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.
HB 1572 extends the operation of Tennessee's Department of Children's Services (DCS) through June 30, 2029, instead of an earlier sunset date. It requires DCS to submit a progress report to the Government Operations Committee by December 31, 2026, detailing how it is addressing findings from a December 2025 performance audit. The bill amends specific Tennessee Code sections to formalize this extension and reporting requirement. This directly affects DCS operations and accountability to the committee, with no new policy changes beyond the extension and audit follow-up.
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.
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.
