Legislative Bulletin - Mar 2, 2026

As introduced, allows a municipal court to order a municipality to remedy a property maintenance ordinance violation when the person or entity found to be in violation of a municipal ordinance related to property maintenance fails to remedy the violation within 30 days; requires the cost of the remediation to be assessed against the property owner in the form of a lien upon the property in favor of the municipality.

As introduced, requires the executive head of each state department or agency, local government, and public institution of higher education to submit an annual attestation to the comptroller of the treasury that such entity has not implemented a discriminatory preference to increase diversity, equity, or inclusion.

As introduced, requires public libraries established by a county, city, or town to adopt a materials reconsideration policy that provides a process by which any legal resident of the county where the library is located may request that the library withdraw an item from the library's collection or reclassify or move the item to a different area in the library.

As introduced, exempts utility terrain vehicles being operated for agricultural purposes from the restriction that such vehicles are authorized to operate only on certain state highways and county roads with a speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less.

As introduced, establishes process regarding traffic violations committed by autonomous vehicles, including mailing the notice of violation or citation to the registered owner of the vehicle.

As amended, removes the mandate municipal elections become partisan and instead requires all municipal elections be held on either the August or November general elections. As introduced, requires the legislative body of each municipality to change the date of municipal elections to coincide with the August primary or November general election; makes municipal elections partisan.

As introduced, authorizes a county mayor and the chief executive officer of a municipality to order the flags flown on county or municipal property to be lowered to half-staff to honor the death of a prominent citizen of that county or municipality.

As introduced, permits a local government adopting a prohibition of class 1 or class 2 electric bicycles on a bicycle path or trail in a public park or greenway to submit a copy of the resolution or ordinance to the department of safety; authorizes the department to compile and publish to its website a list of public parks and greenways where such operation is prohibited. 

As introduced, prohibits the enforcement of an ordinance governing the discharge of a firearm within city limits, if the responsible individual(s) is otherwise hunting legally. Accordingly, the only restrictions that may be imposed upon any individual seeking to hunt on his/her private property, another’s private property with consent, or on a designated state hunting area that is located within city limits are those included in state law or TWRA regulations. Therefore, any ordinance that regulates the discharge of firearms within the city or imposes restrictions on hunting for public safety reasons would be preempted and unenforceable if this bill is adopted.

As introduced, prohibits local governmental entities from relocating homeless individuals unless the relocation is coordinated with the receiving jurisdiction; authorizes the attorney general to seek civil penalties for violations; authorizes the receiving jurisdiction to seek damages and injunctive relief for violations.

As amended, authorizes the board of directors of an industrial development corporation (IDC) to initiate a merger with another IDC in the manner provided for public benefit corporations (PBCs) pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. Title 48, Chapter 61. Authorizes an IDC to negotiate and receive from any lessee of the IDC, without any delegation from the municipality, payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) with respect to tax-credit housing projects, despite such PILOT resulting in a reduction in taxes relative to the tax year prior to the year the project became a tax-credit housing project; provided, the chief executive officer of each affected taxing jurisdiction has executed a letter supporting the project. Requires any agreement to accept or waive PILOTs from any of the IDC's lessees to be submitted to the legislative body of the municipality or municipalities making the delegation and any other taxing jurisdiction affected by the delegation. As introduced, authorizes the board of directors of an industrial development corporation to initiate a merger with another corporation in the manner provided for public benefit corporations under the Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act.

As introduced, eliminates liability for rollback taxes on agricultural, forest, or open space land with a greenbelt classification when the land is sold; requires that a buyer of property with a greenbelt classification submit a new application to renew the property's greenbelt classification.

As introduced, adds the governing body of a local education agency and any other local governing body 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 meeting agendas available to the public in advance of such meetings.

As introduced, makes certain records regarding immigration enforcement actions confidential and not subject to public disclosure by state or local government entities or officials; punishes as a Class E felony the criminally negligent public release of certain confidential records; expands the grounds for ouster to include the criminally negligent release of certain confidential records.

As introduced, requires the executive head of each state department or agency, local government, and public institution of higher education to submit an annual attestation to the comptroller of the treasury that such entity has not implemented a discriminatory preference to increase diversity, equity, or inclusion.

As introduced, prohibits a city or county collecting official from requiring a taxpayer to pay the full tax due for an assessment for which an appeal is pending before the county or state boards of equalization.

