During this year’s legislative session, which adjourned on April 22nd, Tennessee’s General Assembly passed some key changes impacting ThinkTN’s priority issue areas, while leaving many others on the table for when they return for year two in January 2026. Here is an overview of the new laws, issues discussed, and what we can expect to see back again next year, as they relate to our strengthening democracy and supporting working families programs.
Highlights
- The process for restoring voting rights has changed. Once the governor signs the bill into law, Tennesseans will no longer need to have their gun rights restored before getting their voting rights restored, and the Certificate of Restoration process will be gone – everyone will petition the courts for restoration.
- State employee paid leave policies were tweaked and expanded to include special school teachers and to begin for adoptive parents when the child is placed with them (as opposed to after six months). And as of January 1, 2026, state employees will also be able to take their six-week paid leave for end-of-life care for parents, spouses, children, and grandchildren for whom they have custody.
- A handful of reforms to licensure and zoning requirements may ease the path for additional childcare agencies to provide more coverage for Tennessee families.
- Beginning July 1, 2025, the state will have a new source of revenue dedicated to the highway fund from the sales tax on new and used tires. And a TACIR report due by the end of September 2026 will study the state’s long-term transportation infrastructure needs and identify sustainable sources of revenue to grow over time.
- Three constitutional amendments will be placed on the ballot in November 2026 for voters to determine: removing the right to bail for additional offenses, expanding victims’ rights, and prohibiting a state property tax.
SUPPORTING WORKING FAMILIES
Over 100 bills were filed related to issues impacting Tennessee’s working families, including housing, transportation, childcare, paid family leave, workforce development, taxes, and court fines and fees,. Most bills did not make it all the way through, with many being introduced and discussed briefly and deferred to next year or stalling in Finance committees. However, a few changes did make it across the finish line.
Housing and Transportation
Two bills address transportation funding, and another cleans up language on last year’s bill allowing municipalities to implement voluntary housing incentive programs. Additional bills were not discussed, stalled, or failed.
- New revenue stream for the state’s highway fund. HB 969/SB 144 (Hawk/Walley)(H: 89-0; S: 33-0) creates a recurring stream of revenue – from the sales tax on new and used tires beginning on July 1, 2025 – devoted to the state’s highway fund. Previously deposited in the state’s general fund, the revenue will be capped at $80 million the first fiscal year and is estimated to be $95.7 million in subsequent years.
- TACIR study to identify additional sources of funding. HB 736/ SB 703 (Vital/Massey)(H: 91-1; S: 32-0) calls on TACIR to study the state’s critical long-term highway and bridge infrastructure funding needs and gaps and to review sustainable sources of revenue with the potential to grow over time, such as fees for road usage, transportation network companies, and rental cars, highway impact fees for heavy trucks, and dedicated state funds from various sources. The report is due by September 30, 2026.
- Redefining the deed restriction on voluntary attainable housing incentive programs. Last year’s bill allowing municipalities to implement voluntary attainable housing incentive programs set the deed restriction on multi-family properties in perpetuity. HB 863/SB 1193 (Faison/Gardenhire)(H: 90-0; S: 32-0) changes the duration instead to be at least 30 years.
Additional housing and transportation proposals were either not discussed, stalled, or failed.
- Extended use of local surcharge. HB 127/SB 1307 (Lamberth/Johnson), an effort to expand the ability to levy a surcharge on local privilege taxes to all counties and for transportation uses beyond transit, moved through initial House committees before being taken off notice in the Senate.
- Funding the TN Rural and Workforce Housing tax credit program. Last year, the legislature established but did not fund the TN Rural and Workforce Housing tax credit program. SJR 27 (Johnson) sought to establish the program’s funding with $300 million over 12 years – $10 million for 10 years in each 2026, 2027, and 2028. Passed through its initial committee, it was taken off notice in the Finance committees in both chambers. HB 1327/SB 1323 (Lamberth/Johnson), proposing to remove the requirement that the program be funded through a joint resolution in the future, similarly passed its initial committee in the House before being taken off notice.
