Tennessee House Bills

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, sets the value of residential property for tax purposes at the higher of the most recent price paid for the property or the value attributed to the property by a financial institution when the owner refinances the mortgage on the property or otherwise uses the property as collateral for a loan; prohibits the sale of real property used by the owner as a principal place of residence for 10 years or more to satisfy a tax debt. - Amends TCA Title 26 and Title 67.

Nuisances - As introduced, prohibits any cause of action for nuisance, taking, or another claim against a racing facility or racetrack by the owner of a surrounding real property if the racing facility or racetrack was built before the owner of the surrounding real property purchased the real property or built in the area of the racing facility or racetrack, regardless of the date on which the cause of action is alleged to have arisen; prohibits a political subdivision from adopting or enforcing any ordinance, resolution, or regulation that would restrict, limit, or prohibit the operation of a racing facility or racetrack in a manner inconsistent. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 29.

Computers and Electronic Processing - As introduced, requires high performance computing (HPC) facility operators to devote 50 percent of the computing and data processing output of the facility for a public benefit; requires HPC facility operators to produce an annual report of the facility's energy consumption and carbon footprint; requires such operators to conduct an annual internal compliance audit and submit to an audit upon request by certain governmental entities. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 68.

State Government - As introduced, requires each state department and agency to post to the department's or agency's website the report provided annually to the general assembly that describes the department's or agency's progress in achieving economic efficiency. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Constitutional Amendments - Proposes an amendment to Article XI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Tennessee, to allow for bingo games conducted by 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19) organizations to meet a charitable, nonprofit, or community service purpose. -

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to develop or approve a policy allowing for the retake of a TCAP test, including each end-of-course assessment, if the administration of one or more of the state-mandated TCAP tests is interrupted due to an act of God or other circumstance beyond the control of the school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires an LEA in which a child care facility operates to submit a comprehensive list of all underutilized or vacant property to the department of human services and the comptroller of the treasury and to make the list available to each child care facility operating in the LEA; grants certain owners of a child care facility that operates in an LEA a first or second right of refusal to lease or purchase underutilized or vacant property listed by the LEA. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 71.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts the sale or use of feminine hygiene products from sales and use tax; directs the department of education to ensure feminine hygiene products are placed into and made available to students for free in a public school upon the request of a public school administrator, board, or director of schools. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 49 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

TennCare - As introduced, requires a managed care organization or pharmacy benefits manager that is contracted with the bureau to reimburse a claim for a long-acting injectable drug intended for treatment and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus and administered in a pharmacy, physician's office, clinic, ambulatory surgical treatment center, or hospital. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 56 and Title 71.

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, authorizes the issuance of a retail package store license to an operator within the general services district of a metropolitan government that has approved the retail sale of liquor for off-premises consumption by local option election. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 57.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As introduced, authorizes the use of unexpended campaign funds by an officeholder to procure home security equipment and monitoring services for the officeholder's personal residence. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows time spent by students in a physical education class to meet physical activity time requirements if the students are physically active in the class; clarifies that physical activity may include structured movement breaks; allows a teacher to prevent a student from participating in unstructured play and to assign activities to students during periods of physical activity to improve or correct student behavior. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "School Mental Health Transparency Act"; requires the department to consult relevant agencies to compile a list of mental health resources; requires public schools to use the department's list to compile lists of mental health resources available to enrolled students and provide the lists to students' parents; requires that lists of mental health resources be published on the website of the department and each public school. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 33 and Title 49.

Abortion - As introduced, specifies that the offense of criminal abortion does not include an abortion that was necessary due to a medical emergency affecting the physical or mental health of the pregnant person or performed on a patient whose pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 15; Title 63 and Title 68.

Gaming - As introduced, requires a licensee offering interactive sports wagering in this state to restrict access to such wagering on certain campuses of public institutions of higher education; requires certain public institutions of higher education to restrict internet access to interactive sports wagering on campus. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49, Part 1 and Title 49.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, compiles a list of certain training requirements and opportunities for certain school staff and volunteers; changes the required frequency for certain de-escalation training, child abuse training, and training on harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyberbullying policies. - Amends TCA Section 37-1-408; Title 49 and Section 68-6-103.

