Tennessee Bills

HB 739 requires all Tennessee public elementary and secondary schools to display the department of children's services' toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline number on the homepage of their school website. This affects every K-12 public school in the state, mandating a specific, easily accessible location for the hotline. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 49 and takes effect July 1, 2025. It does not create new reporting mechanisms but ensures existing resources are prominently visible to students, parents, and staff.

HB 669 extends the deadline for not-for-profit organizations administering scholarship or educational cooperative plans to file financial reports with Tennessee's commissioner of commerce and insurance. Specifically, it changes the filing date from March 1 to March 30 under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 49, Chapter 4. This procedural amendment directly affects scholarship administrators who must submit annual financial condition statements. The bill makes no other policy changes beyond this deadline adjustment.

HB 727 requires Tennessee's Department of Human Services to annually report to relevant legislative committees on the effectiveness of its drug testing program for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants. The bill mandates this report be submitted by December 1 each year, focusing on how well the drug testing program works within TANF. It updates state law (amending Titles 53, 68, and 71 of the Tennessee Code) to establish this reporting requirement. The bill does not change the drug testing program itself, only adding a transparency measure for lawmakers.

HB 740 removes an outdated reporting requirement from Tennessee law that expired in 2018. Specifically, it deletes a provision requiring the health commissioner to report to legislative committees about births involving neonatal abstinence syndrome and opioid use by women of childbearing age. This bill makes no new policy changes or affect any individuals or programs, as the original requirement had already lapsed years ago. It is purely a procedural cleanup to remove obsolete language from the Tennessee Code.

HB 678 requires Tennessee's Office of Early Learning to submit an annual report by February 1 to the governor and General Assembly about pre-kindergarten programs. The report must detail the number, locations, and types of pre-K classroom providers, along with the number of at-risk children served. This amendment to Tennessee law (TCA Title 49) specifies a February 1 deadline for the report, which was previously only required to be "annual." The bill directly affects the Office of Early Learning, mandating this yearly data collection to inform state leadership.

HB 647 requires Tennessee's commissioner of health to submit an annual report by January 15 to legislative committees on the progress of the state's strategy for providing adult emergency oral health care. The report must detail how public and private resources are being used to address this care gap. This bill directly affects the commissioner of health (a state official) and the relevant legislative committees overseeing health matters. It does not create new programs or funding but mandates regular updates to lawmakers about existing efforts. The requirement takes effect July 1, 2025.

HB 820 shortens the deadline for Tennessee's Commissioner of Financial Institutions to submit the department's annual report to the governor. Specifically, it changes the requirement from 60 days to 45 days after the end of each calendar year. This procedural adjustment directly affects the Commissioner of Financial Institutions and the governor, streamlining the reporting timeline. The bill makes no substantive changes to financial regulations but accelerates a routine administrative process. It is currently pending review in the legislature.

HB 893 requires Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to post a publicly accessible list online showing all water withdrawals of 10,000 or more gallons per day from surface or groundwater sources. This affects large water users, such as industrial facilities or agricultural operations, that register significant water withdrawals. The key provision mandates the department to make this registration data available on its website, improving public access to water usage information. The bill amends several Tennessee Code sections to implement this transparency requirement.

HB 718 extends the deadline for Tennessee's fire marshal to decide building or fire code appeals involving county buildings in cities with conflicting city-county regulations. The bill changes the timeframe from 10 working days to 15 calendar days after receiving a written appeal. This directly affects county governments and building owners facing code disputes between local jurisdictions. The key change simplifies the timeline by switching from "working days" to "calendar days," reducing potential delays caused by weekends or holidays. The amendment applies to specific sections of Tennessee's building code (TCA Title 68, Chapters 102 and 120).

HB 866 amends Tennessee law to extend the deadline for healthcare providers to provide patients or their authorized representatives with medical records from 10 to 20 working days after receiving a written request. This change directly affects patients seeking their health records and healthcare providers subject to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 63 (healing arts) and Title 68. The key provision modifies the existing requirement by increasing the processing timeframe without altering other record-access rules. The bill was introduced in the Tennessee House of Representatives on February 4, 2025, and is pending further legislative action.

HB 892 requires the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to post its annual reports on the Tennessee Agricultural Museum and its board operations on the department’s website within one month of the governor’s approval. This applies to all reports currently mandated under the specified Tennessee Code sections (Titles 4, 11, 43, etc.). The bill directly affects the Department of Agriculture by changing how it shares these reports, making them publicly accessible online instead of through other channels. It is a procedural transparency measure with no substantive policy changes.

HB 807 removes a reporting requirement for the Tennessee comptroller regarding a pilot project that allowed municipal electric systems to provide services beyond their usual service areas. Specifically, it eliminates the mandate for the comptroller to submit an annual report to the General Assembly by January 31 with recommendations about continuing or expanding this pilot program. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee Code related to telecommunications but does not change the underlying pilot project rules or create new policies. This is a procedural change affecting only administrative reporting obligations, not the operations of municipal electric systems or the public.