Tennessee Bills

SB 1964 would expand seasonal fireworks sales periods for Tennessee retailers in 2026, adding Memorial Day (May 20-30) and Labor Day (September 1-10) windows alongside existing Independence Day (June 10-July 10) and New Year's (December 10-January 3) sales. It increases the seasonal retailer permit fee from $100 to $150 for 2026 and authorizes the state fire marshal to create implementing rules. All provisions apply only to the 2026 retail period and expire February 1, 2027. The bill directly affects licensed fireworks retailers operating in Tennessee during these designated holiday periods.

HB 1493 authorizes Tennessee local historical boards to lease their owned or managed land for agricultural use, allowing farmers to grow crops on five or more contiguous acres or harvest hay on smaller parcels. All lease proceeds must be used exclusively for preserving historic sites and structures under the boards' management. The bill requires boards to submit annual reports detailing lease contracts and fund usage to the Tennessee Historical Commission. This policy directly affects local historical boards and farmers seeking land access, creating a new revenue stream for preservation efforts without altering existing land protections.

SB 1774 creates a criminal offense for school employees who intentionally bully or cyberbully students, directly affecting teachers and staff in Tennessee schools. The bill clarifies that school employees found to have committed bullying, harassment, or cyberbullying must face dismissal or suspension, with new definitions specifying "school employee" to include all public and private school staff. Key provisions include expanding the legal definition of bullying to cover acts disrupting education, defining "victim" as students targeted by staff, and adding automatic disciplinary consequences for violations. The law applies to all school employees and takes effect July 1, 2026, for acts occurring on or after that date.

SB 1771 would allow counties with populations under 341,500 (per 2020 census) to prohibit municipalities from enforcing zoning rules outside their city limits. If a county passes a resolution approving this, any existing zoning ordinances applied beyond municipal boundaries become invalid. The bill requires counties to adopt this resolution via majority vote, but does not apply to metropolitan counties or prevent counties/municipalities from making interlocal agreements for ongoing projects. This directly affects local governments' authority over land use planning in unincorporated areas.

HB 1619 extends the Tennessee State Veterans' Homes Board's operation until June 30, 2029, instead of its prior expiration date. It requires the board to submit a progress report to the Government Operations Committee by December 31, 2026, detailing how it is addressing issues identified in a December 2025 performance audit. The bill modifies administrative procedures for the board, which oversees state veterans' homes, but does not change veterans' benefits or services. This is a procedural extension and reporting requirement, not a substantive policy change.

HB 2075, the "Helping Open Pathways to Effective (HOPE) Treatment Act," proposes to establish a framework for Tennessee to conduct clinical trials of ibogaine - a Schedule I drug with potential for treating opioid use disorder, PTSD, depression, and other conditions - by amending state laws. The bill creates a process for "cohorts" (groups including drug developers, research institutions, and hospitals) to submit detailed proposals to the Department of Mental Health for FDA-approved trials, requiring specific plans for participant recruitment, safety protocols, and breakthrough therapy designation. It directly affects Tennessee's mental health department, healthcare institutions, and pharmaceutical developers seeking to advance ibogaine research. The bill does not fund trials but enables state participation in federal clinical pathways, aiming to accelerate FDA approval for ibogaine as a medical treatment.

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.