Tennessee Senate Bills

Jails, Local Lock-ups - As introduced, requires the monthly report of the warden of a county workhouse for each prisoner placed under a work release program to be filed with the judge by whom the prisoner was sentenced on or before the fifteenth day of the month immediately following the reporting period. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 40 and Title 41.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As introduced, authorizes the board of directors of the Tennessee Duck River Development Agency to file annual reports electronically. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 14; Title 4, Chapter 31; Title 7; Title 13; Title 64; Title 66; Title 67 and Chapter 68 of the Private Acts of 2024.

Children's Services, Dept. of - As introduced, changes the caseload requirement for case managers in the department from a monthly average of 20 active cases or 20 children monitored to a cap of no more than 12 active cases involving no more than 12 families or 20 children monitored; requires the department to resolve each active case within 12 months and a status review hearing to be held if the case is not resolved within 12 months. - Amends TCA Section 37-5-132.

Safety - As introduced, requires an air medical communication specialist to be certified within six months of employment by certain listed certified flight programs. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 140.

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, during a five-year period, authorizes excise and franchise tax credit for businesses that make monetary contributions to eligible charitable organizations approved by the governor's office of faith-based and community initiatives. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

Food and Food Products - As introduced, requires retail food stores and food service establishments to provide notice to consumers of whether fish is imported and whether it is farm-raised or wild fish. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 53 and Title 68.

State Government - As introduced, requires state departments and agencies to submit annual reports on achieving economic efficiency to the governor in addition to committees of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 8 and Title 9.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As introduced, permits a professional bondsman to issue and retain the required receipt for money or other consideration received in a digital format. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 11.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to develop and implement a suicide prevention program; requires the department to submit a report to legislative committees with jurisdiction over health-related matters on this program and any suggestions from the department based upon the research conducted from the previous calendar year. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68.

State Government - As introduced, reduces from 30 to 21 days the period by which a state department or agency, prior to executing a state professional facilities management contract for services within a state legislative district that would result in the outsourcing of facilities management services to private, nonstate government entities, must notify each member of the general assembly representing such district of the contract. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 10; Title 12; Title 13; Title 15; Title 41; Title 52; Title 57; Title 58; Title 66 and Title 67.

Food and Food Products - As introduced, prohibits the sale of food containing nanotechnology created by humans that is capable of collecting and transmitting data unless the food is labeled as containing nanotechnology. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 53.

Controlled Substances - As introduced, prohibits a healthcare facility from authorizing a licensed healthcare professional from performing a drug or alcohol test or screen on a patient who is pregnant, less than one year postpartum, or a newborn without written and oral consent; allows for a drug or alcohol test or screen to be performed without the consent of the patient in certain listed situations. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68.

Memorials, Congress - Urges the U.S. Congress to enact H.R. 2350 (S. 1137), which permits states to deploy cell-phone jamming systems in prisons. -

Child Custody and Support - As introduced, authorizes a court to order additional parenting time to compensate for previously denied parenting time; requires a court to order additional parenting time to compensate for time that was denied on the basis of an investigation that did not result in a finding of abuse or neglect if the affected parent can show that the other parent intentionally made or participated in false allegations of abuse against the affected parent. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 6, Part 5.

Railroads - As introduced, prohibits a railroad company from allowing a train to obstruct a railroad crossing for more than 30 consecutive minutes; subjects the railroad company to civil penalties for violations. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 54 and Title 65.

Domestic Violence - As introduced, enacts "Katherine's Law"; creates the offense of aggravated domestic assault, which is a Class B felony. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Evidence - As introduced, states that in certain civil actions a licensed nurse practitioner or licensed physician assistant who is properly qualified as an expert witness may testify as to certain medical findings. - Amends TCA Title 24; Title 29, Chapter 26 and Title 50, Chapter 6.

Evidence - As introduced, prohibits a court from excluding evidence against a criminal defendant unless the evidence was obtained by deliberate, reckless, or grossly negligent conduct or recurring or systemic negligence that violated the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and refusal to suppress the evidence would contradict a clearly established holding of the United States supreme court; establishes an immediate interlocutory appeal to the Tennessee supreme court when a court grants a motion to suppress evidence. - Amends TCA Title 40.

Traffic Safety - As introduced, authorizes a law enforcement officer to seize and impound a motor vehicle in any county or municipality that has passed a resolution or ordinance authorizing the seizure and impoundment of a motor vehicle observed by law enforcement to have been used to commit the offense of drag racing or to flee after commission of the offense of drag racing subject to certain restrictions. - Amends TCA Title 6; Title 7; Title 16; Title 40 and Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 5.

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, allows certain persons deprived of the right of suffrage to apply for a voter registration card and have the right of suffrage provisionally restored if the person enters into a payment plan to become current on all child support obligations. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 29.

