Tennessee Bills

HB 1884 requires Tennessee's Secretary of State to compile and publish a report by December 31, 2026, showing how many nonprofit registrations were canceled for legal violations in each of the previous three years. The report must be sent to legislative leaders (senate and house chief clerks) and the legislative librarian, using existing resources without new funding. This bill directly affects nonprofits whose registrations were revoked administratively (without court action) but focuses on transparency for lawmakers. The requirement expires on January 1, 2027, making it a temporary reporting measure.

HB 1630 amends Tennessee's 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. This directly affects the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, which manages workers' compensation claims and benefits. The bill updates the fund's authorized uses in Section 50-6-208(d) to explicitly include computer system costs, while also making minor procedural changes to claim filing and physician certification requirements. These changes streamline administrative processes but do not alter eligibility for benefits or compensation amounts.

HB 1903 expands Tennessee's homestead property tax exemption to include adult children (18+ years old) with developmental or intellectual disabilities who live in the family home after the death of the head of household. The bill amends Tennessee law to extend the exemption to these adult children - previously only minor children or spouses were covered - provided they continue using the property as their primary residence. It references existing definitions of "developmental disability" and "intellectual disability" from Tennessee Code §52-1-101 to clarify eligibility. The changes apply to property tax protections under Titles 26, 30, 33, and 52 of Tennessee Code, effective July 1, 2026.

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.

HB 1905 establishes a temporary 2-year moratorium (starting when the bill takes effect) on approving new out-of-state nursing programs that want to operate, enroll students, or place students for clinical experiences in Tennessee. Existing out-of-state programs approved before the bill's effective date must submit detailed data to the Board of Nursing and the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement, including preceptor lists and student placement statistics. The bill requires the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement to develop new standards for out-of-state programs by June 2027, focusing on verifying preceptor licenses, tracking student outcomes, and ensuring patient safety. This directly affects out-of-state nursing education programs seeking clinical placements in Tennessee and the state agencies responsible for oversight.

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.

HB 2014 amends Tennessee law to increase sentencing for drivers convicted of vehicular homicide due to intoxication who also flee the scene of the accident. If convicted of both offenses under the same incident, the driver must be sentenced as a Range II offender (minimum) for the vehicular homicide charge, per the new Section 39-13-213(b)(2)(H). This applies to cases where a driver causes death while intoxicated and violates §55-10-101 (leaving the scene). The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and directly affects individuals convicted of both specific traffic-related offenses.

HB 1805 requires Tennessee K-12 public schools and charter schools to provide age-appropriate instruction on the history of communism. The bill mandates content covering U.S. domestic communist movements, global atrocities under communist regimes, comparisons with democratic principles, 20th-century threats 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 law applies to the 2026-2027 school year and future academic years.

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.