- Proposed new property assessment and valuation process for low-income housing properties. HB 753/SB 539 (Faison/Stevens) proposed establishing a new process for property tax assessment and valuation of multi-unit rental housing that receive government incentives like the federal low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC). The bill would’ve excluded the amount of LIHTCs or other state or federal subsidies from the valuation of new low-income housing properties developed after January 1, 2026. The bill was not discussed in either chamber, and a similar proposal failed in Senate committee last year.
- Reallocating recordation taxes to counties. A handful of bills were filed proposing to reallocate revenue collected from recordation taxes to counties for specific or general uses, but most were not calendared or were amended to address other issues. HB 649/SB 1080 (Marsh/Johnson), proposing 50% of collections be remitted to counties for transportation infrastructure, schools, and other nonrecurring expenses passed through initial committees in both chambers and was placed behind the budget. Sponsors acknowledged the need for additional conversations about the fiscal impact – estimated to draw $105.8 million from state to local governments – but expressed the hope for discussions to continue.
- Allowing impact fees on new development in Gallatin. HB 1413/SB 1435 (Slater/Haile)(H: 1-19-2; S: not calendared) sought to give the Gallatin city council the ability to approve implementing impact fees on new development in the city. The bill was not discussed in the Senate and failed in House subcommittee after questions clarified that the fees could not be capped.
Childcare
Legislation this year addressed recommendations from a January TACIR report aimed at growing and supporting Tennessee’s childcare industry, including (a) easing a number of zoning and licensure requirements, (b) improving access to properties, and (c) incentivizing the childcare workforce through programs designed to reward workers for years of service.
- Reduced licensure and zoning requirements. Two bills passed helping to allow more programs to more easily provide childcare services by reducing licensure and zoning requirements.
- HB 106/SB 1288 (Lamberth/Johnson)(H: 92-0-1; S: 32-0) expands the types of childcare programs, e.g, casual care,[1] YMCA, and Boys and Girls Club programs, that are exempt from Department of Human Services licensure requirements.
- HB 1175/SB 1379 (Williams/Watson)(H: 86-9; S: 28-1) allows (1) childcare programs operating in, but not affiliated with, a school to meet provisional licensure requirements by using the school’s fire inspection and facilities, (2) childcares operating in family homes to be classified as residential properties for zoning and other regulations, and (3) childcare programs operating within an LEA (a local education agency) to have the first (or second if there is a charter school in the LEA) right of refusal to purchase or lease available properties. HB 698/SB 1014 (Camper/Oliver) proposed similar changes and made its way to the Senate Floor before the sponsor indicated she would take the bill off notice and defer to the other version.
- Grants to support childcare agencies.
- HB 105/SB 1286 (Lamberth/Johnson)(H: 93-0-2; S: 30-0) expands an existing nonprofit childcare improvement pilot grant program to all childcare providers, including for-profit ones, to help spend down the last $5 million of the initial $15 million allocation and support more programs in its final year.
- Another bill, HB 631/SB 580 (Clemmons/Akbari) which proposed the creation of a grant program through the Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative office to support nonprofit and faith-based childcare programs, however, failed in House subcommittee and wasn’t presented in the Senate.
- Supporting the childcare workforce. HB 992/SB 902 (Love/Oliver) addressed the TACIR recommendation to support retention and recruitment of the childcare workforce with a wage program designed to reward workers for their years of services. The Senate sponsor presented and discussed the bill briefly in committee (it was not presented in the House) before taking it off notice to continue to work on the financial costs of such a program.
Paid Family Leave
Building off of the state employee six-week paid leave policy passed last session, bills expanded coverage to special school employees, redefined when adoptive parents were eligible for leave, and added end-of-life care for certain family members.
- Paid family leave for special school teachers. HB 676/SB 705 (Stinnett/Massey)(H: 94-0; S: 31-0) brings the state’s four special schools’[2] policies, including eligibility for paid family leave, in line with those of the state’s public schools.
