Tennessee Legislation

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, revises law relative to out-of-service orders issued to commercial drivers and related penalties. - Amends TCA Title 55 and Title 65, Chapter 15.

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, revises law relative to out-of-service orders issued to commercial drivers and related penalties. - Amends TCA Title 55 and Title 65, Chapter 15.

Millington - Subject to local approval, requires a candidate for the office of mayor to be a resident of the City of Millington for one year preceding the election rather than 60 days to qualify to run for such office. - Amends Chapter 238 of the Acts of 1903; as amended and rewritten.

Children - As introduced, defines a child in need of heightened supervision; makes various other changes regarding the commitment, detention, and shelter care of children. - Amends TCA Title 37, Chapter 1, Part 1.

Historical Sites and Preservation - As enacted, authorizes local historical boards to lease land owned or managed by such boards for agricultural purposes, with all proceeds received by the boards to be used for the preservation of historic sites and structures. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 11; Title 12; Title 29 and Title 43.

Real Estate Agents and Brokers - As introduced, exempts an affiliate broker or broker licensed under the Tennessee Real Estate Broker License Act from the additional licensure and classroom hours in training programs requirements for a vacation lodging service firm's designated agent; requires that vacation lodging services be under the supervision of the principal broker of an affiliate broker, broker, or firm. - Amends TCA Title 62, Chapter 13.

Criminal Procedure - As enacted, requires a defendant who is ordered to wear a transdermal monitoring device or alternative device, including other alternative alcohol or drug monitoring device, or global positioning monitoring device, as a condition of pretrial release, and who has not been determined by the court to be indigent, to pay all fees associated with the installation, monitoring, maintenance, and operation of the device. - Amends TCA Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55.

Natural Disasters - As enacted, enacts the "Local Disaster Displacement Tax Relief Act." - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 4; Title 58 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

Charlotte - Subject to local approval, revises various provisions of the charter of the City of Charlotte relating to its corporate powers; the city council; the city clerk; codification of ordinances; duties of mayor; city court, judge, and court clerk; and budgeting, centralized purchasing, and taxes. - Amends Chapter 154 of the Private Acts of 1955; as amended.

Monterey - Subject to local approval, deletes obsolete provisions authorizing the mayor to serve as the ex officio recorder for the town of Monterey; establishes the position of Town Administrator and prescribes the Administrator's powers, duties, and functions. - Amends Chapter 492 of the Acts of 1901; as amended.

Children - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Child Care Red Tape Reduction Act." - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 7 and Title 71, Chapter 3.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As enacted, requires each fertility clinic operating in this state to obtain a certificate from the department of health to perform assisted reproductive technology services. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 36; Title 63 and Title 68.

Taxes, Real Property - As enacted, provides that a collecting official or the division of property assessments is not required to request documentation verifying the income of an elderly person seeking tax relief if the applicant is at least 80 years old and meets certain other requirements. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 7.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, authorizes, during a state of emergency that is based on a natural emergency, an emergency utility worker to travel upon public roads and enter areas subject to curfew or restricted access orders when such access is necessary to perform emergency utilities restoration activities; provides that an emergency utility worker, and the emergency utility worker's employer, are immune from civil liability for injury, death, or property damage resulting from an act or omission of the emergency utility worker committed in good faith while engaged in emergency utilities restoration activities during a state of emergency declared that is based on a natural emergency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 58.

Lexington - Subject to local approval, clarifies the duties of the mayor as the chief executive officer of the city; authorizes the mayor to suspend an employee; clarifies that office of mayor is a full-time position. - Amends Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1901; as amended and rewritten.

Education - As introduced, deletes an obsolete pilot program that awarded grant funds to five local education agencies to implement innovative and high-quality preschool programs in the 2023-2024 school year; deletes a Tennessee preschool task force that was created to develop a strategic plan for preschool education by June 1, 2024. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49.

Zoning - As introduced, authorizes certain counties to adopt a resolution prohibiting a municipality or regional zoning commission from exercising zoning authority outside of the boundaries of the municipality. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 13.

