114 session

Revenue, Dept. of - As enacted, reduces from 1.125 percent to 0.75 percent the administrative fee percentage the department takes from the proceeds of the business tax, short-term rental unit occupancy tax, local tax surcharge, coal severance tax, and local option sales tax to assist in defraying the expenses of administration and collection, before remitting proceeds to the appropriate county, city, or town. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 4; Title 67, Chapter 6 and Title 67, Chapter 7.

2025-05-08 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 355

Boards and Commissions - As enacted, enacts the "Less is More Act of 2025." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 20; Title 33; Title 38; Title 40; Title 52; Title 55; Title 62; Title 63; Title 68; Title 70 and Title 76.

2025-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 524

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) - As introduced, authorizes the suspension of certain requirements for purposes of obtaining unemployment benefits during emergencies; authorizes the agency to assist local governments and local emergency management agencies with recovery from disasters and emergencies on public property. - Amends TCA Section 50-7-302 and Section 58-2-106.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Handgun Permits - As enacted, clarifies that an applicant who has a DUI conviction that occurred within five years from the date of application or renewal is not eligible for an enhanced handgun carry permit; lowers the age for an applicant for an enhanced handgun carry permit from 21 to 18 if other eligibility requirements for issuance of the permit are met. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

2025-05-08 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 356

Safety, Dept. of - As introduced, requires, by February 1 of each year, the department to submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives that provides the number of individuals for whom a court enhanced their statutory penalty because either the conviction is for the commission of a violent crime and the defendant was an illegal alien or the conviction involved the use or display of a deadly weapon and the defendant was an illegal alien. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 55.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

Education - As introduced, removes an obsolete provision requiring a report be provided by July 1, 2024, from the department of education, after working in partnership with the state board and the Tennessee higher education commission, to legislative committees regarding implementation of legislation concerning student literacy. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8 and Title 49.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

Transportation, Dept. of - As introduced, removes obsolete provision requiring the department, in consultation with the department of safety, local law enforcement agencies, and highway safety offices, to submit a report on or before February 15, 2024, of its findings and recommendations regarding the development of a strategic statewide plan to increase pedestrian safety to legislative committees. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 54.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) - As introduced, requires TEMA to annually submit by February 1 of each year, a report to the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house of representatives detailing recovery efforts engaged in by the agency during the prior calendar year and recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of future recovery efforts. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4, Part 2; Title 50, Chapter 7, Part 3; Title 58, Chapter 8; Title 58, Chapter 2 and Title 67, Chapter 5.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

Tennessee Housing Development Agency - As introduced, deletes provision requiring Tennessee rural and workforce housing tax credits to be authorized by joint resolution of the general assembly. - Amends TCA Section 13-23-134 and Chapter 971 of the Public Acts of 2024.

2025-04-01 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

Education, Higher - As introduced, changes the reporting requirements for the board of regents, each state university board, and the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee summarizing grievance activities of the previous year from annually to upon the request of the education committee of the senate or the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over education. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2025-03-26 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, makes it an offense for farmers to keep breeding pigs and veal calves in certain small enclosures, subject to certain exceptions, effective July 1, 2030. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14; Title 40, Chapter 39; Title 43; Title 44 and Title 53.

2025-04-01 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

Taxes, Real Property - As enacted, provides that a collecting official or the division of property assessments is not required to request documentation verifying the income of an elderly person seeking tax relief if the applicant is at least 80 years old and meets certain other requirements. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 7.

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

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.

2025-03-26 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

Taxes - As introduced, extends from December 31 to January 15, the date by which the department of finance and administration must annually report in writing to the chairs of the committees of both houses having subject matter jurisdiction over finance-related matters and transportation matters, the total amount of aviation fuel tax revenues collected for the preceding fiscal year. - Amends TCA Title 67.

2026-04-17 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

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.

