Tennessee Bills

Health Care - As enacted, specifies that a good faith disclosure of information related to an activity of a quality improvement committee (QIC) made by a healthcare provider or healthcare organization to a patient or a family member of a patient is not a waiver of the privilege and confidentiality protections provider under current law if made in an open discussion; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 11.

Law Enforcement - As enacted, establishes a Tennessee safe initiative task force, which is administratively attached to the Tennessee bureau of investigation. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 38 and Title 39.

Criminal Procedure - As enacted, revises present law that authorizes the attorney general to bring an action to enforce compliance with the "Tennessee Abortion-Inducing Drug Risk Protocol Act" or intervene as a matter of right in a case in which the constitutionality of such act is challenged. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Education - As enacted, makes various changes and additions to present law concerning public education. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 49, Chapter 13; Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 3 and Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 3.

Economic and Community Development - As enacted, vacates and reconstitutes the board of directors of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Professions and Occupations - As enacted, adds that a managed services provider that provides direct sales, installation, or maintenance service for an IP camera connected to the managed services provider's network; derives less than 25% of the managed services provider's gross annual revenue from those services; and provides proof of employee vetting satisfactory to the commissioner is specifically excluded from the requirements of the Alarm Contractors Licensing Act. - Amends TCA Title 62, Chapter 32.

Immigration - As enacted, requires the sheriff of each county to enter into an agreement under an available federal 287(g) program, and expands the powers of the board of control of the Tennessee corrections institute. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 41.

Administrative Procedure (UAPA) - As enacted, enacts the "Regulatory Freedom Act of 2026." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 5.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, authorizes a political subdivision to enter into a cost-sharing agreement with a developer for the development of certain public infrastructure. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 65 and Title 68.

Mortgages - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Reverse Mortgage Innovation Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15, Part 5; Title 45, Chapter 2, Part 12; Title 45, Chapter 20; Title 47, Chapter 30 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 4.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As enacted, removes the requirement to place a defendant on a state or federal list or database as a fugitive from justice for failure to appear, unless it's on a felony; authorizes a court to relieve the surety of liability for an undertaking if the defendant has not been placed on the available state or federal list or database within five business days of the entering agency's receipt of the bench warrant or capias. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Local Government, General - As enacted, authorizes counties with a metropolitan form of government, by resolution of their governing bodies, to levy a tax on the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption within the county at a rate less than the local option sales tax rate or exempt the retail sale of such food and food ingredients from the local option sales tax; deletes obsolete provisions relating to the timing for reducing the membership of metropolitan councils. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

Tourism - As enacted, requires the department of tourist development to promulgate rules designating tourism development zones in this state as economic protection zones; places certain limitations on a local government blocking streets or other rights-of-way in a tourism development zone; clarifies that the Tennessee highway patrol has concurrent law enforcement authority with local law enforcement agencies within a tourism development zone in this state. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As enacted, revises law relative to a financial institution applying for a credit against the sum total of the taxes imposed by the "Franchise Tax law" and by the "Excise Tax law." - Amends TCA Title 67.

Traffic Safety - As enacted, allows a person who submits the fine and costs for a speeding ticket in lieu of appearing in court to also register for an approved driver education course online, of which successful completion can cause points for the speeding conviction to be removed from the person's record in accordance with current law. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 10; Title 55, Chapter 8 and Title 55, Chapter 9.

Business and Commerce - As enacted, revises law relative to commercial litigation financiers and litigation financing contracts. - Amends TCA Title 47.

Insurance Companies, Agents, Brokers, Policies - As enacted, expands the prohibition, from stage 4 advanced metastatic cancer or metastatic blood cancer to any cancer, against a health benefit plan that provides coverage for cancer requiring the use of a step therapy protocol before the health benefit plan provides coverage for an approved prescription drug to an enrollee who has received a diagnosis of cancer. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Education - As enacted, enacts the "Better Spending, Better Schools Act of 2026." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 49 and Title 67.

Human Services, Dept. of - As enacted, enacts the "Promising Futures Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 43; Title 49; Title 57; Title 67 and Title 71.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As enacted, authorizes a county or municipality to request the department of transportation to conduct a highway traffic noise study for residential properties located along the sound propagation path of a state or interstate highway if certain criteria is met. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3 and Title 54.

Judges and Chancellors - As enacted, creates a pilot project to provide for criminal magistrates in the 10 counties in which the criminal courts experience the highest judicial caseload, if authorized by the legislative body of an eligible county; authorizes the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction to appoint the criminal magistrate, who shall serve at the pleasure of the majority of the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 17 and Title 40.

