which the dog is kept for a period of three years, restrain the dangerous dog at all times on a leash or in a secure enclosure, and obtain liability insurance coverage; establishes a public dangerous dog registry. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 44.

Traffic Safety - As introduced, imposes state and local litigation taxes on a person who violates the prohibition against using a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device while operating a motor vehicle; removes the ten-dollar cap on court costs imposed for such violations. - Amends TCA Section 55-8-199.

Memorials, Recognition - AARP Tennessee's Day on the Hill -

Memorials, Sports - United States women's hockey team, 2026 Olympic gold medalists -

Memorials, Public Service - Lt. Governor Randy McNally -

Memorials, Recognition - Knoxville Community Media, 50th anniversary -

Memorials, Recognition - Claiborne High School Blue Battalion Band, Salute to Independence Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -

Memorials, Sports - United States men's hockey team, 2026 Olympic gold medalists, and Jack Hughes -

Memorials, Recognition - 251st anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord -

Memorials, Sports - Prescott South Middle School boys basketball team, TMSAA Class 2A state champion -

Memorials, Recognition - Alex Forsbach, 2026 National Conservation Legacy Award -

Memorials, Sports - Jake Stinnett, TSSAA Division I, Class A wrestling state champion -

Memorials, Death - Charles R. Harr -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Carrie Brooks, 2026 Tennessee Arts Academy Teacher Hero -