114 session

Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, requires the commission to submit its biennial report on underage drinking, drunk driving, and other harmful uses of alcohol to the governor in addition to members of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 57.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

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

2026-05-26 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1013

Education - As enacted, requires the department of education to implement a pilot program to evaluate whether administering fewer district- and state-mandated assessments results in students achieving greater academic success; adds an additional method by which a student who is not proficient in ELA, as determined by the student's achieving a performance level rating of “approaching” on the ELA portion of the student's most recent TCAP test may be promoted. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1030

Schools, Charter - As enacted, allows private postsecondary institutions, including those that are religiously affiliated, to operate a public charter school; allows such institutions to apply to the local board of education or directly to the Tennessee public charter school commission to open a public charter school and to give an enrollment preference to children of the institution's employees or members of its governing body in the same manner afforded to public institutions of higher education. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-05-27 — Pub. Ch. 1128

Libraries - As introduced, requires public libraries established by a county, city, or town to adopt a materials reconsideration policy that provides a process by which any legal resident of the county where the library is located may request that the library withdraw an item from the library's collection or reclassify or move the item to a different area in the library. - Amends TCA Title 10.

2026-02-11 — Sponsor(s) Added.

Campaigns and Campaign Finance - As enacted, clarifies that expenditures of campaign funds to enhance security for an officeholder's personal residence are not deemed for personal use and that such expenditures are limited to home security consultation, home security equipment, home security monitoring services, safe rooms, and the use of security guards at an officeholder's personal residence for non-campaign purposes; clarifies that such expenditures must not exceed $12,000 per calendar year and must be disclosed as "residential security." - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 10.

2026-05-27 — Effective date(s) 05/22/2026

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits a person or entity from distributing an electoral deepfake within 90 days of an election that the person or entity knows or should have known is a deceptive and fraudulent depiction of a candidate or political party; creates civil penalties and outlines exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

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.

2026-03-17 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State & Local Gov't

Drugs, Over the Counter - As enacted, increases the amount of products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine a person may purchase in a one-year period from 43.2 grams to 61.2 grams; changes references to the "National Precursor Log Exchange" to the "electronic sales tracking system"; requires any manufacturer of an ephedrine or pseudoephedrine product that is sold in or into this state to, on a monthly basis, pay fees to the administrator of the electronic sales tracking system. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4.

2026-05-05 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 880

Children - As enacted, revises various provisions regarding children, including requiring a parent educational seminar in certain juvenile cases. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.

2026-05-04 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

Public Defenders - As introduced, changes from 10 days to 10 business days the number of days' written notice the president of the district public defenders conference must give before calling an at-will meeting of the conference. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4.

2026-04-20 — Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

Real Property - As enacted, requires a homeowners' association that collects assessments for common expenses to obtain and maintain a blanket fidelity bond to insure the homeowners' association against losses resulting from theft or dishonesty committed by the officers, directors, or persons employed by the homeowners' association, or committed by any managing agent or employees of the managing agent. - Amends TCA Title 66.

2026-04-23 — Effective date(s) 01/01/2027

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates the Class B misdemeanor offense of interfering with a religious institution if a person acts to intentionally obstruct, disturb, or interfere with the activities of the religious institution by making an utterance, gesture, or display in a manner that is offensive to the sensibilities of an ordinary person, either within the place where the meeting is held or so near it as to disturb the order and solemnity of the activities; defines "religious institution" as a church, temple, synagogue, mosque, or other place of worship. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

2026-04-13 — Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

Judicial Districts - As introduced, requires the advisory task force to review composition of judicial districts to submit its findings and recommendations by January 15, 2027, rather than January 1, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 16.

2026-03-25 — Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

Judges and Chancellors - As introduced, increases base salaries for trial and appellate level judges and supreme court justices effective September 1, 2030; revises compensation and other requirements for general sessions judges on or after September 1, 2030. - Amends TCA Section 8-23-103; Title 16 and Title 67.

