Tennessee Bills

HB 25 prevents Tennessee public schools from using taxpayer funds to join athletic associations that restrict students who transferred once from competing in sports. It requires these associations to follow open meeting laws and allows closed meetings only for discussing protected privacy information under FERPA. Schools must annually report compliance to the state education department, and athletic associations must undergo annual financial audits by the comptroller. These changes directly affect public schools, athletic associations, and student athletes in Tennessee high schools.

SB 1069 amends Tennessee law to allow auctioneers to send required notifications about going-out-of-business motor vehicle sales electronically instead of only in writing. This change directly affects auctioneers who must notify the Motor Vehicle Commission of the time, place, and details of such sales. The bill modifies specific sections of Tennessee Code (Title 55, Chapter 17 and Title 62, Chapter 19) to permit electronic submission of these notifications. The provision aims to modernize the reporting process while maintaining the same notification requirements.

SB 918 would increase the minimum age for operating a personal watercraft (like a jet ski) without adult supervision from 12 to 16 years. It would also require all operators to maintain proof of insurance in the same amounts as motor vehicle insurance. These changes would directly affect young people who currently operate such watercraft at age 12 and all personal watercraft users in Tennessee, with the age rule taking effect immediately upon enactment and the insurance requirement beginning July 1, 2025.

This bill proposes to increase the mineral severance tax in Weakley County from 15 cents to 20 cents per ton on sand, gravel, clay, and other minerals extracted for commercial use. The change requires approval from a two-thirds vote of the Weakley County legislative body before it can take effect, ensuring local control over the decision. Once approved, the tax would apply to minerals as soon as they are removed from the ground and transported from the mine, regardless of where they are processed or sold. The bill also establishes that unpaid taxes would create a lien on the minerals and the mining property, taking priority over other debts.

SB 2624 repeals three Tennessee school choice programs: the "Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program," the "Education Freedom Scholarship Act," and the "Individualized Education Act." It removes these programs from state law by deleting specific sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated (Title 49, Chapters 6 and 10). This ends the state's operation of these education savings account and scholarship initiatives, which previously allowed families to use public funds for private school tuition. The repeal takes effect July 1, 2026.

SB 2421 requires Tennessee's Department of Safety to report specific data to legislative committees by January 1, 2027. The report must include the number of participants in the state's motorcycle rider education program for each of the last three calendar years, and detail how funds from the motorcycle rider safety fund were spent during the last three fiscal years. This bill does not change program eligibility, funding levels, or safety requirements - it only mandates transparency about participation and spending. The information will be provided to the chairs of the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee and the relevant House committee.

SB 2260 changes the deadline for the Tennessee Department of Education to compile and publish a directory of apprenticeship program contacts for each public high school, moving the date from September 1 to November 1 annually. This bill directly affects the Department of Education, which must now complete this annual task later in the school year. The key provision is the adjusted publication deadline, with no changes to the directory's required content or scope. The bill does not alter the underlying requirement for public high schools to provide apprenticeship contact information.

SB 2477 amends Tennessee's education funding formula (TISA) to include students enrolled in the state's Medicaid program as "economically disadvantaged," expanding eligibility for weighted funding. This change directly affects schools serving Medicaid-enrolled students, who will now qualify for additional state funding under TISA. The bill updates the legal definition in TCA Title 49 to add Medicaid enrollment as a criterion, alongside existing categories like foster youth or free/reduced-meal eligibility. The policy change takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year and applies to all future TISA allocations.

HB 2618 increases penalties for assaulting first responders (like police and EMTs) in Tennessee, reclassifying it from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. The bill mandates a $10,000 fine and a 60-day minimum jail sentence with no early release for these offenses, effective July 1, 2026. It also separately increases penalties for assaults against nurses to a Class A misdemeanor with a $5,000 fine and 30-day minimum sentence. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of assaulting these specific professions by imposing stricter financial and incarceration requirements.

HB 2308 amends Tennessee boating law to require jet boats carrying passengers for hire to maintain a minimum distance of 75 feet from docks or boat ramps before exceeding no-wake speed, increasing the current requirement from 50 feet. This directly affects commercial jet boat operators in Tennessee, such as tour or taxi services navigating near shorelines and public access points. The bill updates Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Section 69-9-218(a)(3), to implement this distance change for safety near water access areas. The amendment applies to both public and private docks and boat ramps statewide.

SB 2555 allows individuals with criminal histories to request pre-application eligibility determinations for health care licenses either in writing or electronically, rather than only in writing. It directly affects applicants seeking Tennessee health care licenses (e.g., nursing, pharmacy) who must disclose criminal records. The bill updates procedures so that licensing authorities must provide written or electronic notice of disqualification, and the 30-day window to challenge this in Davidson County court begins when the applicant receives either form of notice. These changes clarify and modernize the process for applicants while maintaining existing disqualification standards.

SB 2661 amends Tennessee's charter school law by changing the deadline for the state board of education to post local education agencies' (LEAs) annual authorizer fee reports from December 11 to December 15 each year. This bill directly affects LEAs that collect fees from charter schools and the state board, requiring them to report total fees collected and how they were used. The key change is solely a procedural adjustment to the posting deadline, with no other policy modifications to fee collection or reporting requirements. The bill focuses on streamlining administrative timing for transparency, without altering substantive charter school funding rules.