Tennessee Bills

SB 160 requires municipalities that do not provide their own ambulance services to reimburse counties for ambulance services provided within their boundaries. The reimbursement is calculated based on the municipality's population relative to the county's population (using the latest federal census) and capped at 50% of the total service cost. This applies to cities where the county provides ambulance services within municipal limits. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 61, effective May 9, 2025. It directly affects municipal governing bodies and county governments managing ambulance services.

SB 229 amends Tennessee's campaign finance laws to increase transparency and regulate campaign committees. It requires campaign committees to pay a $150 annual registration fee (candidates are exempt), raises violation fines from $100 to $250, and clarifies that campaign funds may cover litigation to support a candidate's election but not personal reputation. The bill also extends the period candidates can accept contributions after an election to cover campaign debts and exempts party-controlled committees from standard contribution limits. These changes directly affect campaign committees, candidates, and political parties by altering financial reporting, fees, and allowable spending.

SB 147 requires Tennessee's Department of Transportation to install clear signs or symbols at rest areas and welcome centers indicating where family restrooms are located. It defines a "family restroom" as a fully enclosed, lockable space designed to accommodate people with disabilities, elderly individuals, children, or those needing assistance. The bill also mandates that the department post a complete list of rest areas with family restrooms on its website. This affects travelers using Tennessee highways and directly requires the DOT to implement these accessibility features and transparency measures.

SB 239 requires Tennessee's TACIR (Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations) to study the availability of facilities for two groups of juvenile offenders: those detained before court hearings and those committed to the Department of Children's Services after being found guilty. The study will assess current facility capacity and identify potential needs for additional housing or treatment options in both scenarios. TACIR must complete this study using existing resources and submit findings and recommendations to the General Assembly by January 1, 2026. This bill directly affects juvenile justice systems and facilities across Tennessee, though it does not create new facilities or change existing laws.

SB 322 amends Tennessee state law to grant eligible full-time state employees up to six workweeks of paid leave annually to care for a family member with a serious health condition. It directly affects Tennessee state employees who have worked full-time for at least 12 consecutive months, expanding existing leave options beyond childbirth or adoption. The bill requires 30 days' notice (or as soon as possible if less notice is available) and limits total paid leave to six workweeks within any 12-month period, which can be taken intermittently. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, and aligns with federal Family and Medical Leave Act provisions for eligibility and coverage.

SB 102 extends the operating authority of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation (TTDC) until June 30, 2027, preventing its automatic termination. This bill directly affects the TTDC, which supports technology-related economic development in Tennessee. The legislation makes technical corrections to Tennessee Code (Title 4, Chapters 14 and 29) by removing outdated references and clarifying the corporation's legal status. The change ensures the TTDC can continue its existing programs without interruption.

SB 246 requires Tennessee's Department of Education to form a working group focused on improving support for English language learners (ELLs) in K-12 public schools. The group, including school program directors, educators, state board members, and legislators, will study best practices from other states and examine specific strategies like expanding teacher training, creating specialized educator endorsements, and using classroom techniques such as visual aids and collaborative learning. The working group must submit a report with recommendations by January 1, 2026, to legislative education committees. This bill directly affects EL educators and students across Tennessee's public schools by mandating a study to develop better instructional approaches.

SB 233 creates a 9-member conservatorship management task force in Tennessee to review and improve the state's conservatorship system. The task force, composed of state agency representatives and public appointees (including judges and legal services advocates), will examine conservator care, asset management, fraud detection, public education, and oversight mechanisms. It must submit its first report to state agencies by December 31, 2025, and annually thereafter. This bill directly affects conservators, individuals under conservatorship, and state agencies managing these cases. The task force has no paid members and will operate under the Department of Disability and Aging.

This bill requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to pay $85 monthly from existing budget funds to correctional officers (active or retired) who take custody of retired service dogs. The payment covers only medical care for the retired canine and must be documented with annual records submitted to the department. Officers must notify the department within 30 days of the dog's death, at which point payments stop. The law applies to dogs retired due to age, injury, or other reasons after July 1, 2025.

SB 602 modifies Tennessee's education law by extending the timeframe for attributing student records to teachers from five to ten business days when evaluating educators. It also allows school districts and public charter schools to pay a teacher's estate for unused vacation and sick leave upon death, following the same process used for deceased state employees. The bill directly affects teachers (through evaluation timelines) and their estates (through leave compensation). Key changes are limited to administrative procedures for teacher evaluations and death benefits, with no new funding or broad policy shifts. The law took effect May 9, 2025.

SB 621 amends Tennessee's campaign finance laws to require corporations that independently spend their own funds on communications expressly supporting or opposing a specific candidate (without the candidate's or their campaign's prior agreement, consent, or consultation) to register as political campaign committees and report their expenditures. This directly affects corporations running ads or communications about elections without coordination with candidates or their official committees. The key provision clarifies that such independent corporate spending must now follow the same reporting rules as traditional campaign committees, increasing transparency in how outside groups influence elections. The law became effective on May 9, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.

SB 869 amends Tennessee wildlife laws to allow hunters to use bait for whitetail deer or wild pigs on privately owned or leased land, but only with a new "bait privilege license." This license must be purchased like a regular hunting license, and it applies even to those exempt from standard hunting licenses. The law also gives wildlife officials authority to suspend bait use statewide or locally to manage disease risks in wildlife populations. It does not change existing rules for hunting other species or using bait on public lands.