Tennessee Bills

SB 1922 requires all Tennessee state and local government employers (including counties, cities, schools, and agencies) to verify new hires' work authorization using the federal E-Verify program before employment, starting July 1, 2026. It mandates employers to maintain E-Verify documentation for each employee during their employment. Noncompliant local governments face enforcement actions by the Attorney General, including withholding all state funds allocated to them via grants, contracts, or statutes. The bill directly affects public sector employers and aims to ensure compliance with federal work authorization requirements through state-level enforcement.

SB 1654 requires Tennessee's comptroller of the treasury to publish an annual summary of audit findings for state and local government entities on the comptroller's website. This makes key details from government audits publicly accessible, directly affecting the comptroller (who must now share the reports) and residents (who gain easier access to oversight information). The bill amends specific sections of Tennessee law to mandate this online publication, ensuring transparency without changing the audit process itself. It focuses on making existing audit results more available rather than altering how audits are conducted.

HB 1648 requires Tennessee's comptroller of the treasury to publish annual post-audit reports online. These reports summarize findings from audits of local governments and state agencies that manage public funds. The bill mandates that all such reports be made publicly accessible through the comptroller's website, as specified in amended sections of Tennessee law. This policy increases transparency in how public funds are managed and audited, directly affecting government entities subject to these audits.

HB 1972 requires Tennessee's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to study how ready state and local governments would be to support a medical marijuana program if one were approved. The study must examine implementation processes and operational readiness, and TACIR must report findings to the General Assembly by November 1, 2026. This bill does not create a medical marijuana program but assesses government preparedness for one, directly affecting state and local agencies that would manage such a program.

SB 1659 amends Tennessee sentencing laws to add 12 new aggravating factors that juries must consider when sentencing defendants convicted of rape of a child or aggravated rape of a child. Key provisions include factors like the defendant being in a position of trust (e.g., teacher or caregiver), prior convictions involving minors, filming the crime, using substances to influence the victim, or the offense being especially heinous. The bill directly affects defendants in these specific child sexual assault cases by making certain circumstances mandatory for sentencing consideration. It also removes a prior mitigating factor (victim participation/consent) that applied to child rape cases and takes effect July 1, 2026.

HB 2030 removes specific Tennessee law sections (70-4-112 and 70-4-122) that previously governed raccoon hunting. This change allows the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission to regulate raccoon hunting through its own rules and proclamations, rather than relying on fixed statutory requirements. The bill directly affects raccoon hunting regulations in Tennessee, giving the Commission greater flexibility to manage the activity. It takes effect on July 1, 2026.

SB 1683, the "Tennessee Child Care Hosting Safe Harbor Act," limits liability for employers and host entities (like businesses, nonprofits, or schools) that provide space for licensed child care providers. It shields these entities from civil lawsuits for provider negligence, unless the entity itself was grossly negligent or acted with willful misconduct. The law clarifies that merely providing space, utilities, or financial support does not make an entity liable for managing the child care operation. This bill applies to incidents occurring on or after July 1, 2026, and does not affect the liability of the child care providers themselves.

SB 1679 modifies how Tennessee local governments can issue short-term debt known as grant anticipation notes (GANS). It directly affects cities, counties, and other local governments seeking to finance public works projects before receiving grant funds. The key change authorizes the state comptroller to approve certain GANS if a local government demonstrates economic distress from a natural disaster certified by FEMA. The bill also requires local governments to secure these notes with pledged grant funds and clarifies that proceeds from other debt types (like bond anticipation notes) cannot cover GANS payments.

HB 1672 modifies how Tennessee local governments issue certain debt instruments. It allows local governments to issue notes maturing beyond the fiscal year if the comptroller approves them for economic distress caused by a natural disaster (with FEMA certification) or after demonstrating such distress. For grant anticipation notes used to fund public works projects before receiving state/federal grant money, the bill requires comptroller approval before issuance and mandates these notes be secured by the expected grant funds. Local governments may add extra security (like general obligations), but proceeds from other debt (e.g., capital outlay notes) cannot be used to pay for these grant anticipation notes.

SB 1479 requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to coordinate with the Department of Safety to help inmates released after serving a felony sentence obtain driver licenses or photo ID licenses if they had a valid license before incarceration. It automatically extends the expiration date of a driver license that expired during incarceration or within six months after release by six additional months. The bill also mandates a data-sharing agreement between the two departments to streamline this process and ensures licenses expired solely due to incarceration are treated as valid for reentry. This applies specifically to inmates discharged from prison who plan to live in Tennessee and had a driver license in good standing prior to incarceration.

HB 1454 amends Tennessee sentencing laws to add 12 new aggravating circumstances that juries must consider when sentencing defendants convicted of certain sexual offenses, primarily those involving children or vulnerable victims. It directly affects defendants convicted of offenses like rape of a child, aggravated rape, or sexual battery where specific factors apply - such as the victim being under four years old, the defendant abusing a position of trust, prior offenses involving minors, or filming the crime. Key provisions include removing victim consent as a mitigating factor for child rape cases and requiring consideration of factors like heinous conduct, use of substances to influence victims, or multiple victims. The bill applies to offenses occurring on or after July 1, 2026, and aims to increase penalties for particularly severe cases. It does not change sentencing ranges but adds specific factors for judicial consideration.

SB 1210 requires state or local law enforcement officers in Tennessee to receive written notice detailing the specific allegations before being placed on a "Brady list" (a list tracking officers with misconduct allegations), and mandates at least 10 business days for the officer to respond before the placement is finalized. This bill directly affects law enforcement officers who might face placement on such a list due to misconduct allegations. The key mechanism is the procedural safeguard of prior written notice and a response period, amending Tennessee Code Annotated Title 38, Chapter 8. The bill focuses on due process for officers during the listing process, without changing the criteria for listing.