Tennessee Bills

SB 1762 changes a Tennessee law requiring the Department of Education to publish a directory of apprenticeship program contacts for public high schools. The bill moves the deadline for this publication from September 1 to December 1 each year. This affects the Department of Education directly, as it must now compile and post this contact information later in the school year. The change provides more time for the department to gather and verify the information before making it publicly available on their website. The bill does not create new programs or alter eligibility; it only adjusts the timeline for an existing reporting requirement.

HB 1702 directs Tennessee's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to study the state's emergency communications system. The study must analyze funding models, emergency communications district (ECD) structures, organizational charts, methods for consistency, consolidation options, and dispatch protocols, with findings due to the General Assembly by December 1, 2026. This procedural bill does not create new laws but requires TACIR to evaluate the system's operations and provide recommendations. It directly affects how emergency communications are managed across Tennessee's ECDs and PSAPs.

HB 1967 would increase penalties for drivers who leave the scene of a traffic accident in Tennessee. For accidents causing injury, the penalty would rise from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. For accidents where death occurred and the driver knew or should have known, the penalty would increase from a Class E felony to a Class D felony. The bill amends specific Tennessee Code sections (Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 55, Chapter 10) and takes effect July 1, 2026.

HB 1739 authorizes the Megasite Authority of West Tennessee and local law enforcement agencies to enter written agreements allowing sworn officers to enforce traffic laws on designated private roads within the megasite. The bill requires agreements to include detailed road maps, mandatory traffic signs meeting state standards, and clear entrance notices stating local traffic laws apply. It specifies that these agreements do not make private roads public property, transfer ownership, or create public access rights. The law applies only to roads not already dedicated to public use, with enforcement limited to traffic laws under Title 55 of Tennessee Code. This directly affects the Megasite Authority, participating counties/municipalities, and their law enforcement agencies.

HB 1946, the "Curbing Harmful AI Technology (CHAT) Act," prohibits AI chatbots designed to mimic human relationships (called "companion chatbots") from being made available to minors in Tennessee if they could encourage self-harm, illegal activity, secrecy, or unsafe isolation. It requires companies to display clear disclaimers that the chatbot is not human during use and to notify users every 30 minutes. The bill also mandates that AI chatbots detect suicidal thoughts or self-harm expressions and redirect users to crisis services like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This directly affects companies developing or deploying companion chatbots in Tennessee that interact with minors, excluding standard customer service or internal business AI.

HB 1991 amends Tennessee law to allow the Board of Dentistry to provide its annual report to interested parties in electronic format, instead of requiring only paper copies. This change directly affects the Board of Dentistry (which produces the report) and any individuals or organizations requesting the report. The key provision simply updates the reporting method by adding electronic delivery as an option under existing law (TCA Title 4 and Title 63, Chapter 5). The bill does not alter the content of the report or dental practice regulations.

HB 1720 would allow counties with fewer than 341,500 residents (per the 2020 census) to pass a resolution prohibiting municipalities or regional planning groups from controlling land use, development, or infrastructure rules outside city boundaries. If a county adopts such a resolution, any existing zoning plans or ordinances by cities or regional groups that extend beyond municipal limits would become unenforceable. The bill requires counties to pass this resolution via majority vote of their legislative body and allows for temporary agreements to handle ongoing projects. It does not apply to metropolitan counties or prevent counties and cities from making cooperative agreements for lawful purposes.

HB 2080 changes the governance of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation (TELC) by replacing its current board with a new nine-member board appointed by the governor (3 members), Senate Speaker (3 members), and House Speaker (3 members), effective July 1, 2026. The bill requires that certain information about the corporation’s CEO, including compensation and employment details, be subject to public records requests under Tennessee law. It also sets a termination date for the TELC on June 30, 2030, ending the corporation’s operations. The new board will assume all existing authority and contracts without interruption after the transition.

HB 1677, the "Military Families Licensing Recognition Act," streamlines occupational licensing for military-connected individuals in Tennessee. It allows active or retired military members, spouses, and dependents to obtain a Tennessee license in their occupation if they hold a current license from another state or the military with similar scope, meet education/experience requirements, and have no disqualifying records. Licensing boards must issue licenses within 10 business days after applicants verify their qualifications under penalty of perjury. The bill does not override state licensing laws, make licenses valid in other states, or affect court-regulated professions.

SB 1562 extends the Tennessee State Veterans' Homes Board's existence until June 30, 2029, and requires the board to submit a progress report to the Education, Health, and General Welfare Joint Evaluation Committee by December 31, 2026. This report must address findings from a December 2025 performance audit of the board's operations. The bill directly affects the board's structure and reporting obligations, ensuring ongoing oversight of veterans' homes management. It amends Tennessee Code Sections 4-29-247 and 4-29-250 to reflect these changes.

SB 2057 clarifies that wastewater utility systems must provide sewer connections to property owners when the utility has a gravity sewer line located *adjacent* to the property, not just when the line is physically on the property. This change directly affects property owners seeking sewer connections who currently face barriers if the utility line runs alongside but doesn’t cross their land. The bill amends Tennessee law (specifically TCA Titles 7, Chapters 35 and 82, and Title 68, Chapter 221) to remove the requirement that the sewer line must be "on" the property, simplifying the connection process. The key mechanism is updating the legal language to explicitly include "adjacent" as sufficient for connection eligibility.

SB 1713 requires Tennessee state agencies, local governments (counties, municipalities, metropolitan governments), and public universities to annually certify to the state comptroller that they have not implemented "discriminatory preferences" to advance diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives. Covered entities must submit this certification by January 1 each year, beginning in 2027. The bill amends multiple Tennessee Code sections (Titles 4, 5, 6, 7, and 49) to establish this reporting requirement. It directly affects all state departments, local governments, and public higher education institutions subject to the law.