- Adoptive parents’ eligibility for leave. HB 1150/ SB 314 (Miller/Yarbro)(H: 93-0-2; S: 32-0) allows adoptive parents to qualify for paid leave when the child is placed with them rather than when the adoption is finalized which by state law is six months after placement.
- Paid leave for end-of-life care for certain family members. HB 915/SB 322 (Sparks/Massey)(H: 89-1; S: 33-0) expands state employees’ six-week paid leave coverage to include providing end-of-life care for a parent, spouse, child, or grandchild for whom they have custody. Employees will have up to six weeks annually for either the birth or adoption of a child or this end-of-life care.
Workforce Development
Proposals addressing Tennessee’s scholarship programs for postsecondary degree or credential programs were introduced and discussed but did not pass. Most were moved to next year’s calendar.
- Tennessee Promise and Hope scholarships.
- HB 148/SB 686 (White/White) seeks to make permanent the TN Completion Grant pilot program which provides coaching and grants to students experiencing a financial hardship to help them complete their postsecondary degree or credential. The bill passed through initial committees in both chambers before stalling in Finance committees.
- HB 738/SB 803 (Parkinson/Massey) would have extended eligibility for the TN Promise scholarship to include students enrolled at certain accredited cosmetology and barbering institutions, but it didn’t make it out of Senate committee. The House is scheduled to take up the bill next year.
- HB 777/SB 1085 (Reeves/Johnson), also deferred to next year after a brief discussion in the Senate, would allow private postsecondary institutions who have applied for and are awaiting accreditation (rather than just those already granted accreditation) to qualify as an institution where students could use Hope scholarships.
- Fully funding tuition and fees at TCATs. HB 1324/SB 1312 (Lamberth/Johnson) seeks to make various changes to the scholarship programs available to TCAT students. It would eliminate TCAT students from TN Promise and Reconnect scholarships and instead provide full tuition and fees for eligible TCAT students through the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skill Grant and rename it the TennesseeWORKS scholarship. The bill was not discussed in the Senate but moved through initial committees before stalling in the Finance committee in the House.
- Economy Workforce Credential Grant Program. HB 663/SB 709 (White/Massey) was also discussed briefly before being rolled to next year. It would establish a grant program operated by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to cover up to $3,000 of tuition for students enrolled in certain noncredit workforce training programs. Sponsors indicated they need more time to work with stakeholders to develop the plan designed to benefit Tennessee’s current workforce and employers seeking employees with improved technical skills.
Additional Supporting Working Families Bills
Additional bills impacting Tennessee’s working families include stalled proposals to eliminate the grocery tax, an increased cap on interest rates for industrial loan and thrift companies, and new court fines and fees.
- Eliminating the grocery tax. HB 633/SB 1164 (Clemmons/Akbari) proposed exempting fruits and vegetables from the sales tax on food and food ingredients, while two bills, HB 2/SB 2 (Behn/Oliver) and HB 21/SB 1367 (Davis/Watson) proposed eliminating the tax entirely. None of the bills received positive recommendations from the Finance subcommittee, and all but HB 2, which was sent to summer study, were placed behind the budget where they remain for legislators to potentially revisit next year.
- Additional court fines and fees. Two bills introduced new court fines and fees, and one allocates a larger portion of the revenues collected to support continued education for municipal courts.
- HB 547/SB 547 (Cochran/Stevens)(H: 73-23-1; S: 25-5) creates a “public safety fund” funded by a new $12.50 charge in every misdemeanor and felony cost bill to support the work of district attorneys general. Sponsors indicated a similar fund exists for public defenders.
- Presented in the House as simply adding a $2 assessment fee to go towards court security and software updates and trainings, HB 487/SB 409 (Farmer/Bailey)(H: 82-8-1; S: 31-2) requires civil case fees to be collected at the time of service otherwise court clerks (after having provided notice) may seek relief from the court including striking a filing or dismissing the judicial proceedings. It also increases incrementally over three years filing fees in chancery and circuit courts, including contract enforcement (from $275 in 2026 to $325 in 2028), appeals from juvenile, general sessions, probate, municipal courts, or administrative agencies (from $200 in 2026 to $250 in 2028), and restoration of citizenship rights (from $150 in 2026 to $200 in 2028).
