114 session

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, removes the limitation on the penalty for illegally possessing a telecommunication device in a penal institution that required the Class E felony to be punished by a fine only. - Amends TCA Title 39.

2026-01-22 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

Probation and Parole - As introduced, permits a trial judge to revoke a defendant's probation for a felony or misdemeanor based on one instance of technical violation; extends the permitted terms of incarceration a court may impose for a technical violation to 90 days for a first revocation, 180 days for a second revocation, and the remainder of the sentence for a third or subsequent revocation. - Amends TCA Title 40.

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

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As enacted, revises various provisions of the "Real Estate Infrastructure Development Act of 2025." - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 9; Title 12; Title 13; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 68.

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

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.

2026-03-11 — Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026

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.

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

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, prohibits a utility that provides electric, water, wastewater, or natural gas services from increasing the rate charged to customers who are 65 years of age or older upon notice that the customer qualifies for such rate cap pursuant to an age verification process established by the Tennessee public utilities commission (TPUC) by rule; requires notification to customers of the rate cap program within 90 days of a final rule; authorizes TPUC to promulgate a rule to develop an age verification and notification process. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 64; Title 65; Title 67 and Title 68.

2026-03-24 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee

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.

2026-02-17 — Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

Zoning - As enacted, authorizes certain counties to adopt a resolution prohibiting a municipality or regional zoning commission from exercising zoning authority outside of the boundaries of the municipality. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 13.

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

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As enacted, authorizes the Megasite Authority of West Tennessee and certain law enforcement agencies to enter into a written agreement authorizing sworn peace officers of the law enforcement agency to enforce certain traffic laws on one or more designated private megasite roadways identified in the agreement. - Amends TCA Title 54 and Title 64, Chapter 9.

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

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.

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

Lobbying, Lobbyists - As introduced, increases time an employer of a lobbyist or a lobbyist must register or update their registration with the ethics commission from not later than seven days to not later than seven business days. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 12.

2026-02-05 — Withdrawn.

State Government - As introduced, authorizes a governmental entity to publish notices of public meetings on a secure website of the governmental body; authorizes a person to request an electronic or hard copy of an e-newsletter or notice published by the governmental body if the governmental body provides such documents electronically. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 44, Part 1.

2026-02-05 — Withdrawn.

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to make the standardized form for reporting student allergies publicly available on its website. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-01-14 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

Lottery, Scholarships and Programs - As introduced, allows a student who was ineligible for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman based on their high school grade point average or composite ACT score to regain their eligibility for the HOPE scholarship as a transfer student if the student meets certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4.

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

Naming and Designating - As enacted, designates the facility providing water and wastewater services to the Megasite of West Tennessee as the "Michael Banks Water Treatment Facility." - Amends TCA Title 64, Chapter 9.

2026-04-28 — Effective date(s) 04/23/2026

Workers Compensation - As introduced, enacts the "Zero Estimated Exposure Policy Act." - Amends TCA Title 50, Chapter 6.

2026-03-10 — Deferred to Summer Study

Health Care - As enacted, prohibits a person from developing or deploying an artificial intelligence system that advertises or represents to the public that such system is or is able to act as a qualified mental health professional. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 47 and Title 63.

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

Welfare - As enacted, makes various changes to law relative to respite care services, including, but not limited to, increasing the number of hours an adult may attend a limited respite care services program from 12 to 16 hours in any one week, and authorizing such a program to provide care services for up to 20 adults at the same time, rather than 15. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 2.

2026-04-28 — Effective date(s) 04/23/2026

Education - As enacted, extends reporting deadline for the advisory committee on innovations in K-12 education from December 31, 2025, to June 1, 2026. - Amends Chapter 426 of the Public Acts of 2025.

2026-03-16 — Effective date(s) 03/06/2026

Controlled Substances - As introduced, requires reports submitted by the medical cannabis commission on or after January 1, 2027, to include an analysis of the effects of Exec. Order No. 14370 and any subsequent federal action on increasing medical marijuana and cannabidiol research. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 43; Title 53; Title 67 and Title 68.

2026-01-23 — Withdrawn.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As enacted, lowers the age of an inpatient from 65 to 50 or older when a hospital, each year from October 1 through March 1, must offer immunization against influenza disease prior to discharge; requires a hospital to offer immunization against pneumococcal disease to an inpatient aged 50 or older prior to discharge. - Amends TCA Title 68.

2026-05-18 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 922

Education - As enacted, revises the assessment testing requirements for students who participate in the education savings account (ESA) program. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 12; Title 48; Title 49 and Title 67.

2026-05-27 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

Statutes and Codification - As enacted, codifies the Acts of the 2025 regular and extraordinary sessions. -

2026-04-06 — Effective date(s) 03/25/2026

Immigration - As enacted, creates certain offenses for a person who is unlawfully present in the United States to operate a commercial motor vehicle in this state and a direct employer of such person; requires the law enforcement agency of an officer who arrests a person who is unlawfully present in the United States to operate a commercial motor vehicle in this state to ensure that federal immigration authorities are notified; creates related civil actions for persons injured by an unlawfully present person's operation of a commercial motor vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50.

2026-05-27 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

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.

2026-05-15 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 944

Jails, Local Lock-ups - As enacted, authorizes the Tennessee corrections institute to establish certification requirements for corrections officers and to inspect and certify local correctional training academies; makes various changes regarding plans of action that may be submitted by a local certified facility following annual inspection; allows the director and full-time employees of the Tennessee corrections institute to carry a handgun under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 38; Title 39 and Title 41.