Alcoholic Beverages - As introduced, requires each officer who takes possession of intoxicating liquor to file within 10 days, rather than five days, a written statement with the circuit or criminal court clerk identifying the kind and quantity of the liquor taken, and from whom the liquor was taken, if known. - Amends TCA Title 57 and Title 67.

Education - As introduced, removes a provision that required the board of regents, the University of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association to provide a report by April 1, 2009, to the Tennessee higher education commission on the reasonable efforts their institutions have taken to attempt to deter infringement of copyrighted works over the school's computer and network resources. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Bristol - Subject to local approval, revises election provisions for city council and the board of education to comply with changes to general election law; reduces the time after final passage for an ordinance to take effect from 17 days to seven days; changes the due dates for property taxes; creates a department of education. - Amends Chapter 84 of the Private Acts of 1991; as amended.

Banks and Financial Institutions - As introduced, increases, from 60 to 70 days, the time within which, after the end of the calendar year, the commissioner of financial institutions must submit the department's annual report to the governor. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 35; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 48; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 61; Title 62; Title 63; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

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.

Memorials, Recognition - Bring David Crockett Home Week, March 2-6, 2026 -

TennCare - As introduced, increases from 60 to 65 days the period after the close of each fiscal year within which the department of finance and administration must submit a report to the governor and members of the general assembly that includes an account of the operations and expenditures of all funds under the Medical Assistance Act of 1968, statistics by county about all medical assistance within the state, rules promulgated to carry out the act, and other information the department deems advisable. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 14; Title 33; Title 47; Title 52; Title 53; Title 56; Title 62; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Livestock - As introduced, broadens the definition of alternative livestock under the Tennessee Livestock Dealer Act to include non-traditional livestock without hooves. - Amends TCA Title 44, Chapter 10.

Memorials, Recognition - Nuclear Energy in Tennessee -

Memorials, Recognition - Read Across America Week -

Domestic Violence - As introduced, requires a person who is convicted of domestic assault or subject to an order of protection to dispossess any firearm in the person's possession by transferring the firearm to a law enforcement agency and to provide the court with an affidavit of dispossession of firearms and a receipt from the law enforcement agency. - Amends TCA Title 36; Title 39 and Title 40.

Education, Higher - As introduced, prohibits the board of regents, each state university board of trustees, and the board of trustees for the University of Tennessee from conferring any new tenure status on faculty members on or after July 1, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

Public Contracts - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Businesses First Act," which requires local governmental entities to provide a 30-day local bidding period for certain contracts, during which only local businesses may submit bids; creates a bidding preference for local businesses. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 12.

Food and Food Products - As introduced, prohibits the sale, delivery for sale, holding for sale, or offering for sale of food that contains forever chemicals, unless the food is labeled as containing forever chemicals and discloses the known or possible health effects of the chemical; defines forever chemicals as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 53.

Election Laws - As introduced, restores a person's right of suffrage automatically upon the person's discharge from custody by reason of service or expiration of the maximum sentence imposed by the court for the infamous crime. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, authorizes counties and cities to create by majority vote of the local legislative body the elected office of school superintendent. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 49.

Children - As introduced, requires, in contested child custody, dependency and neglect, adoption, and guardianship proceedings in which the court has appointed a guardian ad litem, a court to order the child to be evaluated by a qualified expert unless the court determines an examination is unnecessary; requires the expert to submit a report containing certain information; specifies that the submitted report constitutes prima facie evidence of the child's condition and the factors relevant to the child's best interest; specifies various other requirements for the guardian ad litem's consideration of the report and the allocation of the examination costs. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.

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.

TennCare - As introduced, removes the requirement that the governor receive authorization by the general assembly prior to making any decision or obligating the state with regard to the expansion of optional enrollment in the medical assistance program. - Amends TCA Title 71.

TennCare - As introduced, authorizes the governor to expand medicaid pursuant to the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; authorizes the governor to negotiate with the federal centers for medicare and medicaid services to determine the terms of the expansion. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

Human Resources, Department of - As introduced, excludes a child care agency that provides child care services through a child development program and is accredited by the United States department of defense from being subject to licensure as long as such child care agency provides child care services only to an eligible patron. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 3.