2026-03-17 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee

Commerce and Insurance, Dept. of - As introduced, deletes obsolete definitions of the term "contractor" and obsolete penalty provisions from statute governing the unlawful representation as a contractor without a license. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12; Title 13; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 48; Title 50; Title 53; Title 54; Title 55; Title 56; Title 61; Title 62; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Children's Services, Dept. of - As introduced, clarifies that on or before January 31 of each year, the department shall report information regarding child support to the general assembly and the governor. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36; Title 37; Title 41; Title 49; Title 68 and Title 71.

2025-04-14 — Re-refer to Senate Calendar Committee

Education - As enacted, prohibits excusing a student from school to attend a released time course in religious moral instruction during the school year unless certain criteria are met. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 2; Title 49, Chapter 5 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

2025-05-13 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

Fireworks - As introduced, extends from 60 to 75 days, the time following receipt of a completed application within which the fire marshal must issue a fireworks exhibitor's license to an applicant who has complied with state law and rule relevant to the exhibitor licensing process. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 104.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Fireworks - As introduced, extends from 10 to 14 days following the date of last publication in a newspaper of a notice from the state fire marshal about the seizure of and intent to destroy contraband fireworks, the period during which an owner may claim the fireworks and after which, if no such ownership claim is made, the state fire marshal may destroy the fireworks. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 104.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Motor Vehicles, Titling and Registration - As introduced, requires evidence of compliance with the financial responsibility law prior to registering vehicles; increases from $25 to $50 the coverage failure fee imposed by the department of revenue for the first failure to comply with the James Lee Atwood Jr. Law; increases that fee to $250 for a second failure to comply and to $500 for a third or subsequent failure to comply; allocates 50 percent of the fees to county clerks. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 12 and Title 55, Chapter 4.

2025-03-19 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

Local Education Agencies - As enacted, authorizes a local legislative body for a county that has adopted a charter form of government to require elections for the county board of education to be held at the same time and on the same election cycle as elections for members of the local legislative body for the county, members of the county board of education to have successive terms of office if members of the local legislative body for the county have successive terms of office and members of the county board of education to have the same term limits as members of the local legislative body for the county. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 5; Title 7; Title 8 and Title 49.

2025-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 527

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, requires the annual written report submitted to legislative committees with subject matter jurisdiction over criminal matters regarding activities of narcotics investigations by the bureau and the assistant director of the narcotics investigation division be submitted by March 1 of each year. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 27; Title 29; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 53, Chapter 11 and Title 55.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

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.

2025-03-26 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

Consumer Protection - As introduced, changes, from 45 to 50 days from receipt of a request, the time that a controller has to inform a consumer of the controller's decision to decline to take action regarding the consumer's authenticated request under the Tennessee Information Protection Act. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 29; Title 39; Title 47 and Title 48.

2025-03-25 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Education, Higher - As introduced, requires the commission to review and update the outcomes-based funding formula model at least once every five years to provide incentives for institutions that offer programs leading to job placement in high-demand fields in this state. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 49 and Title 62.

2025-03-26 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Education Committee

Aircraft and Airports - As introduced, increases, from 30 days to 30 business days, the amount of time before the start of a fiscal year that a joint board composed of public agencies overseeing a county or municipal airport has to submit its total expenditures to be made to the governing bodies of its constituent public agencies. - Amends TCA Title 42.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

Children - As enacted, requires on or before June 30, 2026, and each June 30 thereafter, the council on children's mental health care to submit a report to certain officials regarding the status of the statewide system of care for children's mental health and the service delivery system and the status of children's mental health in this state. - Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 3.

2025-04-04 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 109

Aircraft and Airports - As introduced, adds the legislative librarian to the list of persons required to receive from the metropolitan airport authority quarterly reports or briefings of the activities, plans, and conditions of the authority, and any proposals for capital expansion or improvements prior to the expansion or improvements. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 42 and Title 67.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

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.