Memorials, Recognition - 250th Celebration of the Revolutionary War Veterans buried in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and surrounding areas -

Naming and Designating - Designates October 2 as "School Custodian Day" in Tennessee. -

School Vouchers - As introduced, repeals the "Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program," the "Education Freedom Scholarship Act," and the "Individualized Education Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "School Safety and Mental Health Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

Game and Fish Laws - As introduced, requires, by January 15 of each year, the office of the governor to submit a report to legislative committees with subject matter jurisdiction over natural resources detailing all such lands and waters set apart and dedicated by the governor for wildlife preserves, including the limits fixed of the lands and waters for such state wildlife preserves. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 11; Title 12; Title 43; Title 44; Title 55; Title 64; Title 67; Title 69 and Title 70.

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, requires the department to make available a list of the registered withdrawals of 10,000 or more gallons of water per day from a surface water or a groundwater source in a publicly accessible place on the department's website. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 59; Title 65; Title 66; Title 68 and Title 69.

Solid Waste Disposal - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act," which requires producers of goods to participate in a responsibility organization for recycling, reuse, and composting of certain packaging material. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2 and Title 68, Chapter 211.

Schools, Charter - As introduced, changes from December 11 to December 15, the date by which the state board of education is required to post the information received from each local education agency regarding the total amount of authorizer fees collected by the LEA in the previous school year and the authorizing obligations fulfilled using the authorizer fees collected on its website. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 13.

Education - As introduced, amends the criminal offense of threatening to commit an act of mass violence on school property to apply only to a valid and credible threat; requires a local education agency's threat assessment procedures to include, when assessing a student based on dangerous or threatening behavior, a written assessment of the student by a mental healthcare provider, which may be performed via telehealth. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 49.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, increases from 10 to 15 the number of days from the date of an order suspending or revoking a commercial driver license that a petition may be filed to appeal the decision. - Amends TCA Title 55.

Agriculture, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the commissioner to annually report the amount of fees, fines, and proceeds resulting from the sale of seized properties collected under Tennessee Apiary Act of 1995 to the chairpersons of the committees having subject jurisdiction over agriculture in both chambers of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 4; Title 8; Title 11; Title 12; Title 35; Title 36; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 44; Title 47; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 62; Title 63; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70 and Title 71.

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to develop and design for a driver who has a developmental or intellectual disability a blue envelope and a driver who has a mental illness a green envelope that holds the driver's essential documents, including a driver license, vehicle registration, and contact card. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38; Title 52 and Title 55.

Local Government, General - As introduced, creates the "Tennessee Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund," with monies from the fund to be expended for grants and loans to counties, municipalities, state agencies, and nongovernmental entities for improvement and restoration projects; creates the board of trustees for the trust fund. - Amends TCA Title 68 and Title 70.

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, changes from January 31 to January 15, the date by which the commissioner must submit an annual report to the chair of the energy, agriculture and natural resources committee of the senate and the chair of the agriculture and natural resources committee of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 69.

Health Care - As introduced, authorizes an individual to submit a request for a pre-application determination of eligibility for an occupational license based on criminal history either in writing or electronically, rather than exclusively in writing, and updates the provision regarding judicial review to clarify that the 30-day window to petition the Davidson County chancery court is triggered by the receipt of either written or electronic notice of disqualification. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Solid Waste Disposal - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Secondary Aluminum Waste Management Act." - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 62, Chapter 9 and Title 68.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, allows the Tellico Village Property Owners Association's water and wastewater utility services to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Tennessee board of utility regulation. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 82, Part 7 and Title 65, Chapter 4, Part 1.

Transportation, Dept. of - As introduced, changes the deadline from January 1 to February 15 by when the department must submit its annual report to the speakers of the senate and the house of representatives, the chair of the transportation and safety committee of the senate, and the chair of the transportation committee of the house of representatives, on the status of projects funded by the transportation modernization fund. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 23; Title 9, Chapter 11; Title 9, Chapter 21; Title 9, Chapter 4; Title 9, Chapter 9; Title 54 and Title 67.

Agriculture - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom to Farm Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4; Title 40 and Title 43.

Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) - As introduced, expands the category of students who are considered economically disadvantaged for purposes of generating a weighted allocation through the TISA funding formula to include students who are enrolled in the state's medicaid program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, requires the department of safety to report to the chairs of the transportation and safety committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over transportation matters, the number of persons who participated in the motorcycle rider education program and the types of expenses for which the funds in the motorcycle rider safety fund were used during the last three years. - Amends TCA Title 55.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows a nonprofit or for-profit entity that operates an adult high school under a contract with a local board of education to receive state and local funding in years subsequent to the first year of the adult high school's operation based on current enrollment numbers that are reported and adjusted no less than three times per year. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Water - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Fluoride-Free Water Act" to prohibit public water systems from adding fluoride to drinking water, prohibit sales of bottled water containing added fluoride, and requires certain actions for naturally occurring fluoride that exceeds certain levels in drinking water and bottled water. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 53 and Title 68, Chapter 221.