TennCare - As enacted, extends the nursing home annual assessment fee to June 30, 2027; makes other related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 10.

Alcoholic Beverages - As enacted, revises law relative to alcoholic beverages. - Amends TCA Title 57.

Real Property - As enacted, requires a description of real property contained within a deed of conveyance of a property not previously described in a recorded instrument to be prepared by a registered land surveyor, or by a licensed attorney utilizing a survey prepared by a registered land surveyor. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 23; Title 39; Title 45; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 56; Title 62 and Title 66.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As enacted, enacts the "Annual Coverage Assessment Act of 2026." - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

Children - As enacted, adds the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services, and one at large member with experience advocating for children, to the Tennessee second look commission; revises certain severe and aggravated child abuse offenses to include offenses involving strangulation; authorizes a court to order a child's custodian to submit certain documentation of compliance with preventative pediatric care consistent with the periodicity schedule of the American Academy of Pediatrics in certain situations; authorizes the department of children's services to initiate a visit to ascertain the wellbeing of a child if such documentation contains allegations of abuse or neglect. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Human Resources, Department of - As enacted, requires the department to annually publish on the department's website a report on the temporary assistance for needy families program's and the child care and development fund's balances and expenditures. - Amends TCA Title 71.

Local Education Agencies - As enacted, requires each LEA and public charter school to adopt an internet acceptable use policy; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Managed Care Organizations - As enacted, prohibits a managed care organization from including a provision in the managed care organization's contract with a qualified nursing facility to provide medicaid nursing facility services, that permit actual or constructive termination by the MCO without cause, for convenience, or termination without specifying the grounds for termination; requires the bureau of TennCare, in conjunction with the department of commerce and insurance, to review and approve all standard contract templates used by MCOs for facility contracting to ensure compliance. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 68, Chapter 11 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

Immigration - As enacted, requires a memorandum of understanding entered between certain law enforcement agencies and federal officials concerning enforcement of federal immigration laws to include a requirement that the agency accept and honor any immigration detainer received from federal immigration authorities. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 38 and Title 41.

Telecommunications - As enacted, requires a person or entity that makes telephone solicitations using an automated telephone dialing system to delivery artificial or prerecorded voice messages to residential subscribers in this state to maintain a record of the number of such telephone solicitations made each month; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 65 and Title 67.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, authorizes a political subdivision to enter into a cost-sharing agreement with a developer for the development of certain public infrastructure. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13; Title 65 and Title 68.

Mortgages - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Reverse Mortgage Innovation Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15, Part 5; Title 45, Chapter 2, Part 12; Title 45, Chapter 20; Title 47, Chapter 30 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 4.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As enacted, removes the requirement to place a defendant on a state or federal list or database as a fugitive from justice for failure to appear, unless it's on a felony; authorizes a court to relieve the surety of liability for an undertaking if the defendant has not been placed on the available state or federal list or database within five business days of the entering agency's receipt of the bench warrant or capias. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Criminal Procedure - As enacted, revises present law that authorizes the attorney general to bring an action to enforce compliance with the "Tennessee Abortion-Inducing Drug Risk Protocol Act" or intervene as a matter of right in a case in which the constitutionality of such act is challenged. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Tourism - As enacted, requires the department of tourist development to promulgate rules designating tourism development zones in this state as economic protection zones; places certain limitations on a local government blocking streets or other rights-of-way in a tourism development zone; clarifies that the Tennessee highway patrol has concurrent law enforcement authority with local law enforcement agencies within a tourism development zone in this state. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67.

Human Resources, Department of - As enacted, requires the department to annually publish on the department's website a report on the temporary assistance for needy families program's and the child care and development fund's balances and expenditures. - Amends TCA Title 71.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As enacted, revises law relative to leave for teachers. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Sexual Offenses - As enacted, provides that a person commits the offense of grooming of a minor when the person engages in a course of grooming conduct directed at a minor with the specific intent to commit, or facilitate the commission by another person of, a sexual offense or violent sexual offense against the minor; or to cause or induce the minor to engage in simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive or sexual activity; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Obscenity and Pornography - As enacted, prohibits the issuance of a license to operate certain adult-oriented establishments unless certain signage is posted. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51 and Title 39.

