Tennessee Bills

This joint resolution honors Laurel McCuiston, the 2026 valedictorian of Sale Creek High School, for her academic excellence. The bill formally commends her outstanding grade point average and encourages her future success. It authorizes the General Assembly to present a copy of the resolution to her as a gesture of recognition.

HB 2550, the "Hunting for Heroes Act," creates a Tennessee National Guard Sportsman License that provides free hunting and fishing licenses to active Tennessee National Guard members in good standing. It requires applicants to submit a valid U.S. military ID and verification of their National Guard membership from the Adjutant General's office. The license grants the same benefits as a standard resident sportsman license, with costs covered by the state general fund (not wildlife resources funds). This bill directly affects current Tennessee National Guard members, eliminating their license fees while maintaining standard hunting/fishing regulations. The license will be available starting July 1, 2026, pending legislative approval.

HB 2096 changes the deadline for Tennessee's Department of Education to submit its annual report on school safety grant funds. It extends the submission date from February 1 to February 15 each year after the initial 2026 report. This procedural bill directly affects the Department of Education by adjusting its reporting timeline under Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-1-225(f). The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

HB 2221 increases the required notice period for crime victims registered in Tennessee's criminal proceedings notification system from 24 to 36 hours before any hearing related to their case. This change directly affects victims who have opted into the state's notification system to receive updates about criminal cases involving them. The bill amends Tennessee Code Section 40-38-507(b)(1) to implement this longer notice period, affecting how the system communicates with registered victims. The policy change focuses solely on extending the notice window for victims' awareness, with no other provisions or impacts described in the bill text.

SB 2206, the "Federal Tax Credit Scholarship Act," enables Tennessee to participate in a federal tax credit program that allows individuals to claim tax credits for contributions to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs). The bill requires the Tennessee Department of Education to certify and publish a list of qualified SGOs meeting federal criteria, ensuring these organizations can provide scholarships for elementary and secondary education expenses - including home schooling - under federal law. This directly affects Tennessee students attending private or home schools by expanding access to scholarship funding through tax-credit donations, while SGOs gain eligibility to receive these contributions. The law aligns Tennessee with federal regulations to maintain state eligibility for the tax credit starting in 2027.

SB 2210 increases the required notice period for victims registered in Tennessee's criminal proceedings notification system from 24 to 36 hours before any related hearing. This change directly affects victims who have registered to receive alerts about court proceedings involving their case. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-38-507(b)(1), to update the notice timeframe. The law will take effect on July 1, 2026.

HB 2130 creates a new pathway for graduates of ABET-accredited engineering technology programs to become registered engineers in Tennessee. To qualify, applicants must have at least eight years of supervised engineering experience, provide references from three licensed Tennessee engineers, and pass two national exams (fundamentals and principles/practice). The bill directly affects engineering technology graduates seeking licensure, expanding eligibility beyond traditional engineering degree holders. It modifies Tennessee's licensing rules to include this category of applicants, effective July 1, 2026.

SB 2226 amends Tennessee law to extend the required notice period for land use violations under the Megasite Authority of West Tennessee from 10 to 14 days before assessing civil penalties. It directly affects individuals or entities who violate the Authority's land use regulations. The key provision changes Section 64-9-109(f)(1) to mandate written notice of at least 14 days prior to penalty assessment. This is a procedural adjustment to penalty procedures, not a substantive policy change. The bill requires the Authority to provide longer notice before imposing fines for land use violations.

HB 2184 amends Tennessee law to extend the deadline from 15 to 90 calendar days that a court must give the Tennessee General Assembly to fix problems in a redistricting plan. This bill directly affects state legislators and courts when reviewing voting district maps. The key change is simply increasing the timeframe for the legislature to correct redistricting issues before courts take further action. The bill focuses on procedural timing within the redistricting process, with no other policy changes specified.

SB 2201 allows juvenile courts in Tennessee to suspend a student’s driving privileges or prevent them from obtaining a driver’s license for up to one year if the student is adjudicated "unruly" for unlawful school absences. This applies specifically to students referred to juvenile court for truancy and found unruly under Tennessee law. The bill amends existing statutes (TCA Title 37, 49, and 55) to add driving suspension as a permitted court disposition. It directly affects students facing juvenile court for truancy-related offenses, with the policy change taking effect July 1, 2026. The measure does not alter truancy reporting requirements but expands potential consequences for adjudicated cases.

HB 2528 amends Tennessee's security guard licensing laws to add "stalking" to the list of crimes requiring applicants to complete all sentence or probation terms and wait at least five years before applying for a security guard registration. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of stalking who seek security guard positions, preventing them from applying until five years after their sentence or probation ends. Key provisions include requiring security guards to report arrests or convictions for listed offenses (like stalking) within 10 days to both the state commissioner and their employer, and adding new disqualifiers for individuals on abuse registries or prohibited from owning firearms. These changes strengthen background checks and reporting requirements for security personnel without altering existing rules for other offenses.

HB 2404 amends Tennessee's medical cannabis commission appointment rules. It requires the Senate Speaker to appoint one commission member as a substance abuse prevention specialist, selected from a list of three names submitted by the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee, effective July 1, 2025. This change ensures the commission includes expertise in substance abuse prevention. The bill directly affects the medical cannabis commission and the Prevention Alliance of Tennessee, which provides the candidate list. (Bill: HB 2404; Effective: July 1, 2025)