As introduced, deletes the provision that classifies a local government official's affirmative vote for adoption of a prohibited sanctuary policy as a Class E felony.

As introduced, makes various changes to laws regarding utilities, including the procedure for consolidation of utilities and continuing education requirements for members of utility governing bodies.

As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Transactional Gold and Silver Act," which recognizes gold and silver as legal tender for private transactions and, when accepted, for paying state and local taxes or fees; authorizes the creation of a secure bullion depository and an electronic payment system to support the use of gold and silver; exempts gold and silver transactions from state and local taxation.

As introduced, authorizes a municipality to create and require the use of a landlord registry for a real estate investment trust that owns, operates, or finances 10 or more dwelling units located within the municipality.

As introduced, expands the length of the existing Independence Day and New Year sales periods and adds new Memorial Day and Labor Day sales periods for seasonal retailers of fireworks for the 2026 retail period; increases the seasonal retailer permit fee from $100 to $150 for calendar year 2026; and authorizes the state fire marshal to promulgate rules to effectuate the act.

As introduced, removes the requirement that industrial, commercial, or other businesses, permitted to operate under zoning regulations or exceptions thereto, immediately preceding a change in zoning, may only destroy present facilities and reconstruct new facilities necessary to the conduct of such industry or business, subsequent to the zoning change. Removes the requirement that any structure rebuilt on a site conform to existing zoning regulations as to setbacks, height, bulk, or requirements as to the physical location of a structure upon the site.

As introduced, revises authority of state fire marshal to prescribe rules relating to minimum statewide building construction safety standards, specifically for fire prevention for multi-family dwelling units.

As introduced, authorizes a local government having revenues of at least $20 million in the prior fiscal year 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.

As amended, requires a person filing a preliminary plat, final plat, site plan, or building permit within a county which has adopted the provisions of this act, and for which site, the location is outside a municipal boundary but within the municipality's urban growth boundary, to include a declaration of whether the person seeks to have the property annexed by a municipality. Establishes conditions based upon either approval or disapproval of such declaration regarding annexation As introduced, authorizes certain counties to adopt a resolution prohibiting a municipality or regional zoning commission from exercising zoning authority outside of the boundaries of the municipality. 

As introduced, makes various changes to laws regarding utilities, including the procedure for consolidation of utilities and continuing education requirements for members of utility governing bodies.

As introduced, makes certain records regarding immigration enforcement actions confidential and not subject to public disclosure by state or local government entities or officials; punishes as a Class E felony the criminally negligent public release of certain confidential records; expands the grounds for ouster to include the criminally negligent release of certain confidential records.

As introduced, prohibits the state or a county or municipal government, in connection to a development property, from requiring a landowner, developer, or builder to fund, build, or contribute to the development of: (1) nonessential infrastructure that is not contiguous or adjacent to a development property of a landowner, developer, or builder; or (2) nonessential infrastructure beyond the anticipated infrastructure needed for the development property as
estimated at the start of the development of the development property. Specifies that “development of a property” constitutes any point from the initial planning stage through to the completion of the development property.

As amended, the legislation is only applicable to the Town of Jonesborough. As introduced, authorizes municipalities to levy a tax on the privilege of engaging in the act of development within the boundaries of the municipality; requires such tax to be levied at the rate and under the terms, conditions, and limitations contained in present law that apply to counties.

As introduced, authorizes a law enforcement officer to seize and impound a motor vehicle in any county or municipality that has passed a resolution or ordinance authorizing the seizure and impoundment of a motor vehicle observed by law enforcement to have been used to commit the offense of drag racing or to flee after commission of the offense of drag racing subject to certain restrictions.

As introduced, authorizes the seizure and impoundment of a motor vehicle used in drag racing, based on probable cause, for a maximum of 72 hours; authorizes owner of motor vehicle to contest seizure in administrative or judicial hearing.

As introduced, requires, if a local government adopts a budget that includes the required maintenance of effort for education funding but fails to appropriate or allocate the full amount budgeted to the LEA, the local government, in the following fiscal year, to appropriate and allocate the unfunded portion to the LEA; specifies that the maintenance of local funding effort required for a fiscal year following a fiscal year in which the local government failed to appropriate or allocate the full amount budgeted to the LEA must be determined based on the amount budgeted to the LEA for the previous fiscal year instead of the amount actually appropriated or allocated to the LEA by the local government.

