Tennessee Bills

SB 2277 exempts the retail sale of "generic food products" (defined as store-brand foods produced by third parties for grocery retailers) from Tennessee's 4% food sales tax. This directly affects consumers purchasing store-brand generic groceries and the retailers selling them, as these items will no longer incur the tax. The bill amends Tennessee's tax code to create this specific exemption, excluding such products from the standard food tax rate. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

SB 2639, the "Tennessee Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act," authorizes the state treasurer to invest up to 10% of certain public funds (like the general fund and revenue fluctuation reserve) in Bitcoin, subject to strict security and reporting rules. It requires all Bitcoin holdings to be held through secure custody solutions - using multi-location key storage, annual security audits, and multi-party transaction approvals - to protect state assets. The bill limits annual Bitcoin acquisitions to 5% of eligible funds until reaching the 10% cap, prohibits investments in other cryptocurrencies, and mandates annual public reports detailing holdings, value, and transactions. This directly affects how Tennessee manages its public investment portfolios and the state treasurer’s investment decisions.

SB 2346 prohibits private schools participating in Tennessee's education savings account or individualized education account programs from hiring or retaining employees with documented child abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse records. It requires the Department of Children's Services to review employee backgrounds upon request from eligible child care agencies and disclose findings only after due process rights are exhausted. The bill also mandates that schools cannot hire individuals listed on the state's vulnerable person or sex offender registries, and establishes emergency review procedures for immediate safety threats. This directly affects private schools serving students in these specific education programs and their employees with relevant abuse histories.

SB 2150 requires owners of newly constructed private residence elevators (in single-family homes or private multi-unit dwellings not open to the public) to register them with the Tennessee Department of Labor within seven days of being placed in service, starting July 1, 2027. It also mandates that new property owners notify the department within 60 days if they acquire a home with an existing private residence elevator. The bill amends Tennessee law to clarify that these elevators are exempt from certain inspection requirements that apply to other elevators. This applies directly to homeowners installing new elevators in their residences after the effective date.

SB 2349 requires Tennessee's Department of Health to create a public outreach campaign about Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (a neurological condition affecting nerves) using media like social media, radio, and print materials. It directs the department to establish a toll-free hotline for patients to report diagnoses or donate to related research. The bill specifies five campaign funding categories, including data portals, community outreach, and materials development. The outreach campaign would end on July 1, 2027, and the law would take effect July 1, 2026.

SB 2470 transfers oversight of the Board of Boiler Rules and the Elevator and Amusement Device Safety Board from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The bill amends Tennessee Code sections to update administrative responsibility for these boards without changing their safety standards or regulatory functions. This transfer affects how these boards operate within state government but does not alter the rules they enforce for boiler safety or amusement device operations. The change is administrative, focusing on departmental management rather than policy substance.

SB 2254 exempts the retail sale of fresh fruits and vegetables for human consumption from Tennessee's 4% food retail sales tax, effective July 1, 2026. This change directly affects grocery stores, farmers' markets, and other retailers selling fresh produce, as they will no longer collect sales tax on these items. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 67-6-228 to create this specific exemption under the tax code. It does not alter taxes on other food items or ingredients, which remain subject to the standard 4% rate.

SB 2156 establishes the "Tennessee Teacher Residency Program Act," creating a state-funded initiative to support residency programs where aspiring teachers complete a year of classroom training under mentor teachers. The program provides grants to cover up to $44,500 per teacher resident annually for program costs, stipends, and mentor support, with participating residents required to commit to teaching for three years in a Tennessee public school after licensure. Residency programs must include rigorous coursework, clinical apprenticeships, and evidence-based mentor training to meet grant eligibility. This program satisfies the clinical experience requirement for teacher licensure under existing Tennessee law.

SB 2183 redirects 10% of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) payments in lieu of taxes that the state receives or retains to the Wildlife Resources Fund. This funding must be used specifically for boating and wildlife conservation projects managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The bill amends Tennessee Code sections related to state finance (Title 11), TVA payments (Title 67), wildlife funding (Title 69), and the wildlife resources fund (Title 70). It takes effect July 1, 2026, ensuring a dedicated source of funding for state wildlife and boating infrastructure.

SB 2216 requires Tennessee's state employee assistance program (EAP), including mental health and wellness services, to be available at no cost to all active volunteer firefighters and members of combination fire departments (which include both paid and volunteer staff). This expands existing EAP access beyond state employees to cover these volunteer fire service workers. The bill also amends related laws to remove outdated terms like "full-time" and update membership reporting requirements for fire departments. These changes aim to support volunteer firefighters' well-being through accessible, state-funded resources.

SB 2598 expands Tennessee's education freedom scholarship program to allow students enrolled in public schools outside their designated district (out-of-district public schools) to receive state-funded scholarships, previously limited to private school enrollment. The bill requires that scholarship recipients in out-of-district public schools take the same standardized tests as public school students and that schools report test results to the state, broken down by grade, income, and other demographic factors. Scholarship amounts for out-of-district public schools cover the full tuition and fees charged by those schools. This change, effective July 2026, aims to broaden school choice options while maintaining testing and reporting requirements for accountability.

SB 1805 increases payments to ambulance service providers participating in Tennessee's TennCare program by raising the reimbursement rate from 67.5% to 110% of Medicare's allowable charges. It directly affects ambulance providers who serve TennCare patients by changing how they are paid for services. The bill also removes the "Ground Ambulance Service Provider Assessment Act" from state law. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, and focus on adjusting payment rates and eliminating a separate assessment requirement.