Tennessee Bills

SB 2179 requires that funds from Tennessee's opioid abatement fund, distributed to nonprofit organizations for opioid-related programs, be split equally between advance payments (covering recurring costs like staff wages) and reimbursement grants. This applies to all statewide, regional, or local opioid abatement efforts funded through this specific account. The bill mandates that advance payments must constitute approximately 50% of total grant funds disbursed. It amends Tennessee Code Sections 33-11-105 and 9-4-13 to implement this disbursement structure. The law affects nonprofit organizations receiving these funds but does not create new funding or alter the fund's purpose.

HB 2363 reduces the annual professional privilege tax for attorneys in Tennessee from $400 to $200. This change applies specifically to attorneys licensed under Tennessee Code §67-4-1702(1) or (2), directly affecting licensed attorneys who pay this tax. The tax reduction takes effect for privilege taxes due after May 31, 2027, meaning the lower rate applies to taxes paid for tax years beginning on or after June 1, 2027. The bill amends Tennessee Code §67-4-1703 to reflect this change in tax rates.

HB 2494 increases base salaries for Tennessee judges and justices starting September 1, 2030, affecting all trial, appellate, and supreme court judges. It establishes new salary tiers: supreme court chief justices receive class 1 official pay (with associates $5,000 less), appellate judges get $7,500 less than associates, and chancellors/circuit judges get $10,000 less than appellate judges. The bill also revises how general sessions judge salaries are calculated by reducing county classifications from seven to five population-based tiers (e.g., Class 1 for counties over 49,000 people) and requires counties to adopt a two-thirds resolution to mandate full-time judicial service. These changes apply to all judges in the specified courts and counties on or after the effective date.

HB 2504 requires courts to sentence defendants as "repeat violent offenders" to life imprisonment if they have three or more qualifying violent offenses committed on or after July 1, 2026. It directly affects individuals convicted of multiple serious violent crimes, including aggravated rape, kidnapping, child sexual abuse, or aggravated robbery. The bill establishes a "strikes" system where each qualifying offense counts toward the three required strikes, with at least two strikes needing to come from specific violent offenses listed in the bill (like aggravated rape or kidnapping). It applies only to offenses committed after July 1, 2026, and includes rules for counting prior convictions from other states or jurisdictions.

HB 2152 amends Tennessee law to change how indemnity payments are calculated for livestock destroyed to prevent disease spread. It requires payments to be based on the fair market value of the animal, rather than previous standards, subject to available funding. The bill specifies that partial payments may be issued if full fair market value cannot be covered by funds, and payments may be denied if owners violated disease control rules. This directly affects livestock owners in Tennessee who lose animals due to disease control measures, with funding dependent on separate legislative appropriations.

HB 2138 requires Tennessee to allocate 10% of payments received from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in lieu of taxes to the state's wildlife resources fund. This funding must be used specifically for boating and wildlife conservation programs under existing wildlife resource laws. The bill amends Tennessee Code sections related to state finance (Title 11), wildlife resources (Title 69), and the wildlife fund (Title 70). It takes effect on July 1, 2026, and directly affects the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which will manage these dedicated funds.

HB 2619 prohibits Tennessee health insurance companies from using "downcoding" to reduce payments to healthcare providers. Downcoding occurs when insurers adjust a claim to a lower-cost procedure code, preventing providers from collecting full fees for services rendered - either from the insurer or the patient. The bill creates the Tennessee Commission of Insurance Review to handle complaints and enforce this rule. It directly affects healthcare providers (like doctors and hospitals) and health insurance entities operating in Tennessee by requiring full payment for covered services as defined in the bill. The law amends Tennessee insurance codes to clarify these requirements and definitions.

HB 2264 creates a new Class B misdemeanor offense for intentionally obstructing, disturbing, or interfering with religious institution activities through offensive words, gestures, or displays near the location. It specifically applies to conduct that would be offensive to an ordinary person and disrupts the "order and solemnity" of services at churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, or other places of worship. The law amends Tennessee’s criminal code to define this offense and its penalty, effective July 2026. It directly affects individuals who engage in such disruptive conduct near religious gatherings, not general protest activities. The bill does not criminalize all criticism or peaceful demonstrations, only those meeting the defined threshold.

HB 2437 exempts the retail sale of "generic food products" from Tennessee's 4% food sales tax. It directly affects grocery retailers and wholesalers that sell food produced by third parties under their own brand name (e.g., store-brand items). The bill amends tax code to define "generic food products" as items manufactured for a retailer by a third party and sold under that retailer's brand. The exemption would take effect July 1, 2026, removing tax on these specific store-branded food items.

HB 2377 revises Tennessee's definition of "continuous sexual abuse of a child" in criminal law. It requires prosecutors to prove three or more separate incidents of sexual abuse against one or more minors, with at least one incident occurring in the filing county and another on or after July 1, 2026. The bill also specifies that these incidents must occur over a period of 30 days or more, and mandates unanimous jury agreement on this timeframe. The changes apply to cases occurring on or after July 1, 2026, directly affecting prosecutors, courts, and defendants in child sexual abuse cases.

This bill creates the "Tennessee Live Music Support Act," imposing a 5% fee on tickets resold through secondary markets for live music and performance events in Tennessee. The fee applies only to third-party ticket resellers (like online platforms or ticket brokers), not directly to consumers, and must be collected and remitted monthly starting July 1, 2027. Proceeds will fund grants through the "live music and performance venue fund," supporting venues, promoters, and performers for economic development. It does not affect primary ticket sales or non-music events.

HB 2474 restricts when unmanned traffic cameras can operate near school zones in Tennessee. The bill amends state law to limit camera use to two specific times: when warning flashers are active or during periods when children are present (if the school zone lacks flashers). This directly affects traffic enforcement cameras installed within designated school zone distances. The law requires cameras to be deactivated outside these specified times to reduce automated citations during non-peak hours. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.