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

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.

2026-05-18 — Effective date(s) 05/05/2026

Traffic Safety - As introduced, imposes state and local litigation taxes on a person who violates the prohibition against using a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device while operating a motor vehicle; removes the ten-dollar cap on court costs imposed for such violations. - Amends TCA Section 55-8-199.

2026-03-26 — Re-ref. Calendar & Rules Committee

Municipal Government - As enacted, creates a process for continuing funding for a municipal LEA when the municipal legislative body and the governing body for the LEA cannot agree on a budget; provides a process for continuing funding of municipal operations when a municipal legislative body has not adopted a budget by the first day of a fiscal year. - Amends TCA Title 6, Chapter 56, Part 1 and Title 6, Chapter 56, Part 2.

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

Taxes, Severance - As enacted, extends from 30 to 90 days, the time following the end of a county's fiscal year within which a county must submit an annual report to the commissioner of transportation and the chairs of the house and senate transportation committees regarding mineral severance tax revenue the county deposits into its county road fund; removes the comptroller of the treasury as a recipient of the report; subjects the report to audit by the comptroller. - Amends TCA Section 67-7-207.

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

Public Records - As enacted, adds provider reimbursement information that is provided to the comptroller of the treasury to the existing list of examples of proprietary information types that are not subject to disclosure as public records. - Amends TCA Section 71-5-142.

2026-04-06 — Effective date(s) 03/25/2026

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.

2026-05-15 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 952

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.

2026-03-17 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate FW&M Revenue Subcommittee

Vital Records - As enacted, enacts "April's Law of 2026," which authorizes a surviving parent, in addition to another next of kin, to formally disagree with the county medical examiner's determination that the manner of death for the parent's child was suicide and request reconsideration from the state chief medical examiner; allows the other parent of a child of the decedent to request a copy of the decedent's death certificate if the child is under 18. - Amends TCA Title 38 and Title 68.

2026-04-27 — Effective date(s) 04/07/2026

Health Care - As introduced, enacts the "Freedom from Medical Debt Act," which requires the state treasurer to contract with a nonprofit entity to acquire and repay certain medical debts for Tennessee residents with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level or who owe medical debt equal to 5 percent or more of their household income, and prohibits healthcare providers from reporting a patient's medical debt to a consumer reporting agency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

2026-03-03 — Failed in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee (no second)

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, prohibits a court from assessing court costs against a defendant in a criminal proceeding if the defendant is found not guilty by a jury or by a judge following a bench trial on all charges for which the defendant was accused, the prosecution is dismissed or a nolle prosequi is entered by the state, or the charges against the defendant are dismissed by the court. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

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

Utilities, Utility Districts - As introduced, requires certain data centers to register with the Tennessee public utilities commission; requires electric and water utilities that provide service to registered data centers to report usage and rates to the commission; requires the commission's executive director to compile and publish certain information based on reports received from utilities. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 10; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

2026-01-13 — Withdrawn.

Local Government, General - As introduced, authorizes a municipality to create and require the use of a landlord registry for a real estate investment trust that owns, operates, or finances 10 or more dwelling units located within the municipality. - Amends TCA Title 66.

2026-03-10 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Sentencing - As enacted, enacts the "James Bardsley, Jr. Life Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 55, Chapter 10.

2026-05-27 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Dept. of - As enacted, clarifies that if marijuana is rescheduled or deleted as a controlled substance under federal law, the commissioner is prohibited from rescheduling or deleting marijuana under state law, unless the general assembly has established a regulatory framework for marijuana and authorized the commissioner to reschedule or delete marijuana as a controlled substance. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 24; Title 29; Title 33; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 43; Title 45; Title 50; Title 53; Title 57; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

2026-04-27 — Effective date(s) 04/23/2026

Education, Curriculum - As introduced, clarifies that local education agencies and public charter schools shall instruct students about the formation of the governments of the United States and Tennessee using federal and state foundational documents at the appropriate grade level and consistent with social studies standards adopted by the state board. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-01-14 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

Courts, Juvenile - As enacted, expands the goals of zero to three court programs to include cases involving children five years of age or younger, with priority given to cases involving children younger than three years of age. - Amends TCA Title 37.

2026-04-06 — Effective date(s) 03/25/2026

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires LEAs to publish the character education curriculum on the LEA's website. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-01-14 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for assault against a first responder from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony with a mandatory fine of $10,000 and a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 days. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

2026-01-15 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

Education, Higher - As introduced, waives, for the dependent child of a law enforcement officer or firefighter who was killed or who died as a direct result of injuries received while performing their official duties, the tuition and fees charged by the public institution of higher education at which the dependent child is enrolled as a student. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-02-17 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

Public Health - As introduced, establishes a deadline of no later than December 31 each year for the department of agriculture to report to the general assembly on its enforcement efforts under the Prevention of Youth Access to Tobacco, Smoking Hemp, and Vapor Products Act. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 15; Title 47, Chapter 25 and Title 57, Chapter 7.

2026-02-03 — Withdrawn.

Local Government, General - As enacted, authorizes Putnam County and incorporated cities within the county to regulate sober living homes for recovery from alcohol, drug, and substance abuse to the extent such regulation complies with the "Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act." - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 26.

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