Tennessee Bills

HB 1652 requires Tennessee's Alcohol Beverage Commission to create an annual report listing individuals convicted of alcohol-related offenses involving vaporizing devices. The report must be submitted each December 1 to the chairs of the Senate's State & Local Government Committee and the House committee overseeing alcohol consumption on premises. The first report, due December 1, 2026, will cover all such convictions since the law's effective date, with subsequent reports covering the previous year's data. This bill directly affects the Alcohol Beverage Commission (which must compile the report) and the specified legislative committees (which will receive it), with no direct impact on the public or businesses beyond the reporting requirement.

HB 1757 creates a new Class A misdemeanor offense for recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, water, or an object near people at public gatherings or events with at least 25 attendees. It directly affects individuals who recklessly fire guns in these settings, such as during concerts, sports events, or festivals. Key exceptions include law enforcement officers acting in duty, military personnel, wildlife officers, and situations involving self-defense against animal attacks. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 39.

SB 1773 expands Tennessee's safe surrender options for newborns by adding 24-hour ambulance stations to the list of facilities where parents can anonymously leave infants without legal consequences. It updates existing law to include ambulance stations, police stations, emergency communications centers, and licensed nursing homes that maintain continuous 24-hour staffing by licensed providers. This change gives parents more accessible locations beyond hospitals and fire stations to safely surrender infants. The bill requires all listed facilities to have licensed staff available around the clock to accept surrenders.

SB 1868 defines a new category called "child in need of heightened supervision" for children who exhibit or threaten violent behavior consistent with specific offenses (like assault), regardless of formal charges or prior adjudication. This bill directly affects children who display violent conduct in schools or communities, expanding when authorities can detain or commit them to residential care. Key provisions include updating detention criteria to include this new category, requiring notification to children about assault consequences in residential facilities, and adding a six-month extension to indefinite custody if a child assaults staff. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee’s child welfare laws to implement these changes, effective July 1, 2026.

SB 2055 requires Tennessee public schools and charter schools to permit private pay providers (licensed behavior analysts hired by families) to deliver applied behavior analysis services to students with autism or developmental delays during school hours. The bill mandates that schools allow access to students in classroom or educational settings, provided the services align with the student's individualized education plan (IEP) and parental consent is obtained. Schools must coordinate with IEP teams, ensure services don't disrupt classrooms, and cannot charge fees or block access to private providers. The law also requires private providers to comply with background checks and licensure standards, while prohibiting schools from discriminating against students receiving these services.

HB 1885 makes certain online gambling platforms illegal by defining "online sweepstakes games" as violations of Tennessee's Consumer Protection Act. These platforms use virtual currency systems that allow players to exchange virtual money for real prizes, misleading consumers into believing they are engaging in legal, free-to-play games. The bill prohibits operating such games, selling gambling devices, or facilitating illegal gambling, treating violations as unfair business practices under consumer protection law. It expands the attorney general's authority to investigate these activities and the sports wagering council's power to probe illegal gambling, while exempting legal sports betting under existing Tennessee law.

SB 1700, the "Curbing Harmful AI Technology (CHAT) Act," regulates companion chatbots that interact with minors under 18 in Tennessee. It requires operators to prevent chatbots from encouraging self-harm, violence, illegal activity, or secrecy, and mandates clear disclaimers that the user is not interacting with a human (at login, every 30 minutes, and when seeking regulated advice). Developers must also include mental health crisis referrals for users expressing suicidal ideation. The law directly affects companies developing or deploying companion chatbots targeting minors, excluding those used for customer service, internal business, or clinical settings under professional supervision.

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.

HB 2000 allows private colleges and universities (including religiously affiliated institutions) in Tennessee to operate public charter schools. It removes previous restrictions that barred such institutions from applying to open charter schools, enabling them to submit applications directly to the state charter commission or local school boards. The bill also permits these institutions to give enrollment priority to children of their employees or governing body members, following the same practice used by public universities. This changes existing law by expanding eligibility for charter school sponsors and updating references to "public institutions of higher education" to "postsecondary institutions."

HB 1900 amends Tennessee law to allow victims of certain out-of-state crimes to seek a lifetime order of protection against offenders. It specifically covers individuals convicted in other states of offenses that would qualify as serious crimes (like assault or stalking) if committed in Tennessee. The bill changes where such petitions can be filed: they must now be filed in the county where the respondent lives, or if the respondent isn't a Tennessee resident, in the county where the petitioner lives. This update simplifies the filing process for victims dealing with cross-jurisdictional cases.

SB 2039 eliminates fraud and economic crimes fees in Tennessee counties that have implemented a $12.50 court cost. These counties will no longer collect those fees, and any existing funds in the fraud prosecution fund must be returned to the county government. The bill requires district attorneys to hold these funds until the $12.50 court cost funds equal the fraud fund balance, at which point the full amount reverts to the county. This directly affects counties using the $12.50 fee and district attorney offices managing related funds.

HB 1796 shortens the deadline for Tennessee counties to post revisions to their charters online, reducing the current three-month period to two months. This bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 5-1-127(b) to change the posting requirement from "three (3)" to "two (2)" months. It directly affects all Tennessee counties that maintain charters of incorporation. The change aims to expedite public access to local government documents without altering the underlying charter content or requirements.