HB 1553 removes the $200 filing fee required to terminate a corporation's existence with Tennessee's Secretary of State. It extends the deadline for individuals or businesses ending donation solicitation activities from 30 to 90 days to notify the Secretary of State. Additionally, it eliminates the requirement for charitable organizations with over $1 million in annual revenue to submit audited financial statements or IRS forms when ceasing solicitation. The bill affects corporations ending operations and large charitable organizations, taking effect July 1, 2026.
HB 1536 creates the "Tennessee Agricultural Innovation and Education Initiative" under the Department of Agriculture. It authorizes partnerships with private or academic groups to develop digital tools, educational programs, and workforce training focused on agricultural technology, market access, and entrepreneurship - specifically prioritizing small, minority, and beginning farmers. The initiative requires annual evaluations to track farmer participation, economic outcomes, and taxpayer return, with results publicly reported to lawmakers. Partners retain ownership of all creative content and digital platforms developed under the program.
HB 1464 would provide a $50,000 annual payment for five years to the estate of an electrical lineman who dies while working in the line of duty. The bill extends this benefit, currently available to emergency responders, to electrical linemen by amending Tennessee law to include them in the same eligibility category. It defines an "electrical lineman" as a worker who installs, maintains, or repairs electrical systems for a local government or its contractors. The bill is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill changes the deadline for county legislative bodies to submit written reports on judicial commissioners from April 1 to April 15. The report must include findings and an overall evaluation of how these commissioners are performing in criminal courts. This adjustment applies to counties in Tennessee that use judicial commissioners and affects the timing of their annual performance reviews. The change is administrative and does not alter the role or responsibilities of the commissioners themselves.
SB 995 prohibits most non-compete agreements that restrict employees or contractors from practicing their profession after employment ends or contracts conclude in Tennessee. It removes previous exceptions allowing such restrictions (by deleting references to Section 63-1-148) and makes these clauses void and unenforceable. The law applies to contracts entered into or amended on or after July 1, 2025, directly affecting workers transitioning between jobs and employers seeking to limit post-employment competition. This change aims to increase workforce mobility by eliminating common barriers to reemployment.
SB 1238 requires Tennessee's Department of Children's Services to post all adoption-related forms on its official website. This affects courts, adoption agencies, and individuals navigating the adoption process by making necessary paperwork easily accessible online. The bill amends Tennessee Code sections in Titles 36, 37, and 68 to mandate this website availability. It does not change adoption procedures or eligibility but streamlines access to required forms. The legislation is procedural, focusing solely on digital form distribution.
SB 846 requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to submit its annual report on narcotics investigations to the House criminal justice committee and Senate judiciary committee by February 15 each year, instead of the previous annual deadline. The bill amends specific Tennessee Code sections to update the submission timeline and committee references. This change affects the TBI’s narcotics division and the legislative committees overseeing criminal justice oversight. The bill focuses solely on adjusting the reporting schedule, with no new policy requirements or funding impacts.
HB 1268 requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to submit its annual report on narcotics investigations to specific legislative committees by February 15 each year, instead of the previous unspecified annual deadline. The bill amends Tennessee law (specifically Titles 8, 10, 16, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 55) to update the submission date and clarify which committees receive the report (the House committee with jurisdiction over criminal justice and the Senate Judiciary Committee). This change directly affects the TBI's narcotics division and the legislative committees responsible for oversight. The bill modifies reporting procedures without altering the content or scope of the investigations themselves.
HB 1372 removes the killing of another committed during certain crimes (like robbery or burglary) from the definition of first-degree murder in Tennessee law. It also deletes two specific criminal responsibility provisions that allowed prosecutors to charge individuals for facilitating felonies or being an accomplice. These changes would directly affect prosecutors, defendants, and courts by altering how violent crimes are classified and prosecuted. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee’s criminal code (including Titles 39 and 40) to simplify these legal definitions.
HB 754 requires gender clinics receiving state funding and insurance providers covering gender transition procedures to also offer and cover detransition services (medical or mental health care to reverse or manage effects of transition). It applies specifically to state-funded clinics and insurers, mandating they report detailed statistics on gender transition procedures to the Tennessee Department of Health. The reporting includes patient demographics, procedure types, medications, and diagnoses - while excluding personally identifiable health information. Data must be submitted monthly and compiled into an annual public report starting in 2025. The bill does not restrict access to gender transition care but adds transparency and service parity requirements.
SB 676 requires gender clinics receiving state funding to offer both gender transition and detransition procedures, and mandates that insurers covering transition procedures must also cover detransition. It applies to all gender clinics licensed in Tennessee and insurance providers offering such coverage. The bill also mandates clinics to report detailed statistics on gender transition procedures (including patient age, procedure type, and diagnoses) to the Department of Health monthly, with annual public reports starting in 2025. These requirements aim to increase transparency around gender healthcare services while imposing specific obligations on covered providers.
SB 1153 prohibits physicians and podiatrists in Tennessee from prescribing, administering, or treating themselves or their immediate family (spouse, parents, children, siblings) with medication or medical care, except in minor, self-limited, short-term, or emergency situations. It also strictly bans prescribing or administering controlled substances (scheduled drugs) to themselves or family members under any circumstances. An exception allows treatment of family within a physician’s regular scope of practice if no other doctor is available within 30 miles of their primary practice location. The bill applies to all licensed physicians and podiatrists in Tennessee and requires them to maintain records of any permitted treatments.
