Tennessee Senate Bills

Fees - As introduced, creates the "Tennessee Live Music Support Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 47 and Title 67.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, requires that monies from the opioid abatement fund that are disbursed to nonprofit organizations for statewide, regional, or local opioid abatement and remediation purposes be disbursed as a combination of advance payment and reimbursement grants. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4, Part 13 and Title 33, Chapter 11.

Safety - As introduced, enacts the "Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 47; Title 58 and Title 68.

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Affirms support for the State of Israel. -

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, requires the board of claims to hear claims for compensation by persons wrongfully imprisoned whose charges are dismissed and sentences vacated; authorizes persons whose charges were dismissed and sentences vacated prior to enactment of this legislation to file a claim within one year; authorizes surviving spouse and children the right to file a claim with the board of claims on behalf of a person who was wrongfully imprisoned and died prior to filing a claim; grants surviving adult children the same right as surviving minor children to receive payments from an award. - Amends TCA Section 9-8-108.

Veterans - As introduced, removes the market value cap used for calculating property tax relief on the primary residence for disabled veterans who are eligible for property tax relief and requires the state to fully reimburse such veterans for local property taxes paid for a given tax year on that property. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 7.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As introduced, exempts from the sales and use tax the sale of a motor vehicle to an active-duty military service member who is a resident of this state and stationed out-of-state. - Amends TCA Section 67-6-303.

Transportation, Dept. of - As introduced, requires each safety rest area that provides restrooms for the public to provide access to at least one family restroom. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3; Title 54 and Title 68, Chapter 120.

Taxes, Privilege - As introduced, authorizes municipalities to levy a tax on the privilege of engaging in the act of development within the boundaries of the municipality; requires such tax to be levied at the rate and under the terms, conditions, and limitations contained in present law that apply to counties. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 29.

Sentencing - As introduced, requires a defendant to be sentenced to imprisonment for life as a repeat violent offender under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 41.

Water Authorities - As introduced, establishes that public water systems have a maximum allowable hardwater level of 180 mg/L, measured as calcium carbonate equivalents; creates compliance and reporting requirements; exempts measurements that exceed the limit due to seasonal runoff in certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 221, Part 7.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, requires a pharmacy services administrative organization or similar entity that receives maximum allowable cost list or related information from a contracted pharmacy to destroy the shared information within five business days of receipt of a written request for destruction from the sharing pharmacy. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 56.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits an insurer, pharmacy benefits manager, or third-party administrator from changing or conditioning the terms of health plan coverage based on availability of financial or other product assistance for a prescription drug; establishes certain procedures for calculating an enrollee's contribution to an applicable cost sharing requirement. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Energy - As introduced, enacts the "Bring Your Own Generation Act." - Amends TCA Section 39-17-1002; Section 67-6-102 and Title 68.

Business and Commerce - As introduced, creates the "Tennessee Data Center Impact Review Act." - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 10; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Revenue, Dept. of - As introduced, extends from 2030 to 2031, the time period in which the department is to submit annual reports to the general assembly regarding sales taxes the department collects on all electronic nicotine delivery devices. - Amends TCA Title 67.

Election Laws - As introduced, requires a municipality that adopts an ordinance requiring nonresident property owners to vote by absentee ballot to file such ordinance with the county election commission no later than 75 days, rather than 60 days, before the election. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 41.

Memorials, Interns - Joel Cline -

Memorials, Congress - Urges Congress to enact legislation reaffirming and preserving the equal opportunities in athletics guaranteed to women and girls by Title IX and recognizing that allowing males to compete in women's athletics violates the purpose and meaning of Title IX. -

General Assembly, Directed Studies - Directs feasibility study of implementing medical benefits overlay program to supplement State's current benefit plan offerings. -

Food and Food Products - As introduced, prohibits the importation, sale, and distribution of cell-cultured food products in this state. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 44; Title 47 and Title 53.

Children - As introduced, increases from 14 to 21 days, the maximum amount of time per year that an entity or organization may provide child care on an occasional or infrequent basis through a "Parents' Night Out" or similar "Special Event" program while remaining exempt from the department of human service's licensing requirements. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 49; Title 50; Title 67 and Title 71.

Psychologists - As introduced, creates prescribing authority for certain psychologists if certain conditions and prerequisites are met. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Governor - As introduced, prohibits the governor from making a decision regarding the option to not enroll or to disenroll this state in the summer electronic transfer benefits program, unless authorized by the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 71.

Human Services, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to apply, no later than January 1, 2027, for federal grants and other federal funds available to the state through the federal summer electronic benefits transfer (EBT) for children program for the purpose of providing nutrition assistance through EBT during the summer months for each eligible child. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 71.

Death - As introduced, requires, if the person or government agency assuming custody of a body for the purposes of burial does not request an autopsy, or that the body be embalmed, the person or agency to ensure that the body is buried within 48 hours from the time when the person or agency waives the ability to request an autopsy or embalming of the body. - Amends TCA Title 34, Chapter 6, Part 37; Title 38; Title 50; Title 56; Title 62, Chapter 5; Title 62, Chapter 6 and Title 68.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department on or before January 1, 2026, to submit a report with a list of each drug that is psychotropic medication pursuant to current law and the side effects of each medication to the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over health-related matters. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 41; Title 49; Title 53; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

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.

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.

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.

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.