SB 2373 amends Tennessee law to explicitly require county jailers to assess inmates' need for medical attention as part of their routine evaluations. This directly affects jailers and all individuals confined in county jails, ensuring medical needs are formally considered during care and classification. The key change modifies Tennessee Code Annotated § 41-4-103(b) to add "medical attention" to the list of purposes for which jailers may evaluate confined persons. The bill does not create new funding or penalties but clarifies existing authority to improve medical oversight in local detention facilities.
SB 2502, the "Electric Grid Resilience, Transparency, and Planning Act," requires local electric systems serving 10,000+ customers in Tennessee to publicly share detailed plans and reports. Key provisions include annual reliability reports identifying outage patterns, annual vegetation management plans, and a ten-year grid resilience plan outlining hardening strategies (like undergrounding) and prioritization criteria. It also mandates after-action reports following major outages and minimum emergency communication standards during severe weather events. The bill focuses on transparency and proactive planning for grid resilience, not new infrastructure construction, and applies to municipal and county utilities.
SB 2208, the "DEI Compliance Certification Act," requires Tennessee state departments, agencies, and public universities to annually certify compliance with state laws prohibiting specific DEI-related concepts. It defines "DEI" broadly to include policies or practices based on ideas like race or sex being inherently superior, meritocracy being racist, or requiring individuals to acknowledge past discrimination. Each entity must submit a report detailing DEI removal efforts and provide a sworn certification of compliance to the governor and legislature by January 31 each year. Failure to comply risks funding loss, reorganization, or penalties, with the attorney general empowered to investigate violations and report findings annually.
SB 2429 changes a deadline for counties to submit reports about judicial commissioners. It amends Tennessee law to require county legislative bodies to submit written evaluations of judicial commissioner use to criminal court judges and relevant committees by April 30 instead of April 1. This procedural change directly affects county governments and criminal court officials who must now meet the new April 30 deadline. The bill makes no substantive changes to criminal procedure, only adjusting the reporting timeline.
HB 2372 amends Tennessee law to explicitly include evaluating a person's need for medical attention as part of a jailer's responsibility for their care while confined in a county jail. The bill updates Tennessee Code Annotated §41-4-103(b) to clarify that jailers may assess confined individuals for medical needs during routine care evaluations. This change directly affects jailers who manage county jails and the people held in those facilities. The law specifies that medical evaluation is now a defined part of the jailer's care duties, not an additional requirement. The bill is currently pending in committee review and has not yet become law.
SB 2497 prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from entering or conducting law enforcement activities in Tennessee healthcare facilities, physician offices, or shelters. It defines "healthcare facility" to include hospitals and mental health centers, "physician" as a licensed medical or osteopathic doctor, and "shelter" as facilities serving homeless individuals or domestic violence survivors. The bill amends multiple Tennessee code sections to enforce this restriction, applying to all such locations within the state. It takes effect immediately upon becoming law, creating a clear legal boundary for federal immigration enforcement in these settings.
SB 2390 requires Tennessee local law enforcement agencies to provide detained individuals held under federal immigration agreements with specific information and access to legal resources. The bill mandates that agencies disclose basic personal details (name, date of birth, intake date, facility location) within 24 hours of a request to the detainee, their attorney, family members, or a court. It also ensures reasonable access to legal counsel, phone calls for legal purposes, and family visits, while prohibiting retaliation against detainees for exercising these rights. Violations can be challenged in court, with successful plaintiffs potentially recovering attorney fees.
SB 2378 requires Tennessee county election commissions to document and electronically submit any legitimate complaint about a voting rights violation to the state election commission. The bill amends Tennessee Code sections related to elections (Titles 2, 4, 8, 29, 39, and 41) to establish this standardized complaint process. It directly affects county election commissions, which must now follow this procedure for all verified voting rights complaints. The bill creates a procedural mechanism for reporting voting issues but does not change voting rules or eligibility. This is a procedural update focused on complaint handling, not substantive voting policy.
SB 2479 requires all newly installed public storm drains and culverts (funded by state, municipal, or county entities) built after July 1, 2026, to have safety covers or grates if openings exceed 12 inches in diameter or pose a risk of child entrapment. The bill mandates covers must be durable, secure against removal, and allow proper drainage without blocking water flow. It applies to all public infrastructure projects and requires contractors to include compliance in contracts, with penalties for non-compliance. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and directs the state department to create implementation rules.
HB 2435 clarifies that the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022 does not apply to materials in the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL). The bill amends state law to explicitly state that the Act's requirements do not cover the TEL's digital resources, including e-books and research databases. This exemption ensures the TEL, which provides free online materials to all Tennessee residents, remains unaffected by the Act's age-appropriate standards. The bill only affects the TEL and does not change how the Act applies to other libraries or materials.
HB 2459 allows licensed school social workers in Tennessee to provide preventative and developmental counseling to minors without needing parental consent. The bill specifically exempts these professionals from requiring parental permission for such services, directly affecting minor students receiving counseling in schools and school social workers providing those services. It amends Tennessee Code Sections 63-1-176(c) and related chapters in Titles 36, 49, and 63 to remove the consent requirement. This change applies only to counseling focused on prevention and development, not clinical treatment. The bill aims to streamline access to early support services for students within school settings.
SB 2370 amends Tennessee law to increase penalties for vehicular homicide when a driver's speed was the direct cause. It defines "extreme and excessive rate of speed" as traveling more than 20 miles per hour over the posted limit. If this speed condition applies, vehicular homicide becomes a Class B felony (up from Class C). The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and directly affects drivers convicted of speeding-related fatal accidents.
