Tennessee Bills

Local Education Agencies - As enacted, requires an LEA that operates a public high school that meets certain criteria to permit certain high school students who are enrolled in private schools to participate in interscholastic athletics at the public high school. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Codes - As enacted, expands present law's requirements for when a person engages a third-party inspector to complete locally required building inspections, as authorized in present law's statewide building construction safety standards. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 68.

Civil Emergencies - As enacted, requires a local emergency management agency to annually require all employees to receive training provided by TEMA on the "Mutual Aid and Emergency and Disaster Assistance Agreement Act of 2004," and the "Interlocal Cooperation Act"; encourages the chief executive of each police department, sheriff's department, fire department, public works department, highway department, municipal utility, or county or municipal finance office that is a participating government entity to designate employees to receive the training provided by TEMA. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 58, Chapter 2 and Title 58, Chapter 8.

Election Laws - As enacted, authorizes, if a candidate changes treasurers and notifies the registry of election finance of the change, the candidate to continue to use print communication that includes the identification of the former treasurer until the print communication is exhausted. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Education - As enacted, allows student performance on the Classic Learning Test to be used alongside the ACT and SAT for various purposes; makes various changes to home school testing requirements and opportunities available to home school students. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Correctional Programs - As enacted, requires each correctional officer at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center to utilize a body camera that is recording at all times while the officer is on duty at the facility and is in contact with or may reasonably anticipate contact or interaction with an inmate; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10 and Title 41.

Professions and Occupations - As enacted, specifies in various provisions that for a person to be eligible for a particular license, certificate, permit, or authorization, the person must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 20; Title 23; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 49; Title 52; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 62; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70; Title 71 and Chapter 463 of the Public Acts of 2025.

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, adds certain language comprehension requirements for certain driver licenses; requires documentation as a U.S. citizen or lawfully permitted in the U.S. for certain vehicle registrations; requires documentation as a U.S. citizen for certain driving and related licenses. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 4; Title 55, Chapter 50 and Title 65, Chapter 15.

Immigration - As enacted, requires, until February 1, 2029, each court to cooperate with the U.S. department of homeland security and federal immigration authorities acting in the enforcement of federal immigration law; authorizes, until February 1, 2029, a judge who obstructs lawful operations by such department and such authorities acting in the enforcement of federal immigration law to be referred to the board of judicial conduct for proceedings; clarifies that any findings by the board that the judge committed judicial misconduct may be cause for removal. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 16; Title 17 and Title 38.

Public Contracts - As enacted, requires a state department, agency, or official who contracts with a business to acquire property or services to make payments under the contract to the business within a certain time frame after receipt of the invoice; requires such state departments, agencies, and officials to annually report to the chairs of the appropriate standing committees of the senate and house of representatives the number and aggregate amount of late payments made for the preceding fiscal year and the amount of interest paid and outstanding on such late payments. - Amends TCA Title 12, Chapter 4.

Law Enforcement Training Academy - As enacted, authorizes the commissioner of general services to commission the director or a staff member of a law enforcement training academy; authorizes the department of general services to operate a sale facility at a law enforcement training academy for purposes of funding its operations. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 11 and Title 38, Chapter 8, Part 2.

Hazardous Materials - As enacted, makes various changes to the "Tennessee Drycleaner's Environmental Response Act." - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 217, Part 1.

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the Tennessee council for career and technical education to June 30, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 2.

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the inmate disciplinary oversight board to June 30, 2028. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 41, Chapter 21, Part 10.

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As enacted, exempts a military service member who is stationed out of state on military orders from paying the additional registration fee imposed on all-electric vehicles. - Amends TCA Section 55-4-116 and Section 55-6-107.

Parks, Natural Areas Preservation - As enacted, designates segments of the Buffalo River, Duck River, and certain other rivers and creeks as Class II pastoral river areas; expands certain public outreach requirements concerning scenic rivers. - Amends TCA Title 11, Chapter 13.

Health Care - As enacted, enacts the "Caring for Caregivers Act." - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 33; Title 52; Title 67 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, makes various changes to law relative to human trafficking. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 39 and Title 40.

Contracts - As enacted, requires a court to apply rebuttable presumptions when determining the reasonableness in time of a restrictive covenant sought to be enforced after the termination of an employment or business relationship; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 50; Title 63 and Title 68.

State Government - As enacted, requires each governmental entity to revise any existing ordinance, resolution, rule, policy, and procedure that includes a reference to a natural person's sex or gender to state that those terms are defined as the immutable characteristics of the person's reproductive system that identify the person as male or female, as determined by anatomy and genetics testing at the time of birth; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 8.

