114 session

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires LEAs and public charter schools to prohibit students from displaying, using, or accessing an electronic device during the school day unless an exception applies; requires local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies to develop and adopt a policy to implement the prohibition and to submit its policy to the department of education no later than July 31, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2025-02-04 — Withdrawn.

Education - As enacted, creates an advisory committee on innovations in K-12 education. - Amends TCA Title 8 and Title 49.

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

Education, Curriculum - As enacted, requires the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission, in consultation with the department of education, to develop a plan for the commission to review and submit to the state board of education for approval of electronic textbooks and instructional materials for use by virtual schools established by LEAs. - Amends TCA Title 49.

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

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, decreases from 150 grams to 50 grams or more the amount of any substance containing fentanyl, carfentanil, remifentanil, alfentanil, thiafentanil, or any fentanyl derivative or analogue that is punished as a Class A felony for the knowing manufacture, delivery, or sale of the substance, or possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell the substance. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17.

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

Tort Liability and Reform - As introduced, increases the amount that a person may recover in an action brought against a local governmental entity under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act for claims brought on or after July 1, 2025, to $750,000 for the bodily injury or death of a person, $1.5 million for the bodily injury or death of all persons in an accident, occurrence, or act, and $250,000 for the injury or destruction of property of others. - Amends TCA Title 29.

2025-04-08 — Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee

Remedies and Special Proceedings - As introduced, increases the amount of compensation an injured plaintiff in a civil action may receive for noneconomic damages from $750,000 to $1.5 million; increases the amount of compensation an injured plaintiff in a civil action may receive for noneconomic damages, if the injury or loss is catastrophic in nature, from $1 million to $2 million. - Amends TCA Section 29-39-102.

2026-04-23 — Held on desk.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As introduced, prohibits an insurer, pharmacy benefits manager, or third-party administrator from changing or conditioning the terms of health plan coverage based on availability of financial or other product assistance for a prescription drug; establishes certain procedures for calculating an enrollee's contribution to an applicable cost sharing requirement. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

2026-04-07 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Opioids - As enacted, clarifies that a physician licensed in this state is the only healthcare provider authorized to prescribe a buprenorphine product for a FDA-approved use in recovery or medication-assisted treatment; revises criteria for providers not licensed in this state to prescribe a buprenorphine product for the treatment of opioid use disorder. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 41; Title 53 and Title 63.

2025-04-28 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 295

Health Care - As introduced, lowers from every three years to every two years, the time within which the advisory committee composed of medical device industry representatives and a representative of the department of economic and community development must review rules regarding the board of pharmacy's oversight of facilities that manufacture, warehouse, and distribute medical devices in order to review the advancements of new medical device technologies. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 47; Title 56; Title 63 and Title 71.

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

Employees, Employers - As introduced, increases, from two to three, the number of conspicuous places in which an employer is required to post and maintain notices setting forth the regular pay day established by the employer. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 39; Title 49; Title 50 and Title 62.

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

Pharmacy, Pharmacists - As introduced, permits the services authorized in a collaborative pharmacy practice agreement to include weight management services. - Amends TCA Title 63, Chapter 10 and Title 71, Chapter 5.

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

Public Buildings - As enacted, expands public records exception to include residential information of local government employees. - Amends TCA Section 10-7-504.

2025-04-28 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 280

Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) - As introduced, revises the weighted allocations generated by a student for purposes of the TISA based on the number of student members of the LEA in which the student resides; establishes a $50 direct allocation for each student member of each LEA to assist each LEA with maintenance and infrastructure. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 3.

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

Taxes, Sales - As introduced, requires the department of economic and community development to revise and certify the population of each county and municipality, and the aggregate population of the state, prior to July 1 each year during the interim between the regular decennial federal census to ensure equitable allocation and distribution of the local share of state sales tax revenue; requires the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, through the Tennessee state data center, to generate annual population estimates for each county and municipality and provide the estimates to the department of economic and community development for review and certification. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 7; Section 9-16-101 and Title 67, Chapter 6.

2025-04-01 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State & Local Gov't. Committee

Opioids - As enacted, authorizes an insurer, for purposes of group insurance plans offered to state employees, to adopt or amend a state preferred drug list (PDL); requires the insurer to ensure that a non-opioid drug approved by the U.S. food and drug administration for the treatment or management of pain is not disadvantaged or discouraged with respect to coverage relative to an opioid or narcotic drug for the treatment or management of pain on the PDL. - Amends TCA Title 8; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

2025-04-28 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 278

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates a Class B misdemeanor for knowingly activating and pointing a laser pointer or other device utilizing a laser beam at a person driving an automobile, boat, aircraft, or any other motor vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 39.