- HB 748/SB 1089 (Reeves/Johnson)(H: 79- 19; S: 33-0) increases from $1 to $2 the amount of collected court costs to support continued educational trainings for municipal judges and court clerks.
STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY
Over 60 bills addressing elements of Tennessee’s voting process and good governance issues were filed this year, leading to a handful of key policy changes to election processes, three proposed constitutional amendments, and expanded roles for the legislative and judicial branches of government. Here are key changes and issues introduced or discussed that may come back next year.
Five new policies will impact voters and election administration moving forward.
- A new process to restore voting rights. HB 445/SB 407 (Hulsey/Gardenhire)(H: 86-8-1; S: 28-2) The voting rights restoration process for Tennesseans with a felony conviction was changed in two significant ways.
- Tennesseans no longer need to have gun rights restored before receiving their voting rights. Since July 2023, Tennesseans needed to either receive a pardon or have their full rights of citizenship restored (including gun rights) before completing the voting rights restoration process. Once the governor signs this bill into law[3], this will no longer be the case. Voting rights (or any other right of citizenship – the right to serve on a jury, hold public office, or execute a fiduciary office) may be restored even if Tennesseans are not eligible to have their gun rights restored.
- Voting rights will be restored through the courts. Tennesseans will now petition a circuit court for the restoration of their citizenship rights, and a judge may grant the restoration of one or more of them, e.g., voting rights if eligible but not gun rights if ineligible. From 2006 to July 2023, the process had been an administrative one where Tennesseans submitted a Certificate of Restoration to election officials to verify their eligibility.
- The bill passed with bipartisan support as well as concerns. While most members agreed the separation of gun rights from voting rights was a necessary change, some flagged concerns with codifying the process as a judicial rather than administrative one. While there have long been challenges to the administrative process, a judicial process requires petitioners pay court costs, e.g., petition-filing fees and attorney fees, that are not required in an administrative process. The House sponsor acknowledged this bill didn’t address all the concerns and that work would continue to further improve it.
- The process for purging voters from voter rolls can begin with inactivity.
- HB 457/ SB 626 (Rudd/Briggs)(H: 72-22; S: 22-4) If a registered voter does not participate in two consecutive November elections (a period of four years) or otherwise engage with their election commission, e.g., sign a petition or update their address, county election officials may begin the multi-step process of removing voters from the voter rolls.
- Election officials send identified voters a “confirmation notice,” and if the voter returns it and confirms they are still at the address, they remain on the voter rolls. If they do not return the notice, another four-year clock begins – if they do not participate or engage over the course of another two November elections, they will be removed from the voter rolls.
- This had been Tennessee policy before it was changed in 2017 following a lawsuit that challenged Ohio’s similar practice saying that it violated the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) prohibition on removing voters for inactivity. However, in 2018 the Supreme Court determined this practice does not violate the NRVA because voters are not removed based on inactivity alone, they also must fail to respond to the confirmation notice to be removed.
- New design for driver’s licenses for non-U.S. citizens. HB 6001/SB 6002 (Lamberth/Johnson)(H: 72-22; S: 26-7) Passed during this year’s one-week special session, this bill requires lawful permanent residents (non-U.S. citizens) to receive a “temporary” driver’s license that is designed to be visually distinctive from Tennessee’s traditional driver’s license and is not applicable as a Voter ID. While lawful permanent residents have been eligible to receive a Tennessee driver’s license, as non-U.S. citizens they are not eligible to vote. Tennessee driver’s licenses are an accepted form of Voter ID, and this measure was presented as being necessary to prevent lawful permanent residents from using their license to vote.