Criminal Procedure - As enacted, prohibits a defendant charged with certain offenses from being released on the defendant's personal recognizance or upon execution of an unsecured bond. - Amends TCA Title 40.

Courts - As enacted, enacts the "Violent Criminal Court Act." - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55.

Health Care - As enacted, revises law relative to gender clinics and related services. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 4; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Pensions and Retirement Benefits - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Trump Account Program Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 50.

Salaries and Benefits - As enacted, enacts "The Chance Carlton Act." - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7, Chapter 51; Title 8 and Title 50.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates the offense for a person to knowingly travel, with intent to commit theft of another person's cash, from a commercial business; a financial institution; or an automated teller machine, on the same path or route as another person without substantial deviation from that path or route while in possession of two or more criminal instruments. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates a criminal offense of knowingly violating a no contact order issued as part of a defendant's sentence or conditions of probation or parole following conviction for certain criminal offenses in which the alleged victim of the offense is a domestic abuse victim; punishes a violation as a Class A misdemeanor. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Education - As enacted, expands the prescribed forms of epinephrine that an LEA or nonpublic school is authorized to administer when a student is believed to be experiencing a life-threatening allergic or anaphylactic reaction to any prescribed form of epinephrine, not just epinephrine auto-injectors. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68, Chapter 140, Part 5.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As enacted, makes various changes related to entities seeking to secure the release of a defendant. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, enacts "Matthew Davenport's Law," which creates certain criminal offenses and testing requirements related to Kratom. - Amends TCA Title 33, Chapter 2; Title 38; Title 39; Title 50; Title 63 and Title 68.

Agriculture, Dept. of - As enacted, enacts the "Representative Johnny Shaw Tennessee Agricultural Innovation and Education Initiative." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 43.

Secretary of State - As enacted, removes the filing fee that must be paid to the secretary of state to file articles of termination of corporation existence; increases the number of days after a person ceases solicitation activities after registration with the secretary of state, from 30 to 90, that the person has to notify the secretary of state; removes the requirement that a charitable organization that ceases solicitation activity and received in excess of $1 million in gross revenue during the most recently completed fiscal year include an audited financial statement and forms required to be filed by a charitable organization with the U.S. internal revenue service with the organization's notice to the secretary of state that the organization ceased solicitation activities. - Amends TCA Title 48.

Sentencing - As enacted, requires a sentencing court to order the sentences for two or more offenses involving more than one minor victim to run consecutively unless the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the facts of the case do not warrant the imposition of consecutive sentences and the imposition of consecutive sentences would not be in the best interest of justice. - Amends TCA Title 40.

Aircraft and Airports - As enacted, specifies that a joint board established by two municipalities and two counties pursuant to an interlocal agreement for the purpose of operating an airport is vested with all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of a regional airport authority. - Amends TCA Title 42, Chapter 5.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, makes various changes to laws regarding utilities, including the procedure for consolidation of utilities and continuing education requirements for members of utility governing bodies. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 34; Title 7, Chapter 82; Title 9, Chapter 21 and Title 68, Chapter 221.

Capitol - As enacted, creates a capitol hill protection zone around the state capitol grounds that includes the state capitol, capitol annexes, World War II Memorial Building that formerly housed the state library and archives, Supreme Court Building, William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, War Memorial Building, Legislative Plaza, James K. Polk State Office Building, Rachel Jackson Building, Andrew Jackson Building, John Sevier State Office Building, Cordell Hull Building, and the grounds, roads, and sidewalks along either side of the roads immediately surrounding such buildings. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, enacts "The Memphis Safe Task Force Accountability Act." - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 7 and Title 39.

Children - As enacted, provides, in addition to present law, an alternative method for the voluntary surrender of parental rights if executed within the geographic boundaries of the state. - Amends TCA Title 36; Title 37 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, provides that a person is criminally responsible for an offense committed by the conduct of another if, acting with intent to benefit in the proceeds or results of the offense, the person solicits, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another person to commit the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 11; Title 39, Chapter 12; Title 39, Chapter 13; Title 39, Chapter 14; Title 40, Chapter 24; Title 40, Chapter 35 and Title 40, Chapter 39.

Physicians and Surgeons - As enacted, makes various changes relative to the authority of a physician or podiatrist to prescribe, dispense, or administer medication to the provider's own self or immediate family; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 39; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Criminal Procedure - As enacted, prohibits a defendant charged with certain offenses from being released on the defendant's personal recognizance or upon execution of an unsecured bond. - Amends TCA Title 40.

