Tennessee Bills

Memorials, Recognition - Klaire Davis -

Memorials, Recognition - Mariela Dominguez, Boys & Girls Club of South Central Tennessee Youth of the Year -

Memorials, Sports - Cade Reel, 2026 Drive, Chip, and Putt National Finalist -

Memorials, Death - Stephanie Jan Halaiko Chivers -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Ian Patterson, Valedictorian, Scotts Hill High School -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Connor Foster, Salutatorian, Scotts Hill High School -

Memorials, Interns - Eleanor Anne Schiller -

Memorials, Recognition - Dolly Parton Parkway -

Memorials, Recognition - Jere Loveday and Loveday Family Bridge -

Memorials, Recognition - USPS, 250th anniversary -

Memorials, Sports - Dyersburg High School Lady Trojans, 2026 TSSAA Division I, Class AAA basketball state champions -

Memorials, Recognition - ALS Awareness Month -

Public Contracts - As enacted, enacts the "Higher Education Purchasing Act." - Amends TCA Title 12 and Title 49.

Victims' Rights - As enacted, requires a notification of a restorative justice option, which is a voluntary, victim-centered process that may include facilitated communication, conferencing, community repair agreements, or other structured accountability and repair practices, to be provided through a program for victims in Davidson and Shelby counties. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40.

Solid Waste Disposal - As enacted, makes various changes to law relative to solid waste disposal, including, but limited to, declaring that it is the policy of this state to plan for sufficient landfill capacity to dispose of solid waste that is not recovered or recycled; requiring each solid waste region to develop a plan that includes a narrative identifying where waste will be disposed and managed for the next 10 years; and requiring each solid waste region to submit a new or revised plan by July 1, 2028. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 68, Chapter 211.

Nurses, Nursing - As enacted, revises various provisions regarding medication aides, including allowing for a student in good standing enrolled in an approved school of nursing to be eligible to receive a medication aide certificate. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 7.

Education, Dept. of - As enacted, authorizes LEAs with a voluntary pre-K program to enroll children who are not at-risk, but who live in the LEA's geographic area, are three on or before August 15 and who have a parent employed by the LEA, and certain children who are five on or before August 15 to be eligible for IEP and who have not previously been enrolled in an LEA's voluntary pre-K program, if certain criteria is met. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Children's Services, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department and the department of disability and aging to collaborate to ensure that children with an intellectual or developmental disability who are in the custody of the department of children's services or at risk of entering the custody of the department receive appropriate services and supports for individuals with a disability; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 33; Title 37 and Title 52.

Courts, Juvenile - As enacted, generally requires a guardian ad litem appointed by the court to complete training appropriate to that role, including training in early childhood, child, and adolescent development. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 20; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36 and Title 37.

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission - As enacted, authorizes a person to possess a raccoon without the payment of the $150 personal possession permit fee if the raccoon is obtained from a legal source and has been vaccinated; the raccoon is non-native and was not captured from the wild; and a possession permit for the raccoon has been issued by TWRA. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 44 and Title 70.

Local Education Agencies - As enacted, requires each LEA and public charter school serving students in any of the grades K–5 to adopt a policy governing the age-appropriate and instructional use of digital devices by students to minimize unnecessary screen time while preserving instructional effectiveness. - Amends TCA Title 49.

District Attorneys - As enacted, authorizes the district attorneys general conference to pay the licensing fees for software applications used by the office of the district attorney general within a judicial district, regardless of whether the district attorney general office staff member using the application has a position funded by the state or another entity. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 9; Title 16 and Title 40.

Real Property - As enacted, makes changes to law regarding restrictions on land purchases by sanctioned aliens or foreign entities. - Amends TCA Title 66, Chapter 2, Part 3.

Court Rules - As enacted, requires each juvenile court, through the juvenile court clerk or juvenile court staff, each month within the statewide juvenile case management system prescribed by the administrative office of the courts, to report to the administrative office of the courts each new dependency and neglect case, including for each child named in the petition, certain information. - Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 1.