Public Utility Commission - As introduced, authorizes the commission to electronically submit to the general assembly its annual report comparing telecommunications, electricity, natural gas, water, and wastewater utility rates between this state and the southeastern states. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 13; Title 54; Title 64; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

Salaries and Benefits - As enacted, expresses the public policy that the prevailing wage rate be paid to workers on non-state contracts for construction projects on public highways; makes other revisions to the Prevailing Wage Act for State Highway Construction Projects. - Amends TCA Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 4.

Local Government, General - As introduced, authorizes a local government to publish certain notices electronically online for the purposes of satisfying public notice requirements. - Amends TCA Title 1, Chapter 3 and Title 8, Chapter 44.

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, prohibits the initial issuance of registration of a motor vehicle if the vehicle has not met the requirements of the "Financial Responsibility Law of 1977," which provides insurance and financial responsibility requirements for motor vehicle operators; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 55 and Title 56.

Niota - Subject to local approval, rewrites the charter of the City of Niota. - Amends Chapter 48 of the Private Acts of 1919; as amended and rewritten.

Children - As enacted, enacts the "Tennessee Child Care Red Tape Reduction Act." - Amends TCA Title 13, Chapter 7 and Title 71, Chapter 3.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities - As introduced, designates as not requiring a license from the health facilities commission as a regulated healthcare facility or service any magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography that is not used for diagnostic purposes. - Amends TCA Title 33; Title 63 and Title 68.

Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As enacted, clarifies that certain individuals who have not completed the amount of clinical practice required by the educator preparation provider in which the individual is enrolled may receive a temporary clinical permit if all other requirements for the permit are satisfied; allows such an individual who is issued a temporary clinical permit to meet the clinical practice requirements of the EPP in which the individual is enrolled by combining the amount of clinical practice the individual completed before being issued a temporary clinical permit with the amount of time the individual taught under the temporary clinical permit. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 5.

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, authorizes, during a state of emergency that is based on a natural emergency, an emergency utility worker to travel upon public roads and enter areas subject to curfew or restricted access orders when such access is necessary to perform emergency utilities restoration activities; provides that an emergency utility worker, and the emergency utility worker's employer, are immune from civil liability for injury, death, or property damage resulting from an act or omission of the emergency utility worker committed in good faith while engaged in emergency utilities restoration activities during a state of emergency declared that is based on a natural emergency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 58.

Bond Issues - As enacted, authorizes the state to issue and sell bonds. -

Gleason - Subject to local approval, for the term beginning December 2028, increases the mayor's compensation from $200 to $400 per month and compensation for each alderman from $100 to $200 per month. - Amends Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended.

Computers and Electronic Processing - As enacted, requires TACIR to study artificial intelligence and submit a report to the governor and both speakers by January 31, 2027. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 33; Title 39 and Title 47.

Motor Vehicles - As enacted, prohibits the initial issuance of registration of a motor vehicle if the vehicle has not met the requirements of the "Financial Responsibility Law of 1977," which provides insurance and financial responsibility requirements for motor vehicle operators; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 55 and Title 56.

Lexington - Subject to local approval, clarifies the duties of the mayor as the chief executive officer of the city; authorizes the mayor to suspend an employee; clarifies that office of mayor is a full-time position. - Amends Chapter 402 of the Acts of 1901; as amended and rewritten.

Hamblen County - Subject to local approval, abolishes the Hamblen County Road Commission, effective August 31, 2028. - Repeals Chapter 313 of the Private Acts of 1949; as amended.

Water - As enacted, authorizes municipal water and sewer systems to undertake certain projects on private property. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 63; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

Municipal Government - As enacted, creates a process for continuing funding for a municipal LEA when the municipal legislative body and the governing body for the LEA cannot agree on a budget; provides a process for continuing funding of municipal operations when a municipal legislative body has not adopted a budget by the first day of a fiscal year. - Amends TCA Title 6, Chapter 56, Part 1 and Title 6, Chapter 56, Part 2.

