AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal law.
In plain English Requires defendants ordered to wear monitoring devices as a condition of pretrial release to pay all associated fees unless the court determines they are indigent.
Official synopsis: As enacted, requires a defendant who is ordered to wear a transdermal monitoring device or alternative device, including other alternative alcohol or drug monitoring device, or global positioning monitoring device, as a condition of pretrial release, and who has not been determined by the court…
Became lawEffective date(s) 07/01/2026 · 2026-05-27
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 10; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 49; Title 50; Title 55 and Title 70, relative to criminal justice.
In plain English Creates a Class A misdemeanor for operating an unmanned aircraft within 400 feet of or above a ticketed entertainment event.
Official synopsis: As enacted, creates a Class A misdemeanor offense when a person operates an unmanned aircraft within 400 feet of or above a ticketed entertainment event; makes related changes. – Amends TCA Title 8; Title 10; Title 33; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39;…
Became lawComp. became Pub. Ch. 918 · 2026-05-18
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33, Chapter 2; Title 38; Title 39; Title 50; Title 63 and Title 68, relative to Kratom.
In plain English Creates criminal offenses and testing requirements for kratom, among other changes.
Official synopsis: As enacted, enacts "Matthew Davenport's Law," which creates certain criminal offenses and testing requirements related to Kratom. – Amends TCA Title 33, Chapter 2; Title 38; Title 39; Title 50; Title 63 and Title 68.
Became lawComp. became Pub. Ch. 950 · 2026-05-15
A RESOLUTION to propose an amendment to Article VI, Section 4, of the Constitution of Tennessee regarding the residency requirements for judges.
In plain English Proposes changing judicial residency requirements from the circuit or district to the specific county within that circuit or district.
Official synopsis: Proposes an amendment to Article VI, Section 4 of the Constitution of Tennessee to change the residency requirements for a judge from being a resident of the circuit or district for one year to being a resident of a county of the respective circuit or…
Passed both chambersSigned by H. Speaker · 2026-05-07
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 12, Chapter 3, Part 12, relative to construction project delivery methods.
In plain English Allows local governments to choose any construction project delivery method for qualified local projects if certain requirements are met.
Official synopsis: As enacted, authorizes a local government to use any project delivery method that the local government determines most effectively meets the needs of the local government for the construction of qualified local projects, if the local government meets certain requirements. – Amends TCA Title 12,…
Became lawEffective date(s) 04/27/2026 · 2026-05-04
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-110, relative to public meetings.
In plain English Requires local education agencies and certain other local governing bodies to make meeting agendas publicly available before meetings.
Official synopsis: As enacted, adds the governing body of a local education agency and certain other local governing bodies of a public body with the authority to make binding decisions or the ability to appropriate funds to the list of governing bodies that are required to make…
Became lawEffective date(s) 04/14/2026 · 2026-04-28
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 40, relative to sentencing for criminal offenses.
In plain English Adds circumstances for juries to consider when sentencing defendants convicted of certain criminal offenses.
Official synopsis: As enacted, adds aggravating circumstances for a jury to consider when determining the sentence of a defendant convicted of certain offenses. – Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.
Became lawEffective date(s) 07/01/2026 · 2026-04-27
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 4; Title 9; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 56 and Title 63, relative to funding oversight.
In plain English Requires non-governmental entities receiving state in-kind funding under federal Public Health Service Act to also receive state or federal grants subject to audit to qualify as 340B entities, effective November 1, 2026.
Official synopsis: As enacted, clarifies that, as of November 1, 2026, a non-governmental entity receiving in-kind funding from the state or a political subdivision of the state pursuant to the federal Public Health Service Act is eligible to qualify as a 340B entity, only if the entity…
Became lawEffective date(s) 11/01/2026 · 2026-04-27
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 41-51-301 and Title 55, Chapter 50, Part 3, relative to licenses.
In plain English Requires the Department of Correction to coordinate with the Department of Safety to provide driver licenses to certain discharged inmates who plan to reside in Tennessee.
Official synopsis: As enacted, requires the department of correction to coordinate with the department of safety to provide a driver license to certain inmates who are discharged from imprisonment and who intend to reside in this state; makes other related changes. – Amends TCA Section 41-51-301 and…
Became lawEffective date(s) 04/14/2026 · 2026-04-27
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 40, relative to the development of retail and other public tourism facilities.
As introduced, increases, from 30 to 45, the number of days within the end of a fiscal year, for which a municipality is requesting an allocation of sales and use taxes revenues, that a municipality may submit a summary of the cost of an economic…
Not out of committeeRe-refer to Senate State & Local Gov't Committee · 2026-04-22
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter 4, relative to district public defenders.
In plain English Changes the notice requirement for district public defenders conference meetings from 10 days to 10 business days.
Official synopsis: As introduced, changes from 10 days to 10 business days the number of days' written notice the president of the district public defenders conference must give before calling an at-will meeting of the conference. – Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 14 and Title 9, Chapter…
Not out of committeePlaced on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026 · 2026-04-20
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 12 and Title 67, relative to local government.
In plain English Increases from 90 days to 100 days the time a joint committee has to report on county consolidation feasibility after receiving a petition.
Official synopsis: As introduced, increases from 90 days to 100 days the amount of time that a joint committee on county consolidation has following its receipt of a petition of consolidation to report its findings and recommendations on the feasibility of consolidation of the petitioning county with…
Passed one chamberRcvd. from S., held on H. desk. · 2026-04-20
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-23-103; Title 16 and Title 67, relative to courts.
In plain English Increases salaries for trial, appellate, and supreme court judges starting September 1, 2030, and revises compensation for general sessions judges.
Official synopsis: As introduced, increases base salaries for trial and appellate level judges and supreme court justices effective September 1, 2030; revises compensation and other requirements for general sessions judges on or after September 1, 2030. – Amends TCA Section 8-23-103; Title 16 and Title 67.
Not out of committeePlaced on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026 · 2026-04-20
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 9, Chapter 8 and Title 29, relative to damages.
In plain English Increases the state's liability limits for tort damages from $300,000 to $500,000 per claimant and from $1 million to $1.5 million per occurrence.
Official synopsis: As introduced, increases the amount for which the state may be liable for damages in causes of action arising in tort from $300,000 per claimant to $500,000 per claimant and from $1 million per occurrence to $1.5 million per occurrence. – Amends TCA Title 9,…
Not out of committeePlaced on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026 · 2026-04-20
A RESOLUTION to honor and commend Kori Atkins upon being named the 2026 Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga Youth of the Year.
Kori Atkins, 2026 Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga Youth of the Year
Became lawSigned by Senate Speaker · 2026-04-17
“In plain English” lines are written by ThePolitibase with AI (Claude), from the official synopsis only; the synopsis is the authoritative text. Descriptions are the legislature’s own synopsis. Bill data from LegiScan, CC BY 4.0.