SB 2506, the "Tennessee Fair Chance Housing Act," prohibits landlords and housing providers from refusing to rent or lease housing solely based on a person's criminal history. It limits consideration of criminal records to a 3-year look-back period for misdemeanors and 10 years for felonies (except for sex offenses, which require an individualized safety assessment). Housing providers must conduct an individualized assessment considering factors like the offense severity, time since conviction, rehabilitation efforts, and safety risks before denying housing. This law directly affects renters with criminal records and housing providers managing residential properties across Tennessee.
SB 2616 extends the response time for businesses (referred to as "controllers") under Tennessee's Information Protection Act. It increases the deadline from 60 to 65 days for businesses to provide written responses to consumers who appeal a denied request for personal data. The bill requires businesses to explain their decision in writing within this extended timeframe. This change directly affects consumers filing appeals and the businesses responsible for handling those requests.
SB 2513, the "Workers' Right to Live Act," requires Tennessee employers to report workplace fatalities within 24 hours, with a $50,000 penalty for late reporting. If an investigation finds negligence caused a death, employers face a minimum $250,000 fine per fatality and must repay state incentives (claw back) received under accountability agreements. The bill mandates that the division investigate fatalities within five business days and publicly report findings within 90 days. These provisions apply to all Tennessee employers, with specific focus on high-risk industries like construction and manufacturing.
SB 2515, the "Volunteer Communities Act," creates tax benefits and legal protections for informal community groups providing mutual aid. It directly affects unincorporated associations or small nonprofits (under $100,000 annual revenue) that pool resources, share services, or offer emergency help within neighborhoods. Key provisions include sales, property, and business tax credits; liability protections for activities; and zoning exemptions for registered groups. Organizations must register with the state, report annually, and transition to formal nonprofit status if revenue exceeds $100,000 or they must file IRS Form 990.
HB 2523, the "Maternal Health Care Protection Act," would prevent healthcare providers, institutions, and payers in Tennessee from refusing pregnancy-related care based on conscience objections. It bars providers from declining to perform or pay for services within their professional scope - such as emergency care, prenatal treatment, or standard obstetric care - and stops institutions from creating policies that deny such care. The bill specifically targets exemptions under the Medical Ethics Defense Act, ensuring patients cannot be denied essential pregnancy-related services due to personal beliefs. The bill is currently pending before the Population Health Subcommittee.
HB 2304 repeals "convenience voting" (allowing voters to cast ballots at any early voting location) and establishes new rules for satellite voting sites during early voting periods. The bill requires satellite locations to serve no more than four precincts, be evenly distributed for accessibility, use secure paper ballots with serial numbers, and handle ballots strictly by precinct without mixing with other areas. It also mandates that satellite voting ends when early voting concludes and restricts election day voting to a voter’s residential precinct only. These changes would directly affect county election offices managing early voting sites and voters using satellite locations during early voting periods.
HB 1852, the "Tennessee mRNA Pharmaceutical Sovereignty and Safety Act," would prohibit healthcare and veterinary providers from administering any vaccine or injectable solution containing mRNA technology. If enacted, it would directly affect medical professionals, clinics, and veterinary practices across Tennessee by banning the use of all mRNA-based vaccines and treatments. The bill amends multiple Tennessee Code titles to implement this prohibition, targeting mRNA-containing products specifically. It does not address other vaccine types or non-injectable treatments. The bill is currently pending in committee review and has not been enacted.
HB 1897 requires Tennessee county election commissions to verify the citizenship status of every voter registration applicant using the federal SAVE program database before adding them to voter rolls. It also mandates quarterly checks of the entire county voter list through the same database to remove any non-citizen registrations. The bill directly affects county election offices and ensures voter rolls only include U.S. citizens. This is a procedural change to voter registration procedures, eliminating non-citizen registrations through mandatory database checks.
HB 1832 modifies Tennessee's driver license rules to allow certain individuals to obtain a for-hire endorsement for Class D vehicles without meeting the standard two-year unrestricted driving requirement. It directly affects people who have completed incarceration for a conviction, currently hold a restricted license due to unpaid fines/court costs, and are making payments under a court-ordered plan. The key provision waives the driving experience requirement for these applicants, enabling them to qualify for the endorsement while ensuring they meet other standard criteria like age and vehicle ownership rules. This change aims to provide a pathway for reentry into commercial driving for a specific group facing barriers due to past legal issues and financial obligations.
SB 1028 requires all paper ballots (including absentee ballots) and voting machine ballots in Tennessee elections to include a visible, secure watermark for verification. It mandates that ballot scanners count votes based solely on the text or machine mark portion of the ballot, prohibiting the use of QR codes, barcodes, or other machine-readable coding for tabulation. The bill also creates programs for scanning and auditing ballots, directs the coordinator of elections to define watermark specifications, and updates election equipment standards to ensure compatibility with these requirements. These changes directly affect Tennessee election officials, county commissions, ballot vendors, and all voters participating in elections.
HB 999 requires all voting machine and paper ballots in Tennessee elections to include a visible secure watermark for verification. It mandates that ballot scanners count votes based solely on the text or machine mark portion of the ballot, prohibiting the use of QR codes, bar codes, or other machine-coded markings for tabulation. The bill also creates new programs for scanning and auditing ballots, directing the coordinator of elections to define watermark specifications and placement. These changes directly affect Tennessee election officials, county election commissions, and the ballot processing systems used in all statewide and local elections.
SB 226, the "Tennessee Professionals' Freedom of Religion Act," would prohibit state licensing agencies from denying, revoking, or suspending professional licenses (such as for doctors, therapists, or real estate agents) based on an individual's sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions. It specifically protects licensed professionals who refuse to affirm religiously conflicting statements, express their beliefs in professional settings (without compromising service standards), or provide faith-based services meeting industry standards. The bill also prevents real estate brokers' organizations from denying MLS access or membership based on religious beliefs unrelated to real estate transactions. This proposed law applies to most licensed professions but excludes law licenses (unless the Supreme Court adopts it) and is currently pending in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