As introduced, prohibits a local government from increasing a real property tax rate by an amount that would cause the local government to realize an increase in total revenue exceeding inflation plus 2%, or that would cause the local government to realize an increase in total revenue exceeding inflation plus 2% over the preceding three years, except by a referendum election. This bill requires the governing body of a local government to direct the county election commission to hold a referendum election to raise a real property tax rate by an amount that exceeds the limitations described above, upon the adoption of a resolution or ordinance by a two-thirds majority vote. 

As introduced, authorizes the executive director of the wildlife resources agency to enter into agreements with local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of enforcing wildlife management laws and rules; creates a Class B misdemeanor for feeding black bears in areas for which notice has been posted that feeding black bears is unlawful.

As introduced, prohibits the department of environment and conservation from prohibiting a utility that provides drinking water from pumping or otherwise withdrawing water from natural waters for purposes of providing drinking water, including as a prerequisite to renewal of the utility's permit, unless the prohibition is required to comply with federal law.

As introduced, establishes that public water systems have a maximum allowable hardwater level of 180 mg/L, measured as calcium carbonate equivalents; creates compliance and reporting requirements; exempts measurements that exceed the limit due to seasonal runoff in certain circumstances.

As introduced, prohibits municipalities, counties, and other political subdivisions of this state from disposing, or contracting for the disposal of, solid waste in a landfill located outside their territorial boundaries unless the host county or host municipality in which the landfill is located has entered into a host community agreement approving such disposal; applies to all contracts entered into for the disposal of solid waste on or after July 1, 2026.

As introduced, specifies circumstances in which a referendum will not be required to effectuate annexation of territory; removes repealer provision for exceptions to the referendum requirement.

As amended, requires, by January 1, 2027, the chief law enforcement officer of each county to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with federal officials concerning enforcement of federal immigration laws, detention and removals, and investigations in the state pursuant to federal law. Establishes that a violation of this requirement may result in the state withholding all funds of the state allotted to the LEA or to the local government for use by the LEA. As introduced, requires a local government entity to comply with a court order regarding an unlawful sanctuary policy within 120 days of the issuance of the court's order.

As introduced, establishes that a moveable structure does not include any mobile home or other moveable structure that is used temporarily for either a residence or apartment, with regards to property tax assessments.

As introduced, authorizes local governments to adopt a process by which local elected officials may be removed from office in a recall election.

As introduced, makes various changes to the Real Estate Infrastructure Development Act of 2025 (Act). Authorizes central business improvement districts (CBIDs) to overlap areas within an infrastructure development district (IDD), created by a municipality pursuant to the Act. Clarifies that, when a district must be approved by two or more host municipalities, and a governing body makes approval contingent on the approval of another governing body, host municipalities are authorized to hold separate public hearings. Requires the establishment resolution of an IDD provide the maximum rate of levy of the special assessment to be imposed. Authorizes a host municipality to issue bonds separately for each phase of development, whose term of life cannot exceed 30 years from the date of issuance of bonds for its respective phase. Revises the term of dissolution for IDDs Specifies that a portion of special assessments, rather than up to five percent, may be set aside for the actual costs of administrative expenses.

As introduced, requires a law enforcement agency to communicate with local government entities and officials to submit quarterly reports to the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division (CIED) within the Department of Safety (DOS) regarding illegal activities, including criminal gang activities and violations of federal immigration laws, of persons who are not lawfully present in the United States. Creates a Class A misdemeanor offense for a law enforcement employee or official that fails to report an individual to the CIED, who is not a United States citizen or qualified alien who has been charged or convicted of a criminal offense.

As introduced, restates the criminal offense of drag racing as street drag racing; expands the offense to include acts committed on commercial property; authorizes a vehicle used in the commission of the offense or to flee after commission of the offense to be impounded for the purpose of collecting evidence; makes various other changes regarding the offense of street drag racing.

As introduced, authorizes local governmental bodies to conduct certain community meetings via electronic means of communication.

As introduced, allows a municipal court to order a municipality to remedy a property maintenance ordinance violation when the person or entity found to be in violation of a municipal ordinance related to property maintenance fails to remedy the violation within 30 days; requires the cost of the remediation to be assessed against the property owner in the form of a lien upon the property in favor of the municipality.

