114 session

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a Class E felony for altering or defacing a permanent distinguishing number on a firearm and selling, purchasing, or possessing such a firearm with a mandatory minimum sentence of 180 days incarceration. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 1; Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13 and Title 40.

2025-03-25 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

Immigration - As introduced, prohibits the bureau of immigration and customs enforcement of the United States department of homeland security from entering into and conducting law enforcement activities in a healthcare facility, physician's office, or a shelter located in this state. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 33; Title 38; Title 52; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

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

Health, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the commissioner to use existing resources to conduct a study of the use of designated caregivers for admitted patients in hospitals in neighboring states in order to determine the prevalence of and identify the best practices for the use of designated caregivers; requires the commissioner to compile study findings and any legislative recommendations into a report to the general assembly no later than December 31, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 68.

2026-03-10 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health & Welfare Committee

Recreational Areas - As enacted, expands the purposes for which monies from the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund may be expended by the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund board; replaces the park manager member of the board with the director of the division of state parks. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 10 and Title 11, Chapter 8.

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

County Government - As introduced, prohibits an employee of a local government from serving on the legislative body of the local government for which the employee works. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12 and Title 49.

2026-04-21 — Companion House Bill substituted

Motor Vehicles - As introduced, requires the department of safety to update the advisory guidelines for best behaviors of drivers during traffic stops developed under present law; requires the updated guidelines to be included in driver education programs, driver improvement courses, and in the driver license manual. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55.

2026-02-05 — Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

School Vouchers - As introduced, repeals the "Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program," the "Education Freedom Scholarship Act," and the "Individualized Education Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

2026-03-12 — Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

Taxes - As enacted, adds to the definition of a "qualified public use facility" as used in the Local Tourism Development Zone Business Tax Act a mixed-use development containing a performance venue with a seating capacity of at least 2,500; authorizes a municipality or public authority that has financed a qualified public use facility within a tourism development zone and that qualifies for an allocation of sales tax revenue from within that zone under the Convention Center and Tourism Development Financing Act of 1998 and under other provisions of sales tax law to use the revenue for purposes authorized in the act or other law. - Amends TCA Title 7 and Title 67.

2026-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1034

County Officers - As introduced, requires a person elected or appointed to the office of constable on or after August 1, 2030, to have graduated from a Tennessee POST-approved certified law enforcement training academy; excludes a person who has held the office of constable for one complete term and is reelected to the office of constable on or after August 1, 2030, from the requirement of graduating from a Tennessee POST-approved certified law enforcement training academy. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 8 and Title 38.

2026-04-21 — Deferred to Summer Study

Children - As introduced, exempts a school social worker, licensed by the state board of education, who provides preventative and developmental counseling, from having to obtain the consent of a parent of a minor prior to rendering such services. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 8; Title 49 and Title 63, Chapter 1.

2026-03-18 — Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0

Children - As introduced, increases from 14 to 21 days, the maximum amount of time per year that an entity or organization may provide child care on an occasional or infrequent basis through a "Parents' Night Out" or similar "Special Event" program while remaining exempt from the department of human service's licensing requirements. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 49; Title 50; Title 67 and Title 71.

2026-04-01 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

Adamsville - Subject to local approval, revises provisions relating to the filling of a vacancy in the office of mayor or on the city commission. - Amends Chapter 32 of the Private Acts of 2009.

2026-05-01 — Comp. became Pr. Ch. 43

Grundy County - Subject to local approval, creates the Southern Cumberland Plateau Regional Water and Wastewater Authority. -

2026-05-27 — Comp. became Pr. Ch. 71

Medical Occupations - As introduced, extends from 30 business days to 60 business days the period of time an individual, applicant, licensee, certificate holder, or registrant has to file a petition in Davidson County chancery court following receipt of a notice from a health-related licensing authority that the authority is denying an application for or refusing to renew a license, certificate, or registration on the basis of a prior criminal conviction. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 63 and Title 68.

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

Real Property - As enacted, creates a legal process through which a person may request the immediate removal of an unlawful occupant of the person's commercial real property by filing a complaint with the sheriff for the county in which the property is located. - Amends TCA Title 29 and Title 66.

2025-04-04 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 90

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation - As enacted, enacts "Savanna's Law," which creates a registry of persistent domestic violence offenders; requires the bureau to maintain the registry. - Amends TCA Title 18; Section 38-6-103; Title 39 and Title 40.

2025-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 520

Law Enforcement - As introduced, specifies that a commissioned reserve deputy sheriff or commissioned reserve or auxiliary police officer receiving compensation for services as a guard, patrol, or watchperson under a contract with a private business that is properly licensed by the state is exempt from the private protective services licensing and regulation requirements. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39 and Title 62, Chapter 35.

2025-04-02 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

Zoning - As enacted, makes certain changes to the powers and duties of county and municipal boards of zoning appeals. - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 7.

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

DNA and Genetic Testing - As enacted, requires collection of a biological specimen from certain convicted offenders to be collected within 30 days of sentencing to be used for DNA analysis; requires a law enforcement agency to submit a biological specimen from an offender who dies while incarcerated and was previously convicted of a qualifying offense. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 35, Part 3.

