Tennessee Senate Bills

Law Enforcement - As introduced, enacts the "Stop American Gestapo Act (SAGA)." - Amends TCA Title 38 and Title 39.

Immigration - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Private Workplace Due Process and Warrant Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 8; Title 38; Title 50; Title 62 and Title 66.

Real Property - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Private Property Vesting Rights of 2026," which entitles a property owner to just compensation from a public entity if the public entity enacts a land use regulation that has the effect of reducing the fair market value of the property. - Amends TCA Title 29, Chapter 16.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, removes certain criminal offenses relative to the possession and carrying of firearms, including the offense of carrying a firearm with the intent to go armed if the person has been convicted of stalking or DUI in certain circumstances and the offense of possession of a firearm by a person under 25 if the person was adjudicated delinquent for certain offenses as a juvenile; removes the offense of possessing or carrying a weapon in a public park, playground, civic center, or other public recreational area; makes various other changes relative to the possession and carrying of firearms. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49 and Title 65.

Health Care - As introduced, requires the secretary of state to place an advisory ballot question on the November general election ballot in 2026 regarding the legalization of a regulated medical cannabis program. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 39; Title 43; Title 53; Title 57; Title 63; Title 67 and Title 68.

Marriage - As introduced, states that private citizens and organizations are not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment or the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges to recognize a marriage between individuals of the same sex; prohibits the board of professional responsibility from disciplining or sanctioning an attorney for declining to officiate a marriage between two persons of the same sex. - Amends TCA Title 17, Chapter 5 and Title 36.

Sex Discrimination - As introduced, enacts the "Banning Bostock Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, adds the advisement or encouragement to commit suicide to the offense of assisted suicide under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, changes the timeframe within which a permit holder must notify the department in writing of the permit holder's new address from within 60 days of a change in the permit holder's principal place of residence to within 90 days of a change in the permit holder's principal place of residence. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 13; Title 16; Title 29; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 47; Title 49; Title 50; Title 52; Title 55; Title 58; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 70.

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.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, allows a court to issue an extreme risk protection order upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to the person or others if allowed to possess or purchase a firearm; authorizes a law enforcement officer or relative to file a petition for an extreme risk protection order; creates an offense to store or keep a firearm in any place unless the firearm is secured in a locked container, unloaded, and separate from ammunition except when the firearm is carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user; prohibits a gun dealer from delivering a firearm to a purchaser until 15 business days after the completion of certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, renames enhanced and concealed handgun carry permits as enhanced and concealed firearm carry permits and authorizes a permit holder to carry any firearms, rather than handguns, that the permit holder legally owns or possesses. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 49; Title 50; Title 57; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 70.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Anti-Road Rage Act of 2024," which creates a Class E felony for the reckless discharge of a firearm while operating, or as a passenger in, a motor vehicle; creates a Class A misdemeanor for the reckless brandishing or display of a firearm while operating, or as a passenger in, a motor vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 55.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, creates a criminal offense of storing or keeping a firearm in any place if the firearm is not secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device that is properly engaged so as to render the firearm inoperable by any person other than the owner or another lawfully authorized user; punishes a violation of the offense as a Class A misdemeanor. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a Class E felony that is committed when a person exercises control over a motor vehicle knowing that the person does not have the permission of the owner of the motor vehicle; creates a Class A misdemeanor of possessing a firearm that the person knows or reasonably should know has been stolen. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, expresses the legislative intent that a county in which a county-wide fire department is established, or in which a volunteer fire department provides services, direct priority for the appropriation and allocation of county funds to fund the activities of the county-wide or volunteer fire department. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 38 and Title 68, Chapter 102, Part 3.

Naming and Designating - Designates Tennessee a Purple Heart State. -

Education - As introduced, deletes obsolete pilot program to improve parent-teacher engagement that terminated at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, creates the Tennessee board of sign language interpreting. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 63; Title 68, Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 71, Chapter 4, Part 21.

Education - As introduced, deletes obsolete provisions regarding implementation of the school grading system. - Amends Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and TCA Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8 and Title 49.

