Legislative Bulletin - Feb 16, 2026

As amended, restores the authority of local governments to allow, regulate or ban personal delivery devices. As introduced, allows personal delivery devices to be operated on bicycle paths, shoulders, parking lots, and the area adjacent to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway; removes the authority of local governments to prohibit the operation of personal delivery devices. 

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 applicability of the presumption that a firefighter's cancer was caused by the firefighter's employment to include arson investigators.

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, 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, 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 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, 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.

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 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, adds local governments to the entities that must verify that each applicant for public benefits is a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States; authorizes the attorney general and reporter to investigate violations of requirements for verification of citizenship or presence for public benefits; requires certain reporting related to such verification for benefits.

As introduced, directs the Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations (TACIR) to perform a study of this state's emergency communications system.

As introduced, removes the right of a cause of action for any affected person who seeks declaratory and injunctive relief in any action brought regarding the legality or constitutionality of a state governmental action.

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

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, removes the right of a cause of action for any affected person who seeks declaratory and injunctive relief in any action brought regarding the legality or constitutionality of a state governmental action.

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, 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 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.

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, 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 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, directs the Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations (TACIR) to perform a study of this state's emergency communications system.

As introduced, creates a process for continuing funding for a municipal LEA when the municipal legislative body and the governing body for the LEA cannot agree on a budget; provides a process for continuing funding of municipal operations when a municipal legislative body has not adopted a budget by the first day of a fiscal year.

As introduced, enacts the "Ola Mae Ransom Reintegration Act," which exempts veterans of the United States military, including the national guard and reserves, from payment of the $15 fee for a business license. 

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 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, establishes requirements for entities engaged in business with the public in rounding a cash transaction to the nearest nickel if the penny is no longer in production. 

As introduced, clarifies that the general assembly preempts and occupies the entire field of regulating the terms and conditions of employment; prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing any law, rule, or policy that requires a term or condition of employment that exceeds or conflicts with state or federal law.

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

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, 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, requires 95.3970 percent, instead of 100 percent, of sales and use tax revenue generated from the sale of new or used tires to be deposited in the highway fund; adds 95.3970 percent of sales and use tax revenue generated from the sale of new or used motor vehicles to be deposited in the highway fund; requires the remaining 4.6030 percent of such revenue to be allocated to the several incorporated municipalities; allocates single article sales tax collections on the retail sale of new or used motor vehicles to the highway fund.