Salaries and Benefits - As introduced, increases, from $7.25 to $20, the minimum hourly wage for employees within this state. - Amends TCA Section 8-23-203; Title 12 and Title 50, Chapter 2.

State Employees - As introduced, increases, from three days to three months, the amount of paid leave provided to the officers and employees of the various agencies, boards, and departments of state government in the event of the death of such officers' or employees' children or stepchildren. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50.

Anatomical Gifts - As introduced, creates a process by which an individual or terminal patient can refuse to make an anatomical gift that cannot be amended by another person; requires a procurement organization to follow certain procedures for contacting a decedent's family member or other authorized person. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, increases, from 60 to 65 days prior to the effective date of the change, the required minimum notice that a health insurance entity must provide to a healthcare provider of any material change made in the sole discretion of the insurance entity to the entity's previously released provider manual or a reimbursement rule and policy. - Amends TCA Title 56, Chapter 7.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As introduced, subjects plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, instead of all hybrid electric vehicles, to the $100 additional vehicle registration fee for electric vehicles. - Amends TCA Section 55-4-116.

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, imposes a tax on electric power used in all-electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles; requires electric vehicle power dealers to register for collection of the tax; establishes other regulations for electric vehicle charging stations. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 54; Title 55 and Title 67.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee School Safety Act of 2026"; requires a student who has been expelled on two or more separate occasions for the zero tolerance offense of threatening mass violence on school property or at a school-related activity to submit to a psychiatric examination conducted by a medical professional; prohibits the student from returning to school or a school-related activity until the medical professional finds that the student is no longer a threat to the school and can safely return to school. - Amends TCA Section 39-13-813 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Comptroller, State - As introduced, requires the office of research and education accountability in the office of the comptroller of the treasury to annually report information about the students participating in the education freedom scholarship program to the general assembly by October 30. - Amends Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and TCA Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

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.

Funeral Directors and Embalmers - As introduced, establishes organic human reduction as a legally permissible method to dispose of human remains, with oversight by and pursuant to rules promulgated by the board of funeral directors and embalmers. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 11, Chapter 6, Part 1; Title 62, Chapter 5; Title 63 and Title 68.

Divorce, Annulment and Alimony - As introduced, states that a divorce proceeding shall not be stayed or delayed due to the pregnancy of one of the parties if the court can determine or both parties can agree to stipulate as to whether the other party is the parent of the unborn child and, if applicable, the court enters an agreed parenting plan and child support order. - Amends TCA Title 36.

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.

Sentencing - As introduced, increases from one year to three years the amount of time a defendant receiving a split sentence of confinement and probation may be required to serve a portion of the sentence in continuous confinement in the local jail or workhouse; specifies that the state is responsible for all costs of incarceration after the first year. - Amends TCA Title 40 and Title 41.

Economic and Community Development, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the commissioner to research the feasibility of establishing a development corridor, to be called the Oak Ridge Energy Park, located in and spanning parts of Anderson and Roane counties. -

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to review and propose revisions to the physical education standards to incorporate guidance published by the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to reestablish the presidential fitness test pursuant to Executive Order No. 14327 of the president of the United States on July 31, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Codes - As introduced, revises authority of state fire marshal to prescribe rules relating to minimum statewide building construction safety standards, specifically for fire prevention for multi-family dwelling units. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 120.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates the new criminal offenses of systematic unauthorized employment and aggravated systematic unauthorized employment; establishes the tort of unfair competition. - Amends TCA Title 29 and Title 39.

Children - As introduced, requires certain commercial online platforms, websites, and applications to maintain a content moderation system that allows users to report material harmful to minors that is not properly marked or age-restricted; makes other changes related to platform content and minors. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 9 and Title 47, Chapter 18.

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.

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.

Finance and Administration, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to promulgate rules relating to cash transaction rounding. - Amends TCA Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 67.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, prohibits an LEA from employing a person who is a relative of the LEA's director of schools or a relative of a member of the LEA's local board of education unless the commissioner of education approves the relative's employment in writing. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 2, Part 2.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, prohibits a school board from offering or providing severance pay to a director of schools who is terminated without cause in an amount that exceeds the annual salary amount the director was receiving at the time of termination; prohibits a school board from offering or providing severance pay to a director of schools who is terminated with cause. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 2.