Election Laws - As enacted, authorizes the county election commission to designate restroom facilities in each building in which the election is held that are for the use of workers or volunteers working for a campaign with certain limitations on access. - Amends TCA Title 2, Chapter 7.

Education - As enacted, revises the assessment testing requirements for students who participate in the education savings account (ESA) program. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 12; Title 48; Title 49 and Title 67.

Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services, Dept. of - As introduced, enacts the "Helping Open Pathways to Effective (HOPE) Treatment Act." - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 33; Title 53; Title 63 and Title 68.

Military - As enacted, designates the national guard armory in McNairy County as the "Brigadier General Donald F. Hawkins Army National Guard Armory." - Amends TCA Title 58, Chapter 1.

Tobacco, Tobacco Products - As introduced, expands the definition of "consumable material" to include natural and synthetic liquid nicotine solutions and liquid nicotine analogues for purposes of the taxation of vapor products containing such material; requires the alcoholic beverage commission to issue the fines for the offense of selling or offering for sale a vapor product for retail sale in this state to anyone under 21 years of age. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17; Title 43; Title 57 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 10.

Licenses - As introduced, enacts the "Military Families Licensing Recognition Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 58; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As enacted, makes revisions to the offense of adulteration of food, liquids, or pharmaceuticals. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40 and Title 57.

Hamblen County - Subject to local approval, updates appointment provisions, qualifications, and compensation for the office of county attorney. - Amends Chapter 677 of the Private Acts of 1949; as amended.

Civil Emergencies - As enacted, creates the department of Tennessee emergency management authority ("TEMA") to authorize the creation of local organizations for emergency management in the political subdivisions of the state, and to authorize cooperation with the federal government and the governments of other states. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 13; Title 16; Title 39; Title 55; Title 58; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 71.

Civil Emergencies - As enacted, creates the department of Tennessee emergency management authority ("TEMA") to authorize the creation of local organizations for emergency management in the political subdivisions of the state, and to authorize cooperation with the federal government and the governments of other states. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 13; Title 16; Title 39; Title 55; Title 58; Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 71.

Lottery, Corporation - As introduced, vacates and reconstitutes the board of directors of the Tennessee education lottery corporation; requires certain information maintained by the corporation to be subject to a public records request; terminates the lottery corporation on June 30, 2030. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10 and Title 49.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, authorizes a health insurance entity to offer a short-term limited-duration plan and hospital indemnity coverage on the marketplace. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 12; Title 29; Title 35; Title 36; Title 37; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 42; Title 45; Title 47; Title 49; Title 50; Title 52; Title 53; Title 56; Title 58; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

Immigration - As introduced, adds local governments to the entities that must verify that each applicant for public benefits is a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States; authorizes the attorney general and reporter to investigate violations of requirements for verification of citizenship or presence for public benefits; requires certain reporting related to such verification for benefits. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 1 and Title 4, Chapter 58.

Tennessee Arts Commission - As enacted, reconstitutes the commission. - Amends TCA Title 4.

Public Utilities - As enacted, requires a utility to provide material that is required for construction of utility infrastructure for the customer's or approved contractor's use at the same price as the utility paid for the material, if such material is available only from the utility; authorizes a customer or approved contractor installing utility infrastructure to install street lights; prohibits a utility from requiring a customer or approved contractor from installing street lights; prohibits certain fees for inspections and review of plans and designs from exceeding a combined total of 10% of the proposed cost of the project. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 13, Chapter 7; Title 65 and Title 68.

Jonesborough - Subject to local approval, authorizes the board of mayor and alderman for the Town of Jonesborough to elect a mayor from among the aldermen to fill a vacancy; authorizes the Town recorder to carry liability insurance rather than be bonded in an amount prescribed by Town ordinance; updates the election dates for the mayor and board of aldermen. - Amends Chapter 135 of the Acts of 1903; as amended.