2025-04-04 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 88

Taxes - As introduced, urges the department of revenue to study the potential economic impact of making all franchise and excise tax credits transferable to any person or entity other than the entity to whom or to which the credits are initially made available pursuant to the statute creating the credit; requires the department to report to the finance, ways and means committee of the senate and the committee in the house of representatives having jurisdiction over tax-related matters on or before January 1, 2026 if such study is conducted. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 20 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 21.

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

Assessors - As introduced, requires assessors of property to correct an assessment of property for any real property destroyed, demolished, or substantially damaged by disaster between September 1 and December 31 of any year by prorating the assessment for that portion of the year and applying it to the subsequent tax year. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 6.

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

Health Care - As introduced, requires a healthcare provider to provide to a patient or a patient's authorized representative a copy of the patient's medical records within 20 working days of receipt of a written request by the patient or representative instead of 10 working days. - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

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

Animal Cruelty and Abuse - As enacted, prohibits the abandonment of an animal in a person's custody and provides that it is not a defense to prosecution that the person abandoned the animal at or near an animal shelter, veterinary clinic, or other place of shelter if the person did not make reasonable arrangements for the care of the animal. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 2.

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

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to compile an annual report on the number of students who complete the early graduation program to the education committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education by September 1 of each year. - Amends TCA Title 49.

2025-04-03 — Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, requires a health insurer that issues, amends, delivers, or renews a contract or agreement for a health benefit plan to take effect on or after January 1, 2027, to include coverage for biomarker testing; requires a TennCare health benefit plan that is issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, to provide coverage for biomarker testing when medically necessary. - Amends TCA Title 56 and Title 71.

2026-05-14 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 929

Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, adds mandating the use of biosimilar drugs as a cost-saving measure the bureau of TennCare may implement; adds that a health carrier, health benefit plan, or utilization review organization may require a patient to try a biosimilar product prior to providing coverage for the equivalent branded prescription drug; requires the TennCare pharmacy advisory committee to consider as a factor the use of biosimilar drugs in the committee's recommendation to the bureau of TennCare on any drugs to be added to the state preferred drug list. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 53; Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71.

2025-04-28 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 206

Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, revises certain protocols for mental health and substance abuse services. - Amends TCA Title 56 and Title 71.

2025-04-30 — Effective date(s) 01/01/2026

Solid Waste Disposal - As enacted, creates the advisory task force on solid waste to examine and review issues related to solid waste; authorizes the department of environment and conservation to accept voluntary contributions, and to apply for grants, from private companies for grants for recycling infrastructure, recycling projects, and composting. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 11; Title 13; Title 20; Title 28; Title 39; Title 49; Title 54; Title 55; Title 59; Title 62; Title 64; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 69.

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

Taxes, Excise - As enacted, authorizes, subject to certain provisions, a taxpayer, at the taxpayer's discretion, to add back to net earnings certain deductions and to subtract certain amounts. - Amends TCA Section 67-4-2006.

2025-05-08 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 343

Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, clarifies that excepted benefits are not part of a requirement to provide coverage for a specific person, provider, treatment, service, condition, or disease, unless coverage of such excepted benefits is expressly required by law. - Amends TCA Title 56.

2025-04-29 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, specifies that a person does not commit an offense if the person possesses or carries a firearm into an area that is posted if, upon the request of an individual authorized to control access to the property, the person immediately leaves the property or stores the firearm in a personal vehicle in accordance with state law. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

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

Business and Commerce - As enacted, requires that, in order to resign an agency appointment, a registered agent file a certification with the secretary of state that the agent has mailed written notice of the agent's resignation, instead of a copy of the original statement of resignation, to the principal office of the entity employing the agent. - Amends TCA Title 43, Chapter 38, Part 1; Title 48, Chapter 15; Title 48, Chapter 208; Title 48, Chapter 249; Title 48, Chapter 25; Title 48, Chapter 55; Title 48, Chapter 65; Title 61, Chapter 1; Title 61, Chapter 2 and Title 61, Chapter 3.

