Tennessee Bills

HB 1664 requires state agencies, local governments (including counties, cities, and metropolitan areas), and public universities in Tennessee to annually declare to the state comptroller that they have not implemented discriminatory preferences to advance diversity, equity, or inclusion. The executive head of each covered entity must submit this declaration by January 1 each year, starting in 2027. The bill amends Tennessee Code sections governing state departments, county government, municipal government, metropolitan government, and public higher education to establish this requirement. It is currently under review by the State & Local Government Committee.

HB 1690 increases penalties for drivers who fail to maintain auto insurance in Tennessee. It raises the fee for the first insurance coverage failure from $25 to $500 and imposes a $1,500 fee for second or subsequent failures within three years, which may lead to registration suspension or revocation. The bill also prohibits lawsuits seeking non-economic damages (like pain and suffering) if a plaintiff was not insured at the time of an accident. These changes apply directly to vehicle owners who do not comply with Tennessee’s financial responsibility law.

HB 1667 allows Tennessee cities and counties to create tiered fines for repeat violations of the same local ordinance by the same person or business within a 12-month period. It amends state law to authorize home rule municipalities (Section 6-54-306), regular municipalities (Section 6-54-308), and metropolitan governments (Section 7-3-507) to adopt this system through local ordinances. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, meaning it would apply to violations occurring on or after that date, but does not change existing penalty structures for first-time offenses.

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.

HB 1471 amends Tennessee law to change the definition of a "violent offender" for drug treatment court eligibility. It removes convictions for domestic assault (if not a felony) from being counted as a violent offense, instead requiring a felony conviction for certain acts within the previous 10 years. This change would allow more individuals with non-felony domestic assault convictions to qualify for drug treatment courts. The amendment takes effect on July 1, 2026.

HB 1916 modifies Tennessee's real estate licensing rules to exempt affiliated brokers (brokers working under a larger firm) from needing extra licenses or training hours when handling vacation lodging services. It requires that all vacation lodging services must be directly supervised by a principal broker from the affiliated broker, main broker, or firm. The bill specifically amends Tennessee Code § 62-13-104 to remove these additional requirements for vacation lodging agents while maintaining supervision standards. This affects real estate professionals managing vacation rentals in Tennessee, streamlining their licensing process without changing core regulatory oversight.

HB 2023 increases the victims assistance assessment fee from $45 to $125 for individuals convicted of or pleading guilty to criminal offenses in Tennessee courts. The first $15 of the fee goes to the court clerk for processing costs, while the remaining $110 is directed to county-designated victim assistance programs. This change applies to all criminal cases where a defendant enters a guilty plea, is found guilty, enters a nolo contendere plea, or is found criminally responsible for qualifying offenses. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-24-109, to implement this funding shift without altering eligibility for victim services.

HB 2026 would create a new Class A misdemeanor offense for intentionally moving, altering, destroying, or removing specific survey monuments that mark property lines, historical boundaries, or land survey points. It directly affects property owners, surveyors, construction workers, and anyone who might interact with these monuments, which include items like metal pins, concrete markers, or marked trees. The law defines three types of protected monuments (property corner, historic land surveying, and geodetic control monuments) and imposes a serious misdemeanor penalty for violations. The bill, pending passage, would 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.