As introduced, makes changes to the process by which local governments may issue and sell grant anticipation notes; authorizes the comptroller to approve certain notes issued by a local government if the local government demonstrates that a natural disaster has caused economic distress.

As introduced, requires each utility system to obtain a certificate of analysis for any water sold by the utility system that contains fluoride, and post the certificate and the material safety data sheet for fluoride online. 

As introduced, repeals the criminal offenses of unlawfully carrying a firearm or club with the intent to go armed and carrying or possessing a weapon in or on public parks, playgrounds, civic centers, and other public recreational buildings and grounds; allows persons convicted of stalking or a misdemeanor domestic violence offense to possess a firearm after five years from the date of conviction.

As introduced, prohibits a local government from adopting a plan, ordinance, resolution or rule regarding an accessory dwelling unit ("ADU") that requires an ADU to contain less than 850 square feet, is more restrictive in its application to ADUs than a single-family home located on the site of the ADU, prohibits an owner of a lot zoned for a single-family home or duplex from building an ADU before, after, or concurrently with the building of the primary residential dwelling unit on the lot, requires the height of an ADU to be less than 14 feet, measured from floor to ceiling in addition to others.

As introduced, authorizes municipalities, including those with home rule charters, and metropolitan forms of government to adopt a tiered system of monetary penalties for repeated violations of the same municipal ordinance by the same person or entity within a 12-month period.

As introduced, beginning July 1, 2026, requires all state and local governmental employers to verify the work authorization status of each prospective employee through the federal E-Verify program prior to employment; authorizes the attorney general and reporter to enforce compliance with the requirement against local governments and subjects a non-compliant local government to the withholding of all funds of this state allocated to the local government via grant, contract, or statute, including, but not limited to, state-shared taxes.

As amended, authorizes the board of directors of an industrial development corporation (IDC) to initiate a merger with another IDC in the manner provided for public benefit corporations (PBCs) pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. Title 48, Chapter 61. Authorizes an IDC to negotiate and receive from any lessee of the IDC, without any delegation from the municipality, payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) with respect to tax-credit housing projects, despite such PILOT resulting in a reduction in taxes relative to the tax year prior to the year the project became a tax-credit housing project; provided, the chief executive officer of each affected taxing jurisdiction has executed a letter supporting the project. Requires any agreement to accept or waive PILOTs from any of the IDC's lessees to be submitted to the legislative body of the municipality or municipalities making the delegation and any other taxing jurisdiction affected by the delegation. As introduced, authorizes the board of directors of an industrial development corporation to initiate a merger with another corporation in the manner provided for public benefit corporations under the Tennessee Nonprofit Corporation Act.

As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Private Property Vesting Rights of 2026," which entitles a property owner to just compensation from a public entity if the public entity enacts a land use regulation that has the effect of reducing the fair market value of the property.

As introduced, prohibits municipalities, counties, and other political subdivisions of this state from disposing, or contracting for the disposal of, solid waste in a landfill located outside their territorial boundaries unless the host county or host municipality in which the landfill is located has entered into a host community agreement approving such disposal; applies to all contracts entered into for the disposal of solid waste on or after July 1, 2026.

As introduced, requires the department of transportation to allocate federal and state funds to rural planning organizations in parity with its allocation of such funds to metropolitan planning organizations.

As introduced, establishes that public water systems have a maximum allowable hardwater level of 180 mg/L, measured as calcium carbonate equivalents; creates compliance and reporting requirements; exempts measurements that exceed the limit due to seasonal runoff in certain circumstances.

As introduced, prohibits the department of environment and conservation from prohibiting a utility that provides drinking water from pumping or otherwise withdrawing water from natural waters for purposes of providing drinking water, including as a prerequisite to renewal of the utility's permit, unless the prohibition is required to comply with federal law.

As introduced, requires the department of environment and conservation to add water system projects located in counties having a population of less than 57,000 according to the 2020 census, or a subsequent census, to the priority list for consideration for loans from the water system revolving loan fund.

As introduced, authorizes the seizure and impoundment of a motor vehicle used in drag racing, based on probable cause, for a maximum of 72 hours; authorizes owner of motor vehicle to contest seizure in administrative or judicial hearing.

As introduced, authorizes the executive director of the wildlife resources agency to enter into agreements with local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of enforcing wildlife management laws and rules; creates a Class B misdemeanor for feeding black bears in areas for which notice has been posted that feeding black bears is unlawful.