Health Care - As enacted, revises law relative to gender clinics and related services. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 4; Title 33; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Aircraft and Airports - As enacted, specifies that a joint board established by two municipalities and two counties pursuant to an interlocal agreement for the purpose of operating an airport is vested with all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of a regional airport authority. - Amends TCA Title 42, Chapter 5.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, makes various changes to laws regarding utilities, including the procedure for consolidation of utilities and continuing education requirements for members of utility governing bodies. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 34; Title 7, Chapter 82; Title 9, Chapter 21 and Title 68, Chapter 221.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates the offense for a person to knowingly travel, with intent to commit theft of another person's cash, from a commercial business; a financial institution; or an automated teller machine, on the same path or route as another person without substantial deviation from that path or route while in possession of two or more criminal instruments. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, enacts "Matthew Davenport's Law," which creates certain criminal offenses and testing requirements related to Kratom. - Amends TCA Title 33, Chapter 2; Title 38; Title 39; Title 50; Title 63 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates a criminal offense of knowingly violating a no contact order issued as part of a defendant's sentence or conditions of probation or parole following conviction for certain criminal offenses in which the alleged victim of the offense is a domestic abuse victim; punishes a violation as a Class A misdemeanor. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Secretary of State - As enacted, removes the filing fee that must be paid to the secretary of state to file articles of termination of corporation existence; increases the number of days after a person ceases solicitation activities after registration with the secretary of state, from 30 to 90, that the person has to notify the secretary of state; removes the requirement that a charitable organization that ceases solicitation activity and received in excess of $1 million in gross revenue during the most recently completed fiscal year include an audited financial statement and forms required to be filed by a charitable organization with the U.S. internal revenue service with the organization's notice to the secretary of state that the organization ceased solicitation activities. - Amends TCA Title 48.

Education - As enacted, expands the prescribed forms of epinephrine that an LEA or nonpublic school is authorized to administer when a student is believed to be experiencing a life-threatening allergic or anaphylactic reaction to any prescribed form of epinephrine, not just epinephrine auto-injectors. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68, Chapter 140, Part 5.

Agriculture, Dept. of - As enacted, enacts the "Representative Johnny Shaw Tennessee Agricultural Innovation and Education Initiative." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 43.

Sentencing - As enacted, requires a sentencing court to order the sentences for two or more offenses involving more than one minor victim to run consecutively unless the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the facts of the case do not warrant the imposition of consecutive sentences and the imposition of consecutive sentences would not be in the best interest of justice. - Amends TCA Title 40.

Capitol - As enacted, creates a capitol hill protection zone around the state capitol grounds that includes the state capitol, capitol annexes, World War II Memorial Building that formerly housed the state library and archives, Supreme Court Building, William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, War Memorial Building, Legislative Plaza, James K. Polk State Office Building, Rachel Jackson Building, Andrew Jackson Building, John Sevier State Office Building, Cordell Hull Building, and the grounds, roads, and sidewalks along either side of the roads immediately surrounding such buildings. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 40.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, enacts "The Memphis Safe Task Force Accountability Act." - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 7 and Title 39.

Salaries and Benefits - As enacted, enacts "The Chance Carlton Act." - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7, Chapter 51; Title 8 and Title 50.

Bail, Bail Bonds - As enacted, makes various changes related to entities seeking to secure the release of a defendant. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

Pensions and Retirement Benefits - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Trump Account Program Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 50.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, provides that a person is criminally responsible for an offense committed by the conduct of another if, acting with intent to benefit in the proceeds or results of the offense, the person solicits, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another person to commit the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 11; Title 39, Chapter 12; Title 39, Chapter 13; Title 39, Chapter 14; Title 40, Chapter 24; Title 40, Chapter 35 and Title 40, Chapter 39.

State Government - As enacted, requires each governmental entity to revise any existing ordinance, resolution, rule, policy, and procedure that includes a reference to a natural person's sex or gender to state that those terms are defined as the immutable characteristics of the person's reproductive system that identify the person as male or female, as determined by anatomy and genetics testing at the time of birth; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 1; Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 8.

Courts - As enacted, enacts the "Violent Criminal Court Act." - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55.

Children - As enacted, provides, in addition to present law, an alternative method for the voluntary surrender of parental rights if executed within the geographic boundaries of the state. - Amends TCA Title 36; Title 37 and Title 68.