Education - As enacted, creates a safe school design advisory board to recommend to the commissioner of commerce and insurance safe school design guidelines for LEAs and public charter schools to consider when constructing or remodeling K-12 public school facilities. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 49; Title 62, Chapter 35 and Title 68.

Water - As enacted, requires the department of environment and conservation to add water system projects located in counties having a population of less than 57,000 according to the 2020 census, or a subsequent census, to the priority list for consideration for loans from the water system revolving loan fund. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 221.

Safety, Dept. of - As enacted, creates the office of homeland security within the department of safety. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 20 and Section 38-3-114.

Drugs, Synthetic or Analogue - As enacted, enacts the "Nitrous Oxide Abuse Prevention and Retail Sale Prohibition Act"; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 57, Chapter 7; Title 63 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 10.

Statutes of Limitations and Repose - As enacted, requires prosecution for vehicular homicide committed on or after July 1, 2026, to commence within 10 years from the date the offense occurs. - Amends TCA Title 28; Title 39 and Title 40.

Memorials, Recognition - Stratton Bone Made in Tennessee Building -

Victims' Rights - As enacted, requires a notification of a restorative justice option, which is a voluntary, victim-centered process that may include facilitated communication, conferencing, community repair agreements, or other structured accountability and repair practices, to be provided through a program for victims in Davidson and Shelby counties. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40.

Real Property - As enacted, makes changes to law regarding restrictions on land purchases by sanctioned aliens or foreign entities. - Amends TCA Title 66, Chapter 2, Part 3.

Solid Waste Disposal - As enacted, makes various changes to law relative to solid waste disposal, including, but limited to, declaring that it is the policy of this state to plan for sufficient landfill capacity to dispose of solid waste that is not recovered or recycled; requiring each solid waste region to develop a plan that includes a narrative identifying where waste will be disposed and managed for the next 10 years; and requiring each solid waste region to submit a new or revised plan by July 1, 2028. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 68, Chapter 211.

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission - As enacted, authorizes a person to possess a raccoon without the payment of the $150 personal possession permit fee if the raccoon is obtained from a legal source and has been vaccinated; the raccoon is non-native and was not captured from the wild; and a possession permit for the raccoon has been issued by TWRA. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 44 and Title 70.

District Attorneys - As enacted, authorizes the district attorneys general conference to pay the licensing fees for software applications used by the office of the district attorney general within a judicial district, regardless of whether the district attorney general office staff member using the application has a position funded by the state or another entity. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 9; Title 16 and Title 40.

Statutes of Limitations and Repose - As enacted, requires prosecution for vehicular homicide committed on or after July 1, 2026, to commence within 10 years from the date the offense occurs. - Amends TCA Title 28; Title 39 and Title 40.

Local Education Agencies - As enacted, requires each LEA and public charter school serving students in any of the grades K–5 to adopt a policy governing the age-appropriate and instructional use of digital devices by students to minimize unnecessary screen time while preserving instructional effectiveness. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Court Rules - As enacted, requires each juvenile court, through the juvenile court clerk or juvenile court staff, each month within the statewide juvenile case management system prescribed by the administrative office of the courts, to report to the administrative office of the courts each new dependency and neglect case, including for each child named in the petition, certain information. - Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 1.

Nurses, Nursing - As enacted, revises various provisions regarding medication aides, including allowing for a student in good standing enrolled in an approved school of nursing to be eligible to receive a medication aide certificate. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 7.

Education - As enacted, creates a safe school design advisory board to recommend to the commissioner of commerce and insurance safe school design guidelines for LEAs and public charter schools to consider when constructing or remodeling K-12 public school facilities. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 49; Title 62, Chapter 35 and Title 68.

Water - As enacted, requires the department of environment and conservation to add water system projects located in counties having a population of less than 57,000 according to the 2020 census, or a subsequent census, to the priority list for consideration for loans from the water system revolving loan fund. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 221.