- New electronic portals for election administrators to confirm eligibility of voter registration applicants. HB 69/SB 133 (Lamberth/Johnson)(H: 77-18; S: 32-0-1) Currently, Tennesseans indicate whether they are a citizen and if they have a felony conviction on the voter registration application and affirm on oath that they are providing accurate information to the best of their knowledge. Under this new legislation, these electronic portals, due by January 2028, are meant to provide election administrators with a way to verify an applicant’s eligibility by confirming their citizenship status and whether they have had a felony conviction. The bill was presented as an attempt to verify an applicant’s eligibility on the front end so that they can be prevented from registering if they are not eligible. The House sponsor mentioned over a dozen people in Sumner County were prosecuted for registering with a felony conviction last year, with at least one not knowing if they had had their rights restored and assuming that if they hadn’t, they wouldn’t be allowed to register. The portals are contingent on federal grant funds which may or may not be available.
- Partisan county offices will now nominate candidates for primary elections.
- HB 855/SB 799 (Reeves/Johnson)(H: 60-25-2; S: 26-3). All partisan offices on August and November ballots (county, judicial, state, and federal) must now feature candidates selected through primary elections. While candidates for governor, state legislature, and Congress have been required to be nominated by primaries in Tennessee, state parties could determine how they wanted to nominate candidates for county offices (county legislative bodies, assessors of property, sheriffs).
- The Senate sponsor stated most counties already use primaries, and that the few who used caucuses instead in 2022 or 2024 would be allowed to continue doing so. Though passed without a fiscal note or cost associated to it, the legislature appropriated a nonrecurring $8 million to county election commissions as reimbursement for primary elections.
Three constitutional amendment questions will be on the ballot for voters in November 2026.
Three proposed constitutional amendments passed the final hurdle[4] this session and will be placed on the ballot for voters to approve or decline in November 2026.
- Remove the right to bail for more offenses. (HJR 49/SJR 25)(Sexton/Johnson)(H: 84-10-1; S: 23-6-1) This amendment would add offenses where judges may refuse to grant bail. Currently only possible for capital offenses, this adds an act of terrorism, second degree murder, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated rape, grave torture, and other offenses that a defendant if convicted of (as of November 3, 2026) would be required to serve at least 85% of the sentence imposed.
- Expand the rights of victims of crimes. (HJR 48/SJR 9)(Sexton/Stevens)(H: 93-0; S: 27-5) This amendment would ensure victims of crime have enforceable rights and protections and expands the list of current rights to include additional rights, like the right to be informed of the minimum sentence the offender will serve and the scheduled release date.
- Prohibit a state property tax. (HJR 2/SJR 1)(Darby/Haile)(H: 89-6; S: 26-5-1) This amendment would add language prohibiting the legislature from levying, authorizing, or otherwise permitting any state tax upon all property real, personal, or mixed.
Other election-related highlights
Additional legislative discussions included more proposed voting rights restoration changes, new election administration and process proposals, and efforts to remove or recall officials.
- Reducing the legal financial obligations owed before becoming eligible for voting rights restoration. The Senate passed HB 687/SB 336 (Camper/Akbari)(H: 2026; S: 24-8), a bill that would have changed the legal financial obligations attached to eligibility for voting rights restoration by eliminating court costs from the list and allowing those who have been compliant with child support orders for 12 months, including arrearages, to be eligible. Tennessee is the only state to include payment of child support arrearages in the requirements, which also include court costs and restitution. The House did not take up the bill this session but is anticipated to next year.
- Election Administration. A handful of bills were introduced but not discussed proposing stricter election administration processes, including requiring proof of citizenship with voter registration applications, requiring Voter IDs to show current addresses (removing the U.S. passport from the list of approved IDs) and to be non-expired (currently they can be expired), increasing the age for absentee eligibility from 60 to 65, and new eligibility and procedural requirements for overseas voters.
- Vote Centers. In an expansion of voter access, Hamblen County became the 10th county to receive authorization to implement Vote Centers with HB 620/SB 981 (Eldridge/Southerland)(H: 96-0; S: 31-0). Other counties that already have Vote Center authorization are Rutherford, Wilson, Monroe, Williamson, Sumner, Sullivan, Weakley, Henry, and Washington.[5]
- Recalling or removing elected officials. A half a dozen bills and resolutions addressed removing or recalling elected officials. Proposals for local legislative bodies, school boards, and to consider the removal of Shelby County’s district attorney were not discussed, while HB 56/SB 39 (Lamberth/Haile)(H: 85-7; S: 20-10) passed enabling county legislative bodies with a two-thirds vote and five days’ notice to recall a person they appointed to a position.[6] While joint resolutions (HJR 176 and SJR 26) calling for the consideration of removing the Shelby County district attorney did not get discussed, SR 120 (Taylor; 26-7) asks the state supreme court to review three district attorneys, including Shelby County’s, and create a code of conduct and disciplinary process for district attorneys, public defenders, and court clerks.