2026-04-20 — Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

State Government - As introduced, requires departments, agencies, and other state governmental entities to make information and records available, including by means of direct electronic access, to the staff of the general assembly's fiscal review committee; requires the department of finance and administration to provide the office of legislative budget analysis with access to applicable state budget formulation and management systems. - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 13; Title 3, Chapter 14 and Title 3, Chapter 7.

2026-04-23 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

Fiscal Review Committee - As introduced, clarifies which procurement contracts are subject to review by the fiscal review committee of the general assembly; removes requirement that impact to commerce statements be included on fiscal notes prepared by the fiscal review committee. - Amends TCA Title 3, Chapter 2 and Title 4, Chapter 56.

2026-03-26 — Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

Schools, Charter - As introduced, prevents a public charter school that has had its charter agreement renewed on appeal by the Tennessee public charter school commission from mutually agreeing with the local board of education for the LEA in which the public charter school is located for the local board to serve as its authorizer; allows the commission to determine, between five and 10 years, the term of a charter agreement renewed by the commission instead of automatically assigning all charter agreements renewed by the commission a 10-year term. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-03-04 — Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

Judicial Districts - As introduced, deletes the requirement that, beginning in 2028, the funding for each judicial district that has a disproportionately high number of judges, as determined by the comptroller, be reduced by 10 percent during the subsequent fiscal year if the legislature has not passed legislation reapportioning the judicial districts. - Amends TCA Title 16, Chapter 2, Part 5.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

Local Government, General - As enacted, authorizes a local government to use any project delivery method that the local government determines most effectively meets the needs of the local government for the construction of qualified local projects, if the local government meets certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 12, Chapter 3, Part 12.

2026-05-04 — Effective date(s) 04/27/2026

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, expands the offense of aggravated criminal trespass to include trespassing that results in the disruption of a religious assembly, which is a Class A misdemeanor. - Amends TCA Title 39.

2026-04-15 — Sponsor(s) Added.

Firefighters - As introduced, increases from one year to two years post the duration of employment, the period of which a criminal background required as a condition of employment as a paid or volunteer fire protection personnel, or applicant for such position, must be maintained by the employer. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 38; Title 50 and Title 68.

2026-03-23 — Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, enacts the "Healthy Tennessee Grocery Tax Reform of 2026." - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6.

2026-03-27 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

Fire Prevention and Investigation - As enacted, requires the commissioner of commerce and insurance to fulfill certain duties for the volunteer firefighter vehicle grant program, which is established to annually provide grants to select volunteer fire departments to assist with local match requirements for federal grants to purchase vehicles. - Amends TCA Title 68.

2026-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1031

Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, authorizes an excise tax credit for brewers that donate spent grain byproducts for agricultural use. - Amends TCA Title 43; Title 57 and Title 67.

2026-04-20 — Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

Labor and Workforce Development, Dept. of - As introduced, increases, from 20 to 25, the number of days before which a citation regarding a violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1972 becomes a final order after the citation is received; increases, from 20 to 25, the number of days after receipt of the citation that the recipient has to advise the commissioner of the recipient's objections before the citation becomes a final order. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 50.

2026-02-03 — Withdrawn.

Tennessee Housing Development Agency - As introduced, enacts the "First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program," which creates a first-time homebuyer assistance program, to be administered by the agency. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 13, Chapter 23.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Vehicle Value Protection Product Act." - Amends TCA Title 47; Title 55 and Title 56.

2026-03-03 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Sentencing - As introduced, establishes parole criteria for certain persons convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to imprisonment for life; specifies that if a person is convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to imprisonment for life, then the sentence must automatically expire after the person has served 40 years. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 40, Chapter 35.

2026-03-23 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

Election Laws - As introduced, requires election officials to meet at the polling place at least one hour ahead of the time for opening the polls rather than 30 minutes. - Amends TCA Title 2.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, creates a rebuttable presumption that a license or renewal should be denied by the board of nursing if the applicant or licensee has a conviction for certain alcohol-related offenses that involved injury to another person. - Amends TCA Title 63.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

Children - As introduced, prohibits private schools participating in the individualized education account program, education savings account program, or that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship from employing an individual that has committed child abuse, severe child abuse, child sexual abuse, or child neglect; requires the department of human services to review, upon the request of certain child care agencies, an employee or potential employee to determine whether the individual has a record of perpetrating the abuse or neglect of children or adults. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5; Title 37; Title 49 and Title 71.