Medical Occupations - As introduced, prohibits a healthcare provider from inquiring as to a patient's ownership, possession of, or access to firearm ammunition or firearm accessories; subjects the healthcare provider to disciplinary action and a fine of $1,000 if the healthcare provider makes such inquires. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, repeals the "Tennessee Community Schools Act"; enacts the "Tennessee Full Service Community Schools Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to submit a report on the feasibility of creating and implementing a graduate physician licensure program that would allow a person who has graduated from an allopathic medical school and passed the United States Medical Licensing Examination, but who has not completed an accredited postgraduate residency program, to provide medical services within a framework of a continuous collaboration and supervision agreement with a licensed physician 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 on or before January 1, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Schools, Private - As introduced, prohibits the state board of education from requiring a private school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program to annually administer a nationally standardized achievement test in English language arts and mathematics to each student each year; directs the state board to require such private schools that provide a high school program to administer a nationally standardized achievement test in English language arts and mathematics to certain students based on the percentage of their high school program that the student has completed. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 50.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Career Readiness Enhancement Act," which requires public high schools to integrate career readiness tools that enable students to earn credentials related to job readiness into career technical education; establishes a pilot program to obtain feedback from the business sector; makes other additions and changes to present law related to the provision and evaluation of career readiness tools. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Massage Therapy - As introduced, enacts the "Interstate Massage Compact." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 63.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, prohibits professional employees and local boards of education from collaborative conferencing; prohibits a local board of education from allowing a professional employees' organization to use or access facilities when such use or access is otherwise prohibited by the local board's policies or procedures for community use. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Libraries - As introduced, clarifies that the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022 does not apply to any materials in the Tennessee Electronic Library. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

School Vouchers - As introduced, requires private schools that participate in the education savings account program or the individualized education account program, or that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship, to publish various items on the school's website; requires such private schools to ensure educators hold a valid license to teach and are evaluated in the same manner as public school teachers; requires students participating in any such program to be administered various assessments; requires the department of education to assign a school letter grade to such private schools. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Reckless Bullet Prevention Act," which creates an offense of recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water, or an object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is discharged at a place where other people are or may be present; punishes the offense as a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain exceptions to the offense; requires handgun safety courses for enhanced handgun carry permits to instruct on the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Education - As introduced, prohibits local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies from allowing, through their policies, a material in a library collection to be removed while it is being evaluated by the local board, governing body, or the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission, if applicable, until a determination is made as to whether the material is appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students who may access it, and whether the material is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Education - As introduced, requires the state to elect to participate in the federal tax credit established under federal law for individuals who make qualified contributions to scholarship granting organizations. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Correction, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Women's Childbirth Alternatives, Resources, and Education Act." - Amends TCA Title 24; Title 33; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

School Vouchers - As introduced, establishes various audit and reporting requirements for the department of education and private schools that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship; limits eligibility for the scholarship program to students who are members of a family with an annual household income that does not exceed 300 percent of the amount required for a student to qualify for free or reduced lunch; requires scholarship recipients to be administered the same TCAP tests administered to public school students enrolled in the same grade level or course subject. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 8, Chapter 44; Title 10, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Education, Higher - As introduced, allows a public institution of higher education to suspend a faculty member, including tenured faculty members, without pay during the pendency of any investigation or hearings conducted to determine whether adequate cause for the faculty member's termination exists; requires the president or chief executive officer for a public institution of higher education who is selected or appointed by the institution's governing board on or after July 1, 2026, to be confirmed by the senate and house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires each local school board to establish a school lunch program and a school breakfast program that provide a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in a school under the board's jurisdiction; requires the state to reimburse each LEA for the cost of providing a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in the LEA after all available federal funds have been applied. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, authorizes school districts to establish fund pools for the investment of school district funds. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 49.

School Vouchers - As introduced, requires the department of education to submit an annual report to the general assembly on information about the education freedom scholarship program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Sports - As introduced, requires each student who participates in a school youth athletic activity to file with the local education agency (LEA) or public charter school a preparticipation medical evaluation or an exemption; creates the safe stars advisory committee. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 36 and Title 68, Chapter 6.

Education - As introduced, creates the school safety grant fund to be administered by the department of education; requires that school safety grants be used to support local education agencies and public charter schools with prevention, reduction, and response efforts with regard to school shootings. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 49.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires the department of education, by July 31 each year, to list on its website each LEA designated as a high performing school district for the upcoming school year and how long the LEA will be designated a high performing school district before having to meet the criteria for re-designation. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Memorials, Recognition - National Health Facility Surveyor Week -

Memorials, Recognition - AARP Tennessee Day on the Hill, March 16-17, 2026 -

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article XI, Section 12 of the Constitution of Tennessee to establish that parents have the inherent right to direct the education of the parent's child; prohibits the state from interfering with such rights through the adoption or enforcement of any law or rule that abridges, infringes upon, or restricts a parent's right to provide home-based education. -

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As introduced, authorizes the use of campaign funds for the payment of fines, fees, and penalties assessed for the violation of campaign finance or ethics laws. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

Ethics - As introduced, prohibits a person from acting as an agent of a hostile foreign principal unless the person has filed a registration statement with the Tennessee ethics commission; requires each foreign-supported political organization to register with the Tennessee ethics commission. - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 6 and Title 4.

