Tennessee Bills

HB 1893 allows Tennessee counties with metropolitan governments (like Nashville) to set a lower tax rate or fully exempt food and food ingredients from local sales tax. It amends tax codes to let these governments apply a reduced rate below the standard city tax rate for food sales, or provide an exemption, while keeping existing surcharges on food sales intact. The change would take effect for metropolitan governments on October 1, 2026, and directly affects grocery stores, restaurants, and residents purchasing food within those jurisdictions. The bill creates a specific mechanism for local governments to adjust food tax treatment without changing overall tax structure.

SB 1643 requires Tennessee's Department of Education to submit an annual report to the General Assembly about the Education Freedom Scholarship Program. The report must include specific details for each scholarship recipient, such as their county of residence, previous and current schools, grade level, household income, and program costs (including administrative expenses and scholarships awarded). The department must submit the first report by June 1, 2026, for the 2025-2026 school year, and annually thereafter by October 1. The bill ensures reports exclude personally identifiable student information. This bill directly affects the Department of Education's reporting obligations and provides transparency for lawmakers regarding program participation and spending.

HB 2087 shortens the reporting deadline for businesses licensed to provide short-term loans or check cashing services (deferred presentment services) from 15 to 10 days after certain events occur. These events include bankruptcy filings, criminal convictions against the business or its leadership, regulatory actions like license revocation, and other incidents the Commissioner of Financial Institutions identifies. The bill applies to all such licensees in Tennessee and modifies existing requirements under Tennessee Code Annotated, Titles 45 and 47. This change requires faster reporting of significant operational or legal events to the state financial regulator.

HB 413 allows patients with severe chronic diseases or terminal illnesses to access investigational stem cell treatments, as recommended by their physician after considering all FDA-approved options. The bill requires the Tennessee Commissioner of Health to create rules listing qualifying medical conditions and mandates written informed consent from patients (or guardians for minors). It also prohibits government interference with patient access and protects physicians from license penalties for following the law's guidelines. The bill directly affects patients with qualifying conditions and their treating physicians, establishing clear pathways for accessing non-FDA-approved stem cell therapies under specific safeguards.

SB 975 deletes an outdated section (TCA 49-6-308) from Tennessee's education code that referenced a discontinued parent-teacher engagement pilot program. The program, which ended after the 2020-2021 school year, is no longer active, so this bill removes the obsolete reference from state law. The change has no direct impact on schools, parents, or students, as the program was already terminated. It serves only as a procedural cleanup of the state code, with no new requirements or funding added. The bill requires no action from school districts or families.

HB 998 requires Tennessee's public colleges and universities to submit their annual foreign gifts and contracts disclosure reports to the General Assembly, in addition to current recipients like the Department of Safety. This bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 49-7-1804(f) and related higher education chapters to expand reporting requirements. It directly affects all public institutions of higher education in Tennessee by adding a new recipient for their annual transparency reports. The change creates a formal reporting pathway to the state legislature for foreign-related financial disclosures.

HB 1022 amends Tennessee law to explicitly permit the use of pharmaceutical fentanyl in lethal injection protocols for carrying out death sentences. This change directly affects individuals sentenced to death in Tennessee, allowing correctional officials to include fentanyl as part of the execution method. The bill adds a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 40-23-114, specifying that lethal injection protocols "may include" fentanyl. The policy change takes effect on July 1, 2025, for most purposes.

HB 1300 requires Tennessee state departments and agencies to submit annual reports detailing their progress in achieving economic efficiency. These reports must now be sent to both the governor and legislative committees, rather than just committees as previously required. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 3-4-1-408(c), 4-1-408(c), 8, and 9 to implement this change. This directly affects all state agencies currently responsible for submitting efficiency reports.

SB 364 replaces Tennessee's "Community Schools Act" with the "Tennessee Full Service Community Schools Act." It creates a new framework where local school districts (LEAs) partner with community organizations to integrate services like health care, mental health support, and family engagement into schools. The bill establishes a grant program administered by the University of Tennessee starting in 2026, requiring LEAs to form formal partnerships with community partners and demonstrate long-term sustainability to receive funding. This directly affects school districts, community organizations, and students/families by mandating coordinated access to educational, health, and social services through schools.

HB 955, the "Affordable Housing and Tenant Protection Act," allows Tennessee local governments to adopt rent control ordinances (requiring a two-thirds legislative vote) to set maximum rents and fees for private residential properties, with specific requirements for local rent agencies and appeal processes. It creates the Increased Housing Program, administered by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA), which provides gap financing to developers building affordable housing and down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers for primary residences. The program prioritizes housing developments in areas affected by recent federal disasters and excludes participants from certain tax credits, with THDA required to report annually on program outcomes starting in 2026. This bill directly affects local governments, landlords, renters, developers, and first-time homebuyers by introducing new rent regulation mechanisms and state-funded housing support.

HB 402 would allow property owners in Tennessee counties that choose to adopt the program to apply for a property tax exemption on portions of their land covered by tree canopy. The exemption applies only to the canopy-covered area (measured via study, aerial imagery, or field survey), not the entire property, and requires county approval to implement. County agencies would determine eligibility, process applications, and set exemption values, with the exemption lasting up to seven years. This bill does not change current tax rates but offers a limited, targeted reduction for properties meeting specific tree canopy criteria.

HB 600, the "Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act," requires companies that produce packaging materials to join a new organization responsible for funding recycling, reuse, and composting systems for covered packaging. It directly affects packaging producers (like those making food containers or product wrappers), mandating they help finance local recycling infrastructure instead of relying solely on government programs. The bill covers most packaging types but excludes medical products, beverage containers under future deposit systems, and long-term storage packaging. Its key goal is to divert recyclable waste from landfills, create jobs in recycling, and recover materials that would otherwise be discarded.