2026-04-20 — Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, exempts from the state sales and use tax the retail sale of food and food ingredients. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 3 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

2026-04-20 — Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

Local Education Agencies - As enacted, requires the state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, to qualify an advanced degree in media and technology as an advanced degree that leads to a library information specialist endorsement; establishes certain staffing requirements for libraries in public schools that serve students in any combination of grades nine through 12 based on current student enrollment; requires a public school that serves any of the grades 9-12 to employ a full-time library information specialist with an endorsement as a library information specialist if certain criteria is met. - Amends TCA Title 10 and Title 49.

2026-05-04 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, directs the department to create an outreach campaign regarding the ongoing research of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease; terminates the outreach campaign on July 1, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 68.

2026-04-20 — Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

Local Government, General - As introduced, authorizes the board of directors of a rail service authority to submit each annual report electronically. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 45; Title 49; Title 54 and Title 67.

2026-03-16 — Sponsor(s) Added.

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.

2026-05-26 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1012

Firearms and Ammunition - As enacted, states that if the possession of a handgun is restricted or prohibited at a county courthouse, then the sheriff of the county may provide secure storage lockers for those individuals who are lawfully carrying a firearm to store the firearm in separate secured, lockable storage units at or near a designated public entrance to the building or structure at no cost to the individual. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 8 and Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

2026-05-18 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 919

Registers of Deeds - As enacted, authorizes all bonds for the conveyance of real or personal estate to be registered only if the bond contains the signatures of all parties subject to the bond and the expiration date of the bond; authorizes all agreements for the conveyance of real property or contracts, memoranda, abstracts, or affidavits for the sale of real property, or similar documents by whatever similar or other name, to be registered if such documents contain the signature of the owner of the property or the owner's attorney-in-fact or court-appointed representative, the signature of the proposed purchaser, and the expiration date of the agreement. - Amends TCA Section 66-24-101.

2026-05-04 — Effective date(s) 04/27/2026

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission - As enacted, authorizes a person to possess a raccoon without the payment of the $150 personal possession permit fee if the raccoon is obtained from a legal source and has been vaccinated; the raccoon is non-native and was not captured from the wild; and a possession permit for the raccoon has been issued by TWRA. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 44 and Title 70.

2026-04-29 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

Courts, Juvenile - As enacted, generally requires a guardian ad litem appointed by the court to complete training appropriate to that role, including training in early childhood, child, and adolescent development. - Amends TCA Title 16; Title 20; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36 and Title 37.

2026-04-29 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

Health Care - As introduced, directs the commissioner of health to conduct a study of legislative developments occurring in neighboring states within the last five years concerning patient access to and patient safety in the use of assisted reproductive technology; requires the commissioner to publish and transmit to the general assembly the commissioner's findings and recommendations no later than December 31, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 36; Title 63 and Title 68.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

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.

2026-03-17 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

Podiatrists - As enacted, changes the scope of practice of a podiatrist from a person who examines, diagnoses, or treats, in addition to the ailments of the human foot and ankle, the soft tissue of the lower leg distal to the tibial tuberosity, instead of the soft tissue structures extending no higher than the distal tibial metaphyseal flair. - Amends TCA Title 63.

2026-04-13 — Effective date(s) 04/07/2026

Evidence - As introduced, adds a rebuttable presumption that the criteria for a child victim to testify by two-way closed circuit television in a criminal matter involving certain offenses are met if the child is under 13 years of age. - Amends TCA Title 24, Chapter 7 and Title 39.

2026-03-23 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, authorizes enforcement of a garagekeeper's lien on a motor vehicle that was stored for the purpose of repairs without express written authorization from the owner for such storage if the garagekeeper makes a good faith attempt to acquire consent prior to repairs and provides notice to the owner by certified mail. - Amends TCA Title 47; Title 55, Chapter 31 and Title 66, Chapter 19.

2026-04-06 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026