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

Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, restricts the prohibition on holding an interest in or being employed by a distillery, wholesale dealer, or retail dealer, or holding an alcoholic beverage license in this state, only to family members of voting members of the commission. - Amends TCA Title 57, Chapter 1.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates a civil and criminal action for individuals who are the subject of an intimate digital depiction that is intentionally disclosed without the individual's consent under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 28 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

2025-05-15 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

Alcoholic Beverage Commission - As introduced, requires the presence of one rather than two credible witnesses to be present when an officer of the commission destroys contraband distillation equipment, paraphernalia, and personal property. - Amends TCA Title 57.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, deletes the exception to the criminal offense of unlawfully carrying a firearm with intent to go armed for persons who lawfully possess a handgun, are in a place where the person is lawfully present, and are at least 21 years old or 18 years old with certain military service. - Amends TCA Title 39.

2025-03-31 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

Expunction - As introduced, requires a clerk of a court with criminal jurisdiction to automatically remove and destroy all public records of a conviction for a Class E felony or misdemeanor that is eligible for expunction, one year after the person has completed any sentence imposed by the court. - Amends TCA Title 10; Title 18 and Title 40.

2025-03-31 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, allows a court to issue an extreme risk protection order upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to the person or others if allowed to possess or purchase a firearm; authorizes a law enforcement officer or relative to file a petition for an extreme risk protection order; creates an offense to store or keep a firearm in any place unless the firearm is secured in a locked container, unloaded, and separate from ammunition except when the firearm is carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user; prohibits a gun dealer from delivering a firearm to a purchaser until 15 business days after the completion of certain requirements. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 38 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

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

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As introduced, requires the bureau to maintain with each investigative case file copies of all original investigative materials, including audio and video files, recordings, transcripts, documents, reports, paperwork, and other print or digital media generated by the bureau and germane to the investigation by the bureau. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5 and Title 38, Chapter 6.

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

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, requires the department to create and maintain an informational tool on the department's website that provides data related to the presence of facilities that are required to submit toxic release inventory data to the environmental protection agency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 59; Title 60; Title 68 and Title 69.

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

Criminal Procedure - As introduced, restores the right of suffrage for persons convicted of an infamous crime after expiration of the sentence imposed for the infamous crime; removes requirement that the person pay restitution and court costs and be current in all child support obligations before having the person's right of suffrage restored; permits a person to have the right of suffrage restored without having the person's full rights of citizenship restored. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 40.

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

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.

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

Human Services, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "Guaranteed Basic Income Act" or the "Protection Against Automation Act," which requires the department to develop and implement a program in which eligible residents are awarded an annual guaranteed basic income grant beginning in 2026. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 67, Chapter 4 and Title 71.

2025-03-19 — Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

TennCare - As introduced, directs the governor to seek a new TennCare waiver within 180 days of the effective date of this act to provide medical assistance coverage for individuals whose gross annual income is equal to or less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level; clarifies that the amendment takes effect upon federal approval. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

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.

2025-03-25 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

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.

2025-02-12 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

Education, Higher - As enacted, authorizes, subject to appropriation, an institution of higher education to request to redirect the institution's capital outlay funds for purposes other than those set out in the 2022 appropriations act; makes related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 10; Title 12; Title 49; Title 66 and Title 67.

2025-05-15 — Effective date(s) 05/09/2025

Remedies and Special Proceedings - As enacted, removes the ability to bring a civil liability action for negligence per se against a seller of a qualified product; expands "qualified products" to include knives, body armor, pepper spray, silencers, and other certain products; requires physical injury for a negligent entrustment action rather than an unreasonable risk of physical injury; specifies that a person who will be subject to an ordinance in the future or reasonably intends to be physically present in the political subdivision is an adversely affected party for purposes of filing certain actions; makes various other changes regarding civil actions against arms dealers, manufacturers, and sellers and the preemption of local regulation of firearms. - Amends TCA Title 29, Chapter 42 and Title 39.

2025-05-13 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2025