Children's Services, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department and the department of disability and aging to collaborate to ensure that children with an intellectual or developmental disability who are in the custody of the department of children's services or at risk of entering the custody of the department receive appropriate services and supports for individuals with a disability; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 33; Title 37 and Title 52.

Courts, Juvenile - As enacted, generally requires a guardian ad litem appointed by the court to complete training appropriate to that role, including training in early childhood, child, and adolescent development. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 20; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36 and Title 37.

Education, Dept. of - As enacted, authorizes LEAs with a voluntary pre-K program to enroll children who are not at-risk, but who live in the LEA's geographic area, are three on or before August 15 and who have a parent employed by the LEA, and certain children who are five on or before August 15 to be eligible for IEP and who have not previously been enrolled in an LEA's voluntary pre-K program, if certain criteria is met. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Public Contracts - As enacted, enacts the "Higher Education Purchasing Act." - Amends TCA Title 12 and Title 49.

Drugs, Synthetic or Analogue - As enacted, enacts the "Nitrous Oxide Abuse Prevention and Retail Sale Prohibition Act"; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 57, Chapter 7; Title 63 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 10.

Safety, Dept. of - As enacted, creates the office of homeland security within the department of safety. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 20 and Section 38-3-114.

Memorials, Public Service - Sheriff Tom Spangler -

Memorials, Personal Occasion - Almae Ray Chappell, 94th birthday -

Statutes and Codification - As enacted, clarifies that a "person," as used in Tennessee Code Annotated, does not include artificial intelligence, a computer algorithm, a software program, computer hardware, or any type of machine. - Amends TCA Title 1.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, clarifies, for purposes of criminal offenses relative to threats of mass violence on school property or at a school-related activity or failing to report such threats, that a threat of mass violence is credible if the threat causes another to reasonably expect the commission of an act of mass violence. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Employees, Employers - As enacted, allows for eligible employees to be absent 4 weeks from work following a living organ donation surgery; requires the department of health to create living organ donor informational material and make such material available on the department's website. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 50; Title 56 and Title 68.

Education, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to develop guidance for Tennessee accelerating literacy and learning corps (TALLC) members on how to align tutoring services for students with the remediation the student needs and with the academic standards adopted by the state board of education for the student's grade level; requires the department to provide LEAs with a list of secure data management systems that utilize platforms capable of tracking the effectiveness of intervention methods, resource allocation, and student progress in real time across all schools in the LEA; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) - As enacted, makes various changes to the TISA review committee, including, but not limited to, clarifying that the committee may convene a meeting with a majority of all members present, including one or more designees, but a quorum of all voting members of the committee is required to transact any business requiring a formal vote of the committee. - Amends TCA Section 49-3-113.

Medical Occupations - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee K-9 Emergency Medical Care and Transport Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 2; Title 44, Chapter 17; Title 63, Chapter 12 and Title 68, Chapter 140.

Education - As enacted, changes, from the department of education to the state board of education upon the recommendation of the department, the party responsible for selecting the intervention option for priority schools receiving tier three interventions through the progressive tiered intervention system. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Remedies and Special Proceedings - As enacted, creates a civil action for individuals who are the subject of an intimate image that is intentionally disclosed without the individual's consent under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 28 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

Healthcare Liability - As enacted, authorizes a person to bring a civil action against a healthcare professional for an injury that is a result of a medical procedure, if the procedure was for enabling the person to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the person's sex or treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the person's sex and asserted identity, and the person consented; or if the person was a minor at the time of the procedure, the person's parent, guardian, or representative consented due to an act of coercion by the professional. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 63 and Title 68.

Tourist Development, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to annually confirm the nonprofit, membership-based organizations or tax-exempt public agencies to act as regional tourism organizations for each of the nine development districts; requires department approval of regional tourism organization's planned marketing initiatives prior to the organization receiving matching state funds; provides definitions related to tourism. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 22.

Fairs - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Agricultural Fair and Livestock Show Act" and the "Tennessee State Fair Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 57; Title 43, Chapter 21 and Section 48-101-502.