Tennessee Bills

SB 758 amends Tennessee law to require that when a nonprofit industrial development corporation dissolves, its land (acreage) must be transferred to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on promoting industrial development and new nuclear development. This change directly affects dissolved industrial development corporations and specifies the recipient nonprofit for their land transfers. The bill modifies Section 7-53-317(a)(2) of Tennessee Code to replace prior transfer rules with this new requirement. The policy change, effective May 5, 2025, ensures land from dissolved industrial development entities supports ongoing industrial and nuclear development initiatives.

SB 1090 allows Tennessee uniformed law enforcement officers to wear military decorations (such as medals, service medals, or badges) earned from the U.S. armed forces, Tennessee National Guard, or State Guard during specific periods: the week before Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the days of those holidays, and the day immediately after. The bill amends Tennessee law to permit this temporary display, which directly affects law enforcement personnel during these observances. Employers may still prohibit wearing such decorations if they determine it poses a safety hazard to officers or the public. This is a procedural change focused on ceremonial recognition, not substantive policy.

SB 981 authorizes Hamblen County to participate in a convenience voting center pilot program. The bill amends Tennessee election law to establish a population requirement (64,400-64,500 residents per the 2020 census or later) for counties eligible to join the pilot. This change specifically applies to Hamblen County, which meets the population threshold, and does not affect voting rules in other areas.

SB 1274 updates Tennessee's environmental fee structure and regulates coal combustion residuals (like ash from power plants). It increases fees for regular landfill permits ($10,000) and annual maintenance ($15,000), while excluding coal ash disposal units from these charges. The bill requires new liners and caps for coal ash disposal facilities (except for specific uses like agricultural or engineering applications) and allows the Department of Environment and Conservation to recover regulatory costs for coal ash units through capped fees. These changes directly affect power plants, waste management facilities handling coal ash, and environmental regulatory programs.

SB 111 allows liquor licensees who own at least 51% of both a winery and a manufacturer located on the same shared property to offer wine or spirit tastings and retail sales at a designated area on that overlapping property. It directly affects businesses operating under Tennessee's alcoholic beverage laws that own both a winery and a manufacturer on contiguous, deeded land. The key provision requires all products sold to be made on-site at that property, excludes bonded premises from the allowed area, and mandates shared ownership of both entities. This law amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 57, effective May 5, 2025.

SB 533 changes who pays for electronic monitoring devices when prisoners are released for work in Tennessee. For unpaid work release, the organization employing the prisoner must cover the monitoring costs. For paid employment, the prisoner’s wages must be used to pay for the device, with the sheriff deducting the cost and paying the provider directly. This applies to county or state facilities under Tennessee Code Annotated Title 41, effective July 1, 2025. The bill removes a prior 2024 start date but otherwise modifies existing work release rules.

SB 750 requires Tennessee law enforcement agencies (except the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) to submit monthly reports to the Department of Safety about interactions with undocumented immigrants. These reports must include details like dates, numbers encountered, and copies of identification documents found. The Department of Safety must then compile an annual report for the Tennessee General Assembly by December 1st, assessing undocumented immigrant presence, associated criminal activity, and threat analysis. This report aims to inform legislative oversight and law enforcement coordination, directly affecting state law enforcement agencies and the General Assembly.

SB 876 increases fees for mail-order vehicle registration renewals in Tennessee. It raises the fee for handling mail-order plate renewals from $5 to $7 and the fee for mail-order decals from $2 to $3. These changes apply to county clerks who process mail-in registration renewals, directly affecting vehicle owners who use this service. The bill also allows future annual fee adjustments to match U.S. Postal Service price changes. The new fees take effect July 1, 2025.

SB 560 clarifies that a parent's or guardian's economic disadvantage alone cannot be used as grounds to terminate parental rights or define a child as neglected or abused in Tennessee courts. The bill explicitly states that courts must not consider financial hardship as a factor unless reasonable material resources (like cash assistance, housing, or goods) were offered to the parent or guardian and refused. This affects parents facing juvenile court proceedings where poverty might otherwise be misinterpreted as neglect. Key provisions amend Tennessee laws in Titles 36, 37, and 39 to require courts to weigh financial hardship only after offering resources, and to define terms like "neglect" and "abuse" to exclude economic disadvantage as a sole cause. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

SB 540 amends Tennessee law to change how courts consider child support payments in custody cases. It removes the previous requirement that courts only address nonpayment after three years of failure, instead requiring judges to consider *any* failure to pay court-ordered child support when making custody decisions. The bill also allows courts to restrict or limit parenting plan provisions if a parent has failed to pay child support. This affects parents who miss payments and judges handling custody cases under Tennessee Code Sections 36-6-106 and 36-6-406. The law became effective May 2, 2025.

SB 481 removes a requirement for individuals or entities claiming seized property to post a bond when filing a claim under Tennessee's asset forfeiture laws. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 40-33-205(a) and 40-33-206(b) to eliminate the need for a "cost bond" in forfeiture proceedings. This change directly affects people challenging law enforcement seizures of property, making it easier to contest such seizures without upfront financial barriers. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, applying to all seizures occurring on or after that date.

SB 245 expands the circumstances under which a temporary district attorney (pro tem) can be appointed to include specific civil cases, such as property disputes and cemetery regulations, beyond just criminal matters. It requires most meetings of Tennessee's District Attorneys General Conference to be open to the public, with limited exceptions for confidential topics like ongoing litigation or audits. The bill also mandates that the conference's executive director provide legal counsel to district attorneys and their staff, with this advice protected as confidential and exempt from public records laws. These changes affect district attorneys, their staff, and the transparency of their conference operations.