Boats, Boating - As introduced, increases, from 50 to 75 feet, the distance a jet boat that carries passengers for hire must be from a private or public dock or boat ramp before the boat may travel at a speed greater than no-wake speed. - Amends TCA Title 69.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, changes from September 1 to November 1 the day by which the department is required to compile and publish to its website a directory of the name and contact information for the apprenticeship training program contact for each public high school. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Tourist Development, Dept. of - As introduced, requires a copy of an annual audit report prepared by certain organizations under the department to be submitted to the legislative librarian. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 11; Title 13; Title 24; Title 36; Title 39; Title 42; Title 43; Title 47; Title 49; Title 54; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 58; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69 and Title 70.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires the department of transportation to allocate federal and state funds to rural planning organizations in parity with its allocation of such funds to metropolitan planning organizations. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 54 and Title 64, Chapter 8.

Education - As introduced, requires a private school that participates in the Individualized Education Act or the Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program to comply with certain requirements in order to receive public funds through the program; prohibits a student from receiving an education freedom scholarship if the student is enrolled in a private school that doesn't comply with certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 26 and Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 35.

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, requires the Tennessee higher education commission to submit a report to the education and finance committees of the senate and house of representatives identifying any fiscal year, beginning with the 2004 fiscal year, for which net lottery proceeds were insufficient to fully fund certain scholarships and grants, resulting in a pro rata reduction in award amounts or a draw upon the general shortfall reserve subaccount. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 4, Chapter 51 and Title 49, Chapter 4.

Parks, Natural Areas Preservation - As introduced, requires playgrounds at Booker T. Washington State Park and Harrison Bay State Park to be built no later than January 1, 2027; requires existing resources of the department of environment and conservation to be used to build the parks. - Amends TCA Title 11, Chapter 3.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires the commissioner of transportation to establish rules governing reimbursement of relocation costs to a utility; requires reimbursement of at least $2.5 million for projects with utility relocation costs exceeding $2.5 million; requires the department to approve a utility owner's plan to accomplish the proposed new location of utility facilities in highway rights-of-way if the proposal would effectuate the relocation at the lowest cost to the utility and its ratepayers; makes other related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 54.

Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the governing board for each public institution of higher education to install and maintain a "Charlie Kirk Memorial Courtyard for Civil Debate" at the main campus of each public institution of higher education governed by the board. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

Driver Licenses - As introduced, authorizes the department of safety to issue a for-hire endorsement to operate a Class D vehicle to an applicant who would otherwise qualify for a for-hire endorsement but for the requirement of at least two years of unrestricted driving prior to the date of application if the applicant has completed a sentence of incarceration after conviction for an offense and currently has a restricted license for unpaid fines and court costs and is making payments in accordance with a payment plan. - Amends TCA Title 55.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, creates a pathway for a person to obtain an alternative instructional leader license for purposes of serving as a principal, an assistant principal, or an instructional supervisor. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5.

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires the department of transportation to study the development of a new bridge crossing the Mississippi River and connecting to Arkansas. - Amends TCA Title 54.

Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee mRNA Pharmaceutical Sovereignty and Safety Act," which prohibits individuals, including professional providers of health care and veterinary medicine, from administering any vaccine or other injectable solution that contains an mRNA vaccine or vaccine material. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 37; Title 44; Title 47; Title 49; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Water - As introduced, prohibits the department of environment and conservation from prohibiting a utility that provides drinking water from pumping or otherwise withdrawing water from natural waters for purposes of providing drinking water, including as a prerequisite to renewal of the utility's permit, unless the prohibition is required to comply with federal law. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 68, Chapter 221 and Title 69.

Education - As introduced, allows students to use their score on the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to satisfy the eligibility requirements for certain grants and scholarships funded using net proceeds of the state lottery; requires the Tennessee student assistance corporation to include information concerning testing dates for the CLT when informing students about lottery scholarship opportunities; allows public institutions of higher education to accept student scores on the CLT for admissions purposes. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Aircraft and Airports - As introduced, requires the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission to study the laws and regulations of other states regarding restrictions on the operation of drones over private property. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38; Title 39; Title 42; Title 56 and Title 66.

Education - As introduced, requires local boards of education to notify the department of education when a board declares itself to be a high performing school district; requires the department to maintain a list of high performing school districts on the department's website. - Amends TCA Title 49.