Health Care - As enacted, specifies that a good faith disclosure of information related to an activity of a quality improvement committee (QIC) made by a healthcare provider or healthcare organization to a patient or a family member of a patient is not a waiver of the privilege and confidentiality protections provider under current law if made in an open discussion; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 11.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As enacted, enacts the "The Jeff Burkhart Act," which adds counties to the forms of local government that may establish a self-financing central business improvement district under the "Central Business Improvement District Act of 1990." - Amends TCA Title 5 and Title 7, Chapter 84, Part 5.

Judges and Chancellors - As enacted, creates a pilot project to provide for criminal magistrates in the 10 counties in which the criminal courts experience the highest judicial caseload, if authorized by the legislative body of an eligible county; authorizes the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction to appoint the criminal magistrate, who shall serve at the pleasure of the majority of the judges of the county with criminal jurisdiction. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 17 and Title 40.

Health Care - As enacted, authorizes a physician to perform stem cell therapy or regenerative medicine therapy that is not approved by the United States food and drug administration if such therapy is used for a treatment or procedure that is within the scope of practice of the physician; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Immigration - As enacted, requires the sheriff of each county to enter into an agreement under an available federal 287(g) program, and expands the powers of the board of control of the Tennessee corrections institute. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 41.

Local Government, General - As enacted, authorizes counties with a metropolitan form of government, by resolution of their governing bodies, to levy a tax on the retail sale of food and food ingredients for human consumption within the county at a rate less than the local option sales tax rate or exempt the retail sale of such food and food ingredients from the local option sales tax; deletes obsolete provisions relating to the timing for reducing the membership of metropolitan councils. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

Economic and Community Development - As enacted, vacates and reconstitutes the board of directors of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Education - As enacted, makes various changes and additions to present law concerning public education. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 49, Chapter 13; Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 3 and Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 3.

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, requires a delivery network company or delivery network company driver to comply with certain automobile liability insurance requirements. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 55; Title 56 and Title 65.

Law Enforcement - As enacted, establishes a Tennessee safe initiative task force, which is administratively attached to the Tennessee bureau of investigation. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 38 and Title 39.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As enacted, revises law relative to a financial institution applying for a credit against the sum total of the taxes imposed by the "Franchise Tax law" and by the "Excise Tax law." - Amends TCA Title 67.

Controlled Substances - As enacted, clarifies that a substance that is approved by the U.S. food and drug administration and designated or scheduled under federal law by a final order published in the Federal Register, is generally considered to be in the same schedule as such substance is designated or scheduled under the federal schedule of controlled substances after the expiration of 30 days from the date of publication of the final order; authorizes a licensed healthcare prescriber who is authorized to prescribe controlled substances to prescribe a drug product that has been so scheduled if certain other criteria is met. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Education - As enacted, enacts the "Better Spending, Better Schools Act of 2026." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 49 and Title 67.

Correctional Programs - As enacted, creates the state families of incarcerated individuals advisory board within the department of correction for the purposes of assisting the families of incarcerated individuals. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 41.

Business and Commerce - As enacted, revises law relative to commercial litigation financiers and litigation financing contracts. - Amends TCA Title 47.

Managed Care Organizations - As enacted, prohibits a managed care organization from including a provision in the managed care organization's contract with a qualified nursing facility to provide medicaid nursing facility services, that permit actual or constructive termination by the MCO without cause, for convenience, or termination without specifying the grounds for termination; requires the bureau of TennCare, in conjunction with the department of commerce and insurance, to review and approve all standard contract templates used by MCOs for facility contracting to ensure compliance. - Amends TCA Title 56; Title 68, Chapter 11 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

Children - As enacted, adds the commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services, and one at large member with experience advocating for children, to the Tennessee second look commission; revises certain severe and aggravated child abuse offenses to include offenses involving strangulation; authorizes a court to order a child's custodian to submit certain documentation of compliance with preventative pediatric care consistent with the periodicity schedule of the American Academy of Pediatrics in certain situations; authorizes the department of children's services to initiate a visit to ascertain the wellbeing of a child if such documentation contains allegations of abuse or neglect. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Dieticians and Nutritionists - As enacted, enacts the "Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Act." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 63.

Immigration - As enacted, requires a memorandum of understanding entered between certain law enforcement agencies and federal officials concerning enforcement of federal immigration laws to include a requirement that the agency accept and honor any immigration detainer received from federal immigration authorities. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 38 and Title 41.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As enacted, authorizes a county or municipality to request the department of transportation to conduct a highway traffic noise study for residential properties located along the sound propagation path of a state or interstate highway if certain criteria is met. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3 and Title 54.