Tennessee Bills

SB 1328 amends Tennessee law to change the annual deadline for reporting aviation fuel tax revenues. Specifically, it extends the reporting date from December 31 to January 15 each year. The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration must submit written reports to the chairs of relevant legislative committees (finance and transportation committees) detailing the previous fiscal year's aviation fuel tax collections. This is a technical procedural change affecting state administrative reporting requirements under Title 67 of the Tennessee Code.

SB 405, the "CEO Pay Disparity Tax Act," would impose an additional 0.1% tax on companies in Tennessee where the top executive earns at least 100 times more than the company's median employee pay. This surcharge applies to the standard 6.5% excise tax on business net earnings, targeting businesses operating in Tennessee with extreme pay gaps. The tax would take effect for tax years beginning July 1, 2025, and requires the state department to create implementing rules. It directly affects Tennessee-based corporations meeting the pay disparity threshold, without changing existing tax rates for other businesses.

HB 2281 requires Tennessee state agencies to provide the General Assembly's fiscal review committee staff with direct electronic access to all agency data systems and records, including financial, program, and performance information. This affects all state departments, boards, and commissions (like the Department of Education or Wildlife Resources Agency) by mandating they share digital records within 15 business days of a request. The bill specifies that agencies must provide access through secure electronic means, data extracts, or on-site review, while protecting information prohibited by law or court order. It also requires agencies to explain restrictions within 10 days and ensures confidential data remains protected and used only for committee duties. The policy change streamlines access to state data for legislative budget oversight without altering agency records.

HB 2409 amends Tennessee property tax law to change how mineral interests and similar property rights are assessed. It specifies that these interests (like mineral rights or leasehold improvements) are generally assessed to their owner, but adds two exceptions: 1) if a lessee has a "payments in lieu of taxes" agreement with state/local government (effective April 30, 2019 or later), or 2) if the lessee is part of a housing authority's affordable housing project under specific lease terms (entered after April 30, 2026). In these cases, the property is assessed solely to the governmental entity (like a housing authority), not the private owner. The bill directly affects mineral rights holders, property owners with lease agreements, and housing authorities managing affordable housing projects.

HB 2260 increases penalties for arson committed at pregnancy resource centers, raising the offense from a Class C to a Class B felony under Tennessee law. It directly affects these centers (defined as nonprofits providing pregnancy-related services like counseling, financial aid, food, clothing, and adoption support) and individuals committing arson against them. The bill adds a specific legal definition for "pregnancy resource center" to clarify which organizations are protected. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, and does not alter existing protections for other locations like places of worship.

HJR 805 proposes a constitutional amendment to change Tennessee's residency requirement for judges. Currently, judges must have lived in the entire circuit or district for one year before election; the bill would require residency only in the specific county of the circuit or district where the judge is assigned. This change would directly affect judges running for positions in Tennessee's judicial districts by altering the geographic scope of their required residency. The amendment is procedural, focusing solely on modifying the constitutional language without adding new policies or funding.

HB 1977 establishes the "Tennessee Teacher Residency Program Act," creating a state-funded initiative to support new teacher training through residency programs. The bill provides grants of up to $44,500 per teacher resident annually (for up to 100 residents) to cover program costs, resident stipends, and mentor teacher stipends. Residency programs must include a full academic year of coursework combined with a full year of supervised classroom apprenticeship under a mentor teacher, and require participants to commit to teaching for three consecutive years in a public school or charter school after program completion. Failure to meet this teaching commitment requires reimbursement of stipends, and programs must report annual data on outcomes to the Department of Education.

This bill extends the deadline for Tennessee municipalities to submit cost summaries for economic development projects using sales tax revenues. It changes the timeframe from 30 to 45 days after the end of the fiscal year. Municipalities must now provide these summaries with supporting documentation certified by their chief financial officer within the new 45-day window. The change directly affects local governments seeking state allocations for projects like retail or tourism facilities. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 40, Section 7-40-104(c)(1).

SB 2594 removes an outdated section (TCA 68-5-114) from Tennessee’s health code that previously directed a task force to study prevention methods for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes. This bill does not create new policy or affect any current health programs - it only deletes obsolete language from the state code. The change affects Tennessee’s legal framework under Titles 53 and 68 of the code, streamlining administrative records. No new requirements or funding are added or removed; the bill simply eliminates a reference to a now-inactive task force provision.

SB 2171, the "Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act," requires developers of powerful AI systems ("frontier developers") to implement safety protocols for specific AI chatbots. It directly affects companies creating AI models trained with over 10^26 computing operations that power chatbots with at least 1 million monthly users and likely accessed by minors. Key provisions mandate documented "child safety plans" to prevent harm (like generating dangerous content or causing severe emotional distress in minors) and require risk assessments for "catastrophic risks" (e.g., AI enabling weapons or cyberattacks without human oversight). The bill defines terms like "child safety incident" and sets thresholds for applicability, focusing on transparency and risk mitigation for high-impact AI systems.

HB 2617 (Tennessee Code §4-3-1416) requires the governor to approve all workforce training programs seeking federal Pell grant funding, working with the state workforce development board. It mandates coordination with other state and federal programs to prevent duplicate payments for the same student costs covered by Pell grants. The bill creates a process for the board to verify programs meet federal requirements, but prohibits state agencies from creating rules to implement this. This affects workforce training programs, the governor's office, and state agencies managing workforce funding. The bill aims to streamline federal funding access while reducing payment overlaps.

HB 2126 requires property owners to display clear signage defining specific areas where driving, parking, or operating a motor vehicle is prohibited. This amendment to Tennessee's trespassing law (TCA Title 39) would directly affect property owners, businesses, or communities seeking to enforce vehicle access restrictions. The key provision mandates that any posted sign must explicitly outline the prohibited zone to legally enable prosecution for vehicle trespass. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, but does not change penalties for violations - only the requirement for clear signage.