Tennessee Bills

SB 1668 authorizes Tennessee municipalities and metropolitan governments to adopt tiered monetary penalties for repeat violations of the same local ordinance by the same person or business within a 12-month period. This bill amends state law (TCA Sections 6-54-306, 6-54-308, and 7-3-507) to allow local governments to create escalating fines through their own ordinances, without requiring state-level specification of penalty amounts. The policy change would take effect on July 1, 2026, applying to violations occurring on or after that date. It directly affects local governments seeking to strengthen enforcement and individuals/businesses with repeated ordinance violations.

HB 1764 designates the National Guard armory in McNairy County, Tennessee, as the "Brigadier General Donald F. Hawkins Army National Guard Armory" to honor his 36-year military service in the Tennessee Army National Guard. The bill amends state law to formally rename the facility and requires the Tennessee Department of Military to install appropriate signage bearing the new name. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or direct impact on residents, legislation, or funding. It specifically affects the armory's official designation and public recognition.

SB 1728 prohibits local governments in Tennessee from charging fees, fines, or costs against the owner of a shopping cart found on public property - such as sidewalks or streets - unless the cart was specifically removed from a retail store's premises or parking area by the owner or their employee. This directly affects retail businesses and customers who might otherwise face penalties for carts left in public spaces. The law amends Tennessee Code Sections 5-1-101 and 6-54-101 to block local ordinances that impose such fees, ensuring carts left unattended in public areas cannot be penalized. It takes effect July 1, 2026, applying only to actions after that date.

SB 1786 exempts affiliate brokers and brokers licensed under Tennessee's Real Estate Broker License Act from additional licensure requirements and classroom training hours when working as designated agents for vacation lodging service firms. The bill requires that all vacation lodging services under these exemptions must be supervised by a principal broker from an affiliate broker, broker, or firm. This change modifies Tennessee Code § 62-13-104(b)(3)(B) to clarify the exemption while maintaining supervisory oversight. The bill directly affects real estate professionals operating in the vacation lodging sector within Tennessee.

SB 1587 (Tennessee) makes it a Class A misdemeanor for a person without legal immigration status to operate a commercial motor vehicle in Tennessee. It requires law enforcement to notify federal immigration authorities when arresting such individuals and creates civil liability for employers who knowingly allow undocumented workers to drive commercial vehicles, or state officials who issue licenses to them. The bill allows the state attorney general to sue violators for at least $1 million in penalties and permits private citizens (qui tam plaintiffs) to file lawsuits on behalf of the state. This bill directly affects undocumented immigrants, employers, and state officials involved in commercial vehicle operations.

SB 1766 amends Tennessee's infrastructure development district laws to clarify procedures for establishment and management. It updates public hearing requirements for district approval (requiring joint hearings when multiple municipalities are involved), sets a 30-year maximum term for infrastructure bonds (allowing phased issuance per project phase), and permits districts to allocate special assessments toward administrative costs like property tax collection. The bill also revises dissolution rules, requiring districts to end no later than 30 years after the last special tax is levied, rather than from the district's start date. These changes directly affect municipalities creating or operating infrastructure districts for public improvement projects.

SB 1915 requires all Tennessee local governments (counties, cities, and towns) to verify that applicants over 18 for public benefits are U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the U.S. This applies to state, local, and health department programs administering benefits. The bill mandates verification before benefit distribution, with local governments implementing the requirement after July 1, 2026, when updating forms or systems. It also authorizes the attorney general to investigate violations and requires agencies to maintain verification records. The law updates existing rules to expand verification duties beyond state agencies to include all local governments.

SB 1620 requires Tennessee's Alcoholic Beverage Commission to create an annual report listing individuals convicted of alcohol-related offenses involving vaporizing devices. The report must be submitted to specific legislative committee chairs by December 1 each year, starting December 1, 2026. This bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 57 to establish this reporting requirement, affecting the Commission and legislative committees, but does not change existing alcohol laws or penalties.

SB 1898 directs Tennessee's TACIR to study the state's emergency communications system. The study requires TACIR to analyze funding models, emergency communications district (ECD) structures, organizational charts, and potential improvements like consolidation or standardized protocols, with a final report due by December 2026. This bill does not change current laws but will inform future legislative decisions.

This bill removes a requirement that unemployed workers' new jobs must pay at least certain percentages of their previous highest-earning quarter wages to be considered "suitable" for unemployment benefits. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated §50-7-303 by deleting specific wage threshold rules (subdivisions i-iv) from the eligibility criteria. The change directly affects workers applying for unemployment benefits who might have been denied claims under the old rules due to wage calculation requirements. The bill simplifies the process by eliminating these percentage calculations from the definition of suitable work.

SB 1692, the "Military Families Licensing Recognition Act," allows Tennessee to issue occupational licenses to active or retired military members and their spouses/dependents who hold valid licenses in another state or the military. It requires applicants to confirm they held a license in good standing for at least one year, meet education/experience standards, and have no disqualifying criminal records or pending complaints. Licensing boards must issue licenses within 10 business days after verifying the applicant’s claims under penalty of perjury. The law does not override state regulations or allow out-of-state work under interstate compacts, and licenses are valid only within Tennessee.

SB 2102 requires Tennessee's Public Utility Commission to submit its annual report comparing utility rates (for telecommunications, electricity, natural gas, water, and wastewater) between Tennessee and southeastern states via electronic means. The bill amends multiple Tennessee Code sections to authorize this electronic submission method, replacing previous requirements for physical copies. This change directly affects the Public Utility Commission, streamlining how it delivers this comparative rate analysis to the General Assembly. The bill focuses solely on the reporting method, not on altering utility rates or regulations.