2025-04-08 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

Bail, Bail Bonds - As introduced, requires a court or magistrate to impose global positioning monitoring as a condition of release for a defendant accused of certain offenses, unless the court or magistrate enters written findings that the defendant does not pose a threat to the victim or public safety; requires the administrative office of the courts to compile an annual report of the number of defendants subject to such an order. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 55; Chapter 969 of the Public Acts of 2024 and Chapter 1033 of the Public Acts of 2024.

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

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a Class C felony of reckless endangerment involving community terrorism, which is committed against a population within a geographic territory by members of a criminal gang or within 1,000 feet of a school or park; requires the sentencing court to revoke or prohibit the issuance of a driver license to individuals convicted of such offense for a five-year period following conviction. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 40, Chapter 35.

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

County Government - As enacted, authorizes certain county legislative bodies, by a two-thirds vote, to remove any member of an appointed board or commission, if such removal is recommended by the appointing authority and the member of the board or commission is given at least five business days' notice of the meeting when the vote on removal will occur. - Amends TCA Title 5.

2025-04-04 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 132

Gas, Petroleum Products, Volatile Oils - As enacted, changes the sponsoring entity for safety and handling training classes needed to satisfy the education requirement for a liquified petroleum gas dealer license from only the National Propane Gas Association to any state or national association representing the liquified petroleum industry. - Amends TCA Title 68.

2025-04-08 — Effective date(s) 03/25/2025

Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the board of physical therapy to June 30, 2029. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 63, Chapter 13.

2025-03-24 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 25

Education - As enacted, requires the department of education to establish enrollment deadlines for voluntary pre-kindergarten programs so that at-risk students who will be four years old by August 15 must be enrolled by the beginning of the school year and students who are four-year-olds who do not have a disability or who meet the qualifications for enrollment at three years of age must be enrolled by August 30. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2025-04-28 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 192

Education - As enacted, requires that certain employees of state special schools receive the same leave and certain other benefits as employees of LEAs and public charter schools. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 50 and Title 49.

2025-04-28 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 284

Consumer Protection - As introduced, increases, from 30 to 45 days, the amount of time a person who purchases, subscribes to, or receives products, services, or membership in an organization by negotiating an unsolicited negotiable instrument has from the date of the first statement or bill for the purchase, subscription, service, product, or membership to cancel the services, subscription, or membership, or return the product. - Amends TCA Title 9 and Title 47.

2026-03-10 — Deferred to Summer Study

Consumer Protection - As enacted, adds as unlawful under the Consumer Protection Act of 1977 the making of false statements or misrepresentations of fact to a consumer to indicate or imply that the consumer is a party to a civil lawsuit or a defendant in a criminal prosecution in order to induce the consumer to pay for services related to the purported lawsuit or prosecution or to pay costs, fines, penalties, or other assessments related to the purported lawsuit or prosecution. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 39; Title 47 and Title 65.

2025-04-30 — Effective date(s) 04/11/2025

Schools, Private - As enacted, prohibits the state board of education from requiring a private school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program to comply with certain class size, school calendar, vaccination, and assessment requirements in order to operate in this state as an approved Category III nonpublic school. - Amends TCA Title 49.

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

Housing - As enacted, authorizes any county having made loans in excess of the amount of funds in the initial capitalization of the loan fund pool for the county to terminate its participation in the homebuyers' revolving loan fund pool with notice to the Tennessee housing development agency and to retain all funds, including any funds used for initial capitalization or interest earnings on repayments. - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 23.

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

General Assembly, Directed Studies - As enacted, directs TACIR to conduct a study and prepare a report on recommendations on the continuum of care in this state and how the continuum of care can be improved; requires the study and report to survey the continuum of care in other states and compare such care to the continuum of care in this state; requires TACIR to submit the report. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 33; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

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

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.

2026-05-15 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 938

Education - As enacted, prohibits a public school, LEA, or teacher, employee, or contractor of a public school or LEA from requiring a student, teacher, employee, or contractor of the public school or LEA to provide the individual's preferred pronouns; makes related revisions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 29, Chapter 20 and Title 49.

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

Health Care - As enacted, enacts the "Medical Ethics Defense Act." - Amends TCA Title 63.

2025-04-29 — Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

Memorials, Retirement - Michael J. "Mike" Smith, Bradley County Trustee -

2026-05-11 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Kyson Alexei Summers, Valedictorian, Waverly Central High School -

2026-05-11 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Sports - Qitarah Castlin -

2026-05-11 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Recognition - Rho Psi Alumni Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, 95th anniversary -

2025-03-13 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Recognition - SRO Chris Jennings -

2025-03-13 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Retirement - Chief Scott Boyd, Kingsport Fire Department -

2025-03-13 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Recognition - Deputy Chief Sam Hinson, 30 years with Sevierville Police Department -

2025-03-13 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Recognition - Shugga Hi Bakery and Cafe -

2025-03-13 — Signed by Governor.

General Assembly, Statement of Intent or Position - Expresses support for the Nation of Israel. -

2025-04-17 — Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

Memorials, Recognition - Partners for Christian Media, Inc., 30th anniversary -

2025-03-12 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Recognition - Westmoreland High School, Reward School -

2025-03-31 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Hayleigh Lester, Salutatorian, Middleton High School -

2025-04-10 — Signed by Governor.

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Justine Schultz, Julia Green Elementary School Teacher of the Year -

2025-04-10 — Signed by Governor.