2025-04-04 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 97

District Attorneys - As enacted, authorizes the attorney general to conduct a study of a district attorney general's disposition of charges and other ancillary matters within the 30th judicial district; authorizes the attorney general to petition the supreme court for appointment of a district attorney general pro tem if a district attorney general in this state has peremptorily and categorically refused to prosecute criminal offenses based on an unjustifiable and unconstitutional standard, without regard to facts or circumstances or taken other official action that constitutes a failure or refusal to prosecute according to the law. - Amends TCA Title 8.

2026-05-14 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 928

Children and Youth, Commission on - As enacted, creates the Tennessee juvenile justice review commission to review an appropriate sampling of juvenile justice cases and any critical incidents involving juveniles in order to provide the general assembly with findings and legislative recommendations. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 37.

2025-04-28 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 281

Public Defenders - As enacted, creates five additional assistant district public defender positions effective July 1, 2025. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4.

2025-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 485

Highways, Roads and Bridges - As introduced, requires TACIR to study overall road safety and submit its recommendations to the chair of the committee in the house of representatives with jurisdiction over transportation matters, the chair of the transportation and safety committee of the senate, and the legislative librarian on or before January 15, 2026. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 54 and Title 55.

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

Boats, Boating - As introduced, prohibits certain activities, such as fishing, near public boat launches, docks, boats, and marinas so as to interfere with the use of such facilities. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 102, Part 6; Title 69 and Title 70.

2025-02-25 — Withdrawn.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, removes a definition of "content harmful to minors" from the Protect Tennessee Minors Act. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17.

2025-05-13 — Effective date(s) 05/08/2025

Health Care - As enacted, enacts the "Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 63 and Title 68.

2025-04-29 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

Public Funds and Financing - As enacted, enacts the "Savannah Grace Copeland Act." - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 12; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 49.

2025-05-27 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 495

Sexual Offenders - As introduced, requires sexual and violent sexual offenders to disclose the name, address, and phone number of any church, temple, or other religious group or organization in this state where the offender is a registered member; specifies that this information is considered public information; requires the TBI to provide all public information about an offender to any church, temple, or other religious group or organization in this state where the offender is a registered member when an offender registers as a sexual or violent sexual offender or updates a registration. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 39, Part 2.

2025-03-11 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee

Treasurer, State - As enacted, removes the restriction that earnings in an achieving a better life experience account may only be expended for a student's education expenses; redefines "disability certification" and "eligible individual" to have the same meaning as in the Internal Revenue Code and all rules and regulations released by the United States treasury. - Amends TCA Section 71-4-803 and Section 71-4-806.

2025-05-08 — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 340

Charitable Solicitations - As enacted, revises notification requirements regarding the provision to the secretary of state of solicitation materials to be used by a professional solicitor on behalf of a nonprofit organization. - Amends TCA Title 48, Chapter 101, Part 5.

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

Charitable Solicitations - As enacted, clarifies, by removing certain language, that a professional solicitor includes servants or employees specially employed by or for a charitable organization who are engaged in the solicitation of contributions. - Amends TCA Title 48, Chapter 101.

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

Probation and Parole - As introduced, removes the limitations on the board of parole's authority to deny parole based solely on the seriousness of the offense for certain offenses to allow denial based on the seriousness of the offense for any offense. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 35, Part 5.

2025-05-05 — Vetoed by Governor.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, adds the offense of robbery to the definition of crime of violence. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.

2025-04-29 — Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, decreases from 0.20 to 0.15 percent the minimum weight of alcohol concentration in a defendant's blood or breath as an element of the offense of aggravated vehicular assault and in a defendant's blood as an element of the offense of aggravated vehicular homicide. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13.

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

Dentists and Dentistry - As introduced, adds the legislative librarian to the list of persons the commissioner of health must submit an annual report to on the work done by and under the commissioner regarding the general supervision of dentists and dental equipment in the various state institutions. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 14; Title 29; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

2025-03-18 — Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

Controlled Substances - As introduced, changes from January 1 to January 15 the date by which the medical cannabis commission must submit its annual findings and recommendations to the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 43; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 63; Title 67 and Title 68.

2026-03-25 — Deferred to Summer Study

Public Health - As introduced, adds the legislative librarian as a party to which the department of health must submit an annual report based on data received by a county or district health department that operates a needle and hypodermic syringe exchange program, including the number of people served, number of needles, syringes, and supplies dispensed and returned to the program, number of naloxone kits distributed, and the number and type of treatment referrals provided. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8; Title 14; Title 29; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 53; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

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