Tennessee Bills

SB 2145 allows individuals to file for a **lifetime order of protection** against someone convicted of certain crimes in another state, if those crimes would be considered equivalent offenses under Tennessee law. It directly affects victims of out-of-state crimes who now have a clearer legal path to long-term protection. The bill changes where such cases can be filed: petitions must be submitted in the county where the respondent lives, or where the petitioner lives if the respondent is not a Tennessee resident. This amends Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 36-3-627(a)(1)(D) and (c)(2) to clarify jurisdiction and eligibility.

SB 1602 increases penalties for drivers who leave the scene of an accident. If an accident causes injury, the penalty rises from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. If the driver knew or should have known death resulted, the penalty increases from a Class E felony to a Class D felony. This bill directly affects drivers involved in accidents where they fail to stop, amending Tennessee law to impose stricter criminal penalties for these actions. The changes will take effect on July 1, 2026.

SB 1826 amends Tennessee law to allow emergency communications district boards to participate in meetings remotely via electronic means while complying with open meetings requirements. It directly affects emergency communications district boards by adding them to the definition of "governing body" under Tennessee's open meetings law (TCA § 8-44-108). The key provision expands existing rules to explicitly permit electronic participation for these boards during regular meetings. This change ensures transparency while accommodating remote attendance needs for emergency communications district operations. The bill is procedural, updating statutory definitions to include these boards in current open meetings provisions.

SB 1723 replaces the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation's (TELC) current board of directors with a new 9-member board appointed by the governor (3 members), Senate Speaker (3), and House Speaker (3), effective July 1, 2026. The bill requires certain employment and compensation details of the TELC's chief executive officer to be public records subject to disclosure. It also terminates the TELC corporation on June 30, 2030, ending its operation as a standalone entity. These changes directly affect the governance structure and oversight of the lottery, which funds education programs in Tennessee.

SB 1814 creates a Class A misdemeanor offense for intentionally moving, altering, destroying, or removing specific survey monuments, including property corner monuments (marking property lines), historic land surveying monuments (marking government boundaries), and geodetic control monuments (used for precise surveying). The law applies when a person knows or reasonably should know the monument's purpose, such as those established by surveyors or governments. Violating this law is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor under Tennessee law. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.

SB 1783 requires Tennessee driver license staff to ask applicants at the time of application or renewal whether they want a REAL ID-compliant license or a non-REAL ID-compliant license. Staff must provide applicants with a printed document detailing the required documents, permitted uses (such as domestic air travel or accessing federal facilities), and alternative IDs like passports for each option. The bill makes REAL ID compliance optional, clarifies that applicants must sign a document confirming they received the information, and mandates that the state website prominently states this choice is optional. This directly affects all Tennessee residents applying for or renewing driver licenses, photo IDs, or learner's permits starting July 1, 2026.

SB 2017 modifies Tennessee's retirement system to provide disability-related retirement credit at no cost to certain public safety employees. It requires that state-level commissioned members of the Department of Safety or Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents receive this credit without paying contributions, effective July 1, 2026. Additionally, local governments (political subdivisions) can pass resolutions to extend this no-cost credit to their police officers, provided they adopt the change on or after that date. The bill does not apply to employees who already received disability credit before July 1, 2026. All credit applications must follow specific certification and contribution rules set by the state treasurer.

SB 1909 changes eligibility rules for Tennessee's drug treatment courts by revising the definition of a "violent offender." It removes convictions for domestic assault from being considered a violent offense that disqualifies someone from these courts, while requiring that a disqualifying violent offense must now be a felony committed within the past 10 years. This means individuals previously barred due to a domestic assault conviction (but without a recent felony violent offense) may now qualify for drug treatment court instead of standard criminal sentencing. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 16-22-103 and takes effect July 1, 2026.

SB 1762 changes a Tennessee law requiring the Department of Education to publish a directory of apprenticeship program contacts for public high schools. The bill moves the deadline for this publication from September 1 to December 1 each year. This affects the Department of Education directly, as it must now compile and post this contact information later in the school year. The change provides more time for the department to gather and verify the information before making it publicly available on their website. The bill does not create new programs or alter eligibility; it only adjusts the timeline for an existing reporting requirement.

SB 1562 extends the Tennessee State Veterans' Homes Board's existence until June 30, 2029, and requires the board to submit a progress report to the Education, Health, and General Welfare Joint Evaluation Committee by December 31, 2026. This report must address findings from a December 2025 performance audit of the board's operations. The bill directly affects the board's structure and reporting obligations, ensuring ongoing oversight of veterans' homes management. It amends Tennessee Code Sections 4-29-247 and 4-29-250 to reflect these changes.

SB 2057 clarifies that wastewater utility systems must provide sewer connections to property owners when the utility has a gravity sewer line located *adjacent* to the property, not just when the line is physically on the property. This change directly affects property owners seeking sewer connections who currently face barriers if the utility line runs alongside but doesn’t cross their land. The bill amends Tennessee law (specifically TCA Titles 7, Chapters 35 and 82, and Title 68, Chapter 221) to remove the requirement that the sewer line must be "on" the property, simplifying the connection process. The key mechanism is updating the legal language to explicitly include "adjacent" as sufficient for connection eligibility.

SB 1713 requires Tennessee state agencies, local governments (counties, municipalities, metropolitan governments), and public universities to annually certify to the state comptroller that they have not implemented "discriminatory preferences" to advance diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives. Covered entities must submit this certification by January 1 each year, beginning in 2027. The bill amends multiple Tennessee Code sections (Titles 4, 5, 6, 7, and 49) to establish this reporting requirement. It directly affects all state departments, local governments, and public higher education institutions subject to the law.