Welfare - As introduced, directs TACIR to conduct a study into homelessness and ways to combat the rise of homelessness; requires TACIR to file the report with the health and welfare committee of the senate, the committee in the house of representatives with jurisdiction over matters pertaining to homelessness, and the legislative librarian before January 31, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 71.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, applies the sales and use tax to advertising services purchased by or on behalf of a business entity that generates annual revenue in amount equal to or greater than $100 million. - Amends TCA Title 67.

Housing - As introduced, encourages municipalities to study and assess housing affordability and inventory availability, and to adopt a pattern book for purposes of encouraging the construction of medium-density housing. - Amends TCA Title 6; Title 7 and Title 13.

State Government - As introduced, enacts the "Safe Access to Schools and Child Services Act," which prohibits the following entities from conditioning enrollment, attendance, or receipt of services for a child under 18 on the disclosure of the child's immigration status, except as explicitly required by federal or state law or court order: a county, municipality, or branch or agency thereof; public utility, utility district, entity created pursuant to any interlocal agreement, or any other political subdivision thereof; LEA, public school, or public charter school; and state board, commission, committee, department, office, or other unit of state government; clarifies that the prohibition does not limit compliance with federal immigration law or limit cooperation with federal authorities as required by law. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 37; Title 49; Title 68 and Title 71.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Dept. of - As introduced, adds the legislative librarian to the list the department of mental health and substance abuse services must submit its quarterly report to on the implementation and impact of available suitable accommodations, including the number and length of any delayed admissions, in state owned or operated hospitals or treatment resources. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 52; Title 63 and Title 68.

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, creates the Tennessee council for research of deaf, deaf-blind, and hard of hearing children. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 49; Title 68 and Title 71.

Zoning - As introduced, reduces from 21 to 14 calendar days, the duration of the notice that a chief governing body must provide to the public before holding a public hearing to adopt a zoning ordinance or amendment. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13 and Title 67.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As introduced, enacts the "The Frank J. Lake III Act"; requires a long-term care ombudsman for an assisted-care living facility to notify all residents of such facility if the facility contacts the ombudsman; directs the health facilities commission to post a certain specified notice on the commission's website if an assisted-care living facility is placed on probation; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 11.

Probate Law - As introduced, permits a petitioner or affiant to proceed pro se in the administration of a small estate if the personal property consists exclusively of one or more life insurance policies that do not exceed $15,000 in value and are intended to be used for the decedent's burial, funeral, or final expenses; specifies that a person who files for a small estate affidavit or limited letters of authority is deemed to be acting in an individual capacity; requires the court clerk to provide a standardized form for filers. - Amends TCA Title 30; Section 56-7-206 and Title 62, Chapter 5.

Health Care - As introduced, requires TennCare to create a methodology to make medicaid facility fee reimbursement rates for birthing centers comparable to rates for similar services provided at a hospital; requires the department of health to give priority to allocating federal rural health transformation program grant funds to birthing centers in rural counties and urban counties that serve residents of rural counties. - Amends TCA Title 68 and Title 71.

Nurses, Nursing - As introduced, reduces from 30 to 15 days the period following an election of the officers of the board of nursing within which the executive director must certify to the governor the names of the officers elected; reduces from 30 to 15 days the period following a vacancy in any office or in the board of nursing within which the executive director must certify such vacancy to the governor. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 33; Title 38; Title 53; Title 55; Title 63 and Title 68.

Dentists and Dentistry - As introduced, changes from at least five years to at least six years, the period of residency and practice in this state that each of the two dental hygienist members appointed to the board of dentistry on or after July 1, 2026, must have prior to such appointment. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56; Title 63, Chapter 5; Title 68 and Title 71.

Medical Occupations - As introduced, reduces from 45 to 35 days, the amount of time the board of physician assistants has to either render a decision on a licensure application submitted by an individual licensed, registered, or certified as a physician assistant in another jurisdiction or inform the licensure applicant from another jurisdiction of the need to appear before the board. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 24; Title 33; Title 38; Title 49; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68; Title 71 and Chapter 1042 of the Public Acts of 2024.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, requires the clerk of the court in which a person charged with a violent felony and for whom a biological specimen is taken for the purpose of DNA analysis to submit the clerk's notification to the TBI of the final disposition of the criminal proceeding against the person in writing. - Amends TCA Title 38, Chapter 6; Title 39 and Title 40.