Tennessee Bills

SB 2167 integrates Tennessee's TennCare program into the statewide planning and policy council by adding the director of long-term care services and a managed care organization representative to the council's membership. The bill expands the council's advisory and reporting duties to specifically include TennCare's director, services, and waiver implementation, alongside existing department programs. It amends Tennessee Code to update references from "the department" to include "the bureau of TennCare" in council functions and reporting requirements. This structural change affects the council, TennCare operations, and managed care organizations that contract with TennCare. The bill does not alter TennCare's policies or funding but changes how the program is coordinated within the state's planning structure.

SB 2138 requires that individuals convicted of vehicular homicide caused by intoxication **and** leaving the scene of the accident (a hit-and-run) be sentenced as a minimum "Range II" offender under Tennessee law. This bill directly affects people facing dual convictions for these specific traffic-related crimes. The key provision mandates that the sentencing range for vehicular homicide cannot be set below the second-lowest tier (Range II) if the person is also convicted of fleeing the scene. The law will take effect July 1, 2026, and amends Tennessee Code Sections 39-13-213, 40-20-102, and 55-10-101.

SB 1861 amends Tennessee workers' compensation law to allow the Bureau of Workers' Compensation to use funds from the "subsequent injury and vocational recovery fund" for costs related to implementing and maintaining a computer system. The bill updates specific sections of the law (TCA Title 50, Chapter 6, Part 2) to clarify fund usage, change procedural terms like replacing "petition" with "file a motion," and adjust language about impairment ratings and physician certifications. It directly affects the Bureau of Workers' Compensation and its administrative operations, not workers or employers. The key change is authorizing computer system costs as a permissible use of this existing fund, with the bill taking effect July 1, 2026.

SB 1741, the "Charlie Kirk Act," requires Tennessee's public universities to adopt and post two specific statements on their websites. First, it mandates that each institution incorporate the University of Chicago's free expression policy into its bylaws, including its core principles about protecting debate even when ideas are offensive. Second, it requires adoption of the 1967 University of Chicago Kalven Report on universities' role in political action, emphasizing that institutions should not take collective political positions. The bill applies directly to all public higher education institutions in Tennessee and imposes legal remedies (like injunctions) for noncompliance.

SB 2076 expands the scope of practice for Tennessee optometrists by allowing them to perform specific minor surgical procedures under local anesthesia, such as removing small eyelid lesions or treating minor lacerations. It directly affects licensed optometrists in Tennessee who meet certification requirements for administering local anesthetics. The bill permits procedures like excising non-malignant skin lesions under 5mm or draining eyelid abscesses, but explicitly prohibits more complex surgeries like cataract removal, LASIK, or retinal procedures. These changes are codified in amendments to Tennessee Code Annotated § 63-8-102, with all new surgical authority subject to board approval and strict limitations.

SB 1890 requires Tennessee public schools and charter schools to teach age- and grade-appropriate lessons about the history of communism. The bill mandates instruction covering domestic communist movements in the U.S., atrocities under communist regimes abroad, comparisons between communism and democratic principles, historical threats of communism (including the Cultural Revolution), and communist policies in Cuba and Latin America. The Tennessee Department of Education must develop guidance for schools, potentially consulting victims of communism or relevant organizations. This policy directly affects all K-12 public schools in Tennessee, applying to the 2026-2027 school year and beyond.

SB 1817 ensures military-connected students in Tennessee can maintain educational continuity. It requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to accept enrollment documentation within 60 days of a student’s first enrollment or one year from a service member’s duty start, whichever is later. The bill mandates LEAs to uphold existing special education plans (like IEPs or 504 plans) when students enroll and allows high school students (grades 11-12) to remain in their school until graduation if their parent relocates due to military orders. This directly affects dependent children of service members and the schools serving them across Tennessee.

SB 1968 requires Tennessee school districts to count unexcused absences from a student's previous school when they transfer to a new district, so those absences contribute to truancy determinations at the new school. It also mandates that school directors refer students who withdrew without transferring to juvenile court if they had received truancy interventions and accumulated unexcused absences. The bill directly affects students, school districts, and juvenile courts by changing how attendance records are handled across school transfers. Key provisions include carrying forward prior absences to the new school and requiring documentation for juvenile court referrals.

This bill allows Tennessee local school boards to open their public meetings with a prayer led by a board member, provided no attendee is required to participate and no one is harassed or coerced into joining. It directly affects all local school boards in Tennessee by changing their meeting procedures. The key provision requires that any opening prayer remain voluntary and non-coercive, aligning with recent Supreme Court rulings on religious expression in public settings. The law would take effect July 1, 2026.

SB 2139 amends Tennessee law to change the deadline for the Department of Education's annual report on school safety grant funds. Currently due by February 1 each year after the initial 2026 report, the new deadline moves this to February 15. The bill affects the Department of Education's reporting schedule and the General Assembly's timeline for receiving the report. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Section 49-1-225(f), and takes effect July 1, 2026.

SB 1989 protects parents and legal guardians who raise children consistent with their biological sex - such as using gender-specific pronouns or making medical decisions based on biological sex - from being penalized in child welfare or custody cases. It specifically prohibits courts from treating such actions as child abuse, neglect, or grounds for removing a child, and bars these decisions from being considered negative factors in custody determinations. The bill amends Tennessee laws covering child welfare (TCA Title 37), criminal penalties (TCA Title 39), and family court procedures (TCA Title 36). It does not restrict other lawful parental decisions or override existing child protection laws.

SB 2032 requires Tennessee public safety employers (such as police departments, fire services, and emergency medical personnel) to provide employees and job applicants with reasonable access to their full employment records, including mental health evaluation results. If an applicant is denied employment based on a mental health evaluation, they can request the evaluation results and submit an alternative evaluation at their own expense, which the employer must review. The bill amends multiple Tennessee codes to implement these transparency requirements and allows employees to sue for violations, with the winning party recovering attorney fees. This law directly affects public safety workers and job seekers in roles involving protection of persons or property.