- Election processes. An effort (HB 886/SB 777 (Todd/Lowe)) to allow Tennessee voters to register by political party and to limit participation in party primaries to registered members passed through the first two House committees and failed in Senate committee. While HB 1383/SB 1336 (Harris/Taylor)(H: 92-3-2; S: 27-6) allows counties with a charter form of government to choose to align county school board terms and elections with those of the county legislative body.
Four bills expanded the roles of the legislative and judicial branches of government.
- New limits on the governor’s executive orders and declarations of states of emergency.
- HB 324/SB 27 (Grills/Pody)(H: 77-16; S: 27-3-2) adds language specifying a governor’s executive order, proclamation, or rules may not conflict or suspend the state constitution. Sponsors argued the bill reiterates the current understanding of the limits on an executive order’s restrictions. The bill became law without the governor’s signature who stated concerns with legislation that would compromise the ability to respond to disasters.
- HB 132/SB 396 (Zachary/Rose)(H: 72-23; S: 26-6) allows the legislature to terminate a governor’s state of emergency with a joint resolution. If a state of emergency was called while the legislature was not in session, two-thirds of both legislative bodies can call a special session to facilitate this vote. The bill has not yet been sent to the governor to be signed.
- State oversight of local governments. Three bills address acts of local governments, one creating a new felony and path for removal of elected officials, and two bills presented as ways to preemptively prevent unconstitutional actions of local government rather than litigating after the fact.
- A special session bill, HB 6001/SB 6002 (Lamberth/Johnson)(H: 72-22; S: 26-7) creates a new Class E felony for state or local officials who adopt or enact a sanctuary policy and requires the attorney general to initiate their removal from office if they are convicted and fail to comply with a court order to rescind the policy.
- HB 913/SB 525 (Vaughan/Rose)(H: 73-22; S: 25-5) prohibits a charter amendment from being placed on the ballot if it violates the state constitution or law and sends challenges to those amendments before a three-judge panel.
- One of the final bills passed this session, with a conference committee resolving differences between the House and Senate versions, HB 1097/SB 845 (Zachary/Lowe)(H:74-21; S: 26-6) initially sought to allow the attorney general to determine that a local government or agency action or policy is in violation of the state’s law or constitution and then direct the commissioner of finance to withhold all state funds until the action is revised. In the final version, the decision is made by a three-judge panel.
This year concludes the first of the General Assembly’s two-year session. In addition to new bills filed next year, any bill still in committee or not yet calendared can be picked back up again when members return in January 2026. We anticipate continued conversations around attainable housing and childcare, scholarship programs to support workforce development, and further strengthening our election system.
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ENDNOTES
[1] Casual care programs are those providing care for five to 15 children not related to the primary caregiver for fewer than six hours per day or 10 hours per week.
[2] Tennessee School for the Blind, Tennessee School for the Deaf, West Tennessee School for the Deaf, and Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute.
[3] The bill was transmitted to the governor on April 22nd, and he has 10 days (excluding Sundays) to sign it before it becomes law without his signature.
[4] The process for amending Tennessee’s constitution begins in the General Assembly. Legislators must introduce and pass a joint resolution proposing the amendment in both chambers in two consecutive legislative sessions (with a two-thirds majority in the second session). Then the proposed amendment is placed on the ballot for voters in the following gubernatorial general election.
[5] Three counties, Washington, Sullivan, and Sumner, received permission but have not yet implemented Vote Centers.
[6] If the person was appointed by multiple groups, i.e., the mayor and the commission, they must both agree.
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