Tennessee Bills

SB 1359 modifies reporting requirements for Tennessee's higher education funding. It requires the state commission to submit annual reports on capital outlay funds to relevant legislative committees by July 1 each year, starting in 2025. This affects public colleges and universities that receive state capital funding, as it standardizes when they must report how these funds are used. The bill does not change how institutions can spend the funds, only the timing and process for reporting to lawmakers. (Effective May 9, 2025)

SB 670 requires Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to annually report on compensatory mitigation for aquatic permits to state officials, and establishes four regulatory categories for isolated wetlands. It also adds a new rule preventing the state from classifying property as a wetland unless it meets federal standards. The bill directly affects developers seeking permits for wetland alterations and state agencies managing environmental regulations. Key changes include mandatory reporting to the governor and legislature, and aligning state wetland rules with federal classifications, effective July 1, 2025.

SB 262 amends Tennessee law to extend the age limit for infants that can be voluntarily surrendered to a facility without the mother facing criminal liability, from 14 days to 45 days. This change directly affects mothers who choose to surrender newborns to designated facilities within 45 days of birth. The bill updates specific sections of Tennessee Code (Titles 36, Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 2) to reflect this age increase. The law, effective May 9, 2025, provides a longer window for mothers to access this legal surrender process without criminal consequences.

SB 857 allows counties participating in Tennessee's homebuyers' revolving loan program to end their involvement if they've made loans exceeding their initial funding. Counties can then retain all funds in the pool, including their original capital and any interest earned from repayments, after giving notice to the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA). This change applies to counties that have lent more than their initial capitalization amount, altering how they manage excess funds when exiting the program. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and directly affects participating counties managing these homebuyer loans.

SB 1273 requires Tennessee's Department of Education to create a plan to close the Achievement School District (ASD) by the start of the 2026-2027 school year, releasing all schools currently assigned to the ASD before that date. It mandates the department to replace the ASD model with a new intervention system for schools identified as "priority schools." The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, to implement these changes. The law became effective May 9, 2025, with related implementation dates set for July 1, 2025.

This bill amends Tennessee education law to change how teachers and principals are evaluated and adjust instructional hour requirements. It requires 60% of evaluation scores to be based on student achievement data, with 35% from student growth (measured by Tennessee's student growth assessment system) and 25% from other approved measures chosen by educators. The bill also allows schools to use alternative growth models for non-tested grades and subjects, and sets rules for applying growth data to evaluations. These changes apply to all public schools and charter schools in Tennessee.

SB 1463 changes how Morgan County selects its County Attorney. It requires the position to be filled by a licensed attorney appointed by the Morgan County Commission (after Commission approval), serving a four-year term. The bill removes the prior requirement that the County Attorney must be a Morgan County resident. This applies only to future appointments, leaving current officeholders unaffected. The law takes effect after Morgan County’s legislative body approves it with a two-thirds vote.

SB 655 (effective May 5, 2025) amends Tennessee law to allow a district attorney general to temporarily assign another district attorney or their assistant from a different judicial district to handle specific court cases about removing public officials. This requires the consent of the other district attorney general. The change applies only to cases under Title 8, Chapter 47 regarding officer removal proceedings. It provides flexibility for district attorneys to collaborate across districts when needed, without altering the core legal process.

Tennessee's SB 503 designates June as "Celebration of Life" month, July as "Celebration of Liberty" month, and August as "Celebration of the Pursuit of Happiness" month in state law. The bill amends Tennessee Code Title 4 to formally establish these observances, referencing the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. This designation applies to all state entities and residents, encouraging recognition of these concepts through existing community activities. The law took effect on May 5, 2025, after being signed by the Governor. It does not create new programs or funding but changes how months are officially named in state statutes.

SB 547 requires Tennessee court clerks to add a $12.50 fee to every misdemeanor and felony cost bill, sending the collected funds to county governments (or district attorney offices in multi-county districts) for public safety support services. These funds must be used at the sole discretion of the district attorney general for public safety purposes, with no requirement for specific programs. Counties must approve the fee via a two-thirds vote of their legislative body, and district attorneys must submit annual reports detailing how the funds were spent. The fee does not apply to traffic violations or affect existing restitution or criminal injury compensation payments.

SB 688 expands the Tennessee State Board of Education's authority to require testimony or documents during accountability hearings for public schools or charter schools rated "D" or "F" on state report cards. The bill allows the board chair or their designee to issue subpoenas for people, documents, videos, or audio recordings deemed relevant to these hearings. It specifically amends Tennessee Code sections related to education oversight (Titles 49, Chapters 1, 3, and 5) to formalize this subpoena power. This change directly affects low-performing schools and the state board during investigations into their operations. The law became effective May 5, 2025, after the governor signed it.

SB 390 allows Tennessee's comptroller of the treasury to publish certain survey data that was previously confidential, specifically aggregate survey results and individual responses that cannot identify participants. This affects the comptroller's office, which can now share anonymized survey information with the public, while still protecting identifiable details. The bill amends Tennessee law to explicitly permit this publication for surveys created, obtained, or compiled by the comptroller, excluding surveys from the office of open records counsel. It does not change how confidential data is handled for other state agencies. The policy change increases transparency around public surveys without revealing personal information.