January 1, 2026 Enactments

Dec 4

(NASHVILLE) As the new year starts, a number of new laws enacted by the General Assembly will take effect on January 1, 2026. Below is a summary of key legislation set to become law.

Illegal Immigration

Comprehensive legislation focuses on efforts and dedicates resources to illegal immigration enforcement in Tennessee - A new law passed during the 2025 special session builds on federal efforts of the Trump Administration to secure the nation’s boarders and restore public safety. It strengthens cooperation between state, local, and federal authorities, increases support for law enforcement, and enforces accountability in immigration laws.

The law establishes the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division (CIED) within the Department of Safety, led by a chief Immigration Enforcement Officer (CIEO), appointed by the governor. The CIEO will coordinate directly with the Trump administration to implement federal immigration policies efficiently. Additionally, the law creates the Immigration Enforcement Grant Program which provides grants to local governments participating in the federal 287(g) program, which assists in the enforcement, detention, and removal of illegal immigrants. These grants will help fund training, operational costs, and local law enforcement initiatives.

The new legislation prevents misuse of state-issued IDs for voting by incorporating distinct markers on state-issued IDs for non-U.S. citizens. The legislation restricts permanent state-issued IDs to U.S. citizens while allowing temporary IDs for legal residents. This change ensures that only individuals with permanent IDs are eligible to vote in Tennessee elections. The law imposes a Class E felony charge on local officials who adopt or maintain sanctuary city policies in violation of state law. Additionally, the Tennessee Attorney General is empowered to initiate removal proceedings against officials found guilty of violating these provisions.

This legislation puts Tennessee in the best position to work with President Trump and federal agencies to enforce immigration laws and remove dangerous illegal immigrants from Tennessee communities.

Senate Bill 6002 / Sponsored by Johnson, Watson, Yager, White, Bowling, Pody, Reeves, Rose, Stevens, Taylor/ Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 1

Invalidating out-of-state drivers licenses issued to illegal immigrants - The General Assembly passed a law which prohibits out-of-state drivers licenses issued to illegal immigrants from being recognized as valid in the state of Tennessee. Under the new law, an illegal immigrant driving in Tennessee with an out-of-state license can be charged with a Class B misdemeanor for operating a vehicle without a valid license. At least 19 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses or driving privilege cards, which are often marked to distinguish them from standard state-issued licenses. The law required the Department of Safety to create a list of those licenses that will not be valid in the state of Tennessee.

Senate Bill 1086 / Sponsored by Johnson, Yager, Bowling, Rose, Stevens, Hatcher, Hensley, Jackson, Lowe, Seal, Taylor, White / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Transmitted to Governor

Strengthen process for voter verification - U.S. citizenship status and felony convictions will not be proactively verified before an individual can be registered to vote in Tennessee. Previously, voter eligibility checks by the Coordinator of Elections were conducted after a person is registered allowing a window during which ineligible individuals may temporarily appear on the rolls. New legislation now requires the Coordinator of Elections, the Department of Safety, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to develop a secure electronic portal for real-time eligibility verification. If the data indicates the applicant is not a U.S. citizen or has a disqualifying felony conviction without rights restoration, the registration would be halted.

Senate Bill 133 / Sponsored by Johnson, Yager, Lowe, Stevens / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Passed both chambers

Government Efficiency

Eliminating faxes forever in Tennessee code - A new law updates Tennessee law by requiring that all state departments and agencies accept electronic transmissions, in lieu of faxes. It replaces the term “fax” in Tennessee code with “electronic transmission”. By accepting electronic transmissions, state departments can ensure secure and efficient communications while streamlining government processes.

Senate Bill 329 / Sponsored by Powers, Stevens / Effective Date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 94

Business and Commerce

New vape regulations and consumer protections - The Tennessee General Assembly passed new legislation in 2025 to protect consumers, especially minors, from harmful, unregulated vape products flooding the market, many of which originate from China. The law raises the age for ID checks when purchasing vape products. Previously, vape retailers could opt out of ID checks for consumers who appear over the age of 30. Now, that threshold has been raised to 50 years old to prevent underage sales.

Additionally, the law establishes a centralized database of vapor products with FDA approval or pending approval that may be sold in Tennessee. This database will allow law enforcement to track and prohibit the sale and distribution of unauthorized products.

Senate Bill 763 / Sponsored by Yager, Watson, Haile, and Powers / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Passed both chambers

New guardrails for hemp industry - The General Assembly approved stricter regulations on the sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products (HDCP) in Tennessee to protect consumers and children from the harmful substances. The new law includes restrictions on product potency, who can sell these products, and oversight responsibilities. The compliance and enforcement responsibilities of hemp products will be transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC).

The new regulations prohibit the sale of THCa and THCp, which cause impairment similar to marijuana. Mairjuana is not legal in Tennessee but previous loophole in legislation allows the same of hemp products that are converted into marijuna when heated up through smoking, vaping, or cooking. Other key provisions of the law include bans on direct shipping of hemp products to consumers; requiring a hemp wholesale license for distributors; licensing fees for wholesalers and increases to existing fees for suppliers and retailers; and restricting the sale of hemp products to 21 and older establishments, licensed manufacturers, and businesses with wine and spirit or liquor-by-the-drink licenses.

The law adds a wholesale tax of $0.02 per milligram on cannabinoid products, a tax on flower at a rate of $50 per ounce, and a tax on the sale of liquid HDCP’s at wholesale of $4.40 per gallon of liquid HDCP. The new tax structure is expected to generate $126 million in revenue per year starting in 2027. 80% of the new revenue will go to the general fund, 10% will go to the ABC, and the remaining 10% will go to the Department of Revenue.

Senate Bill 1413 / Sponsored by Briggs, Gardenhire / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Passed both chambers

Tennessee Genomic Security and End Organ Harvesting Act protects genetic information - The Tennessee Genomic Security and End Organ Harvesting Act was passed to safeguard Tennesseeans’ DNA from foreign adversaries, particularly from China’s illegal organ harvesting practices. Advancements in genetic sequencing have significantly improved medicine and research, but some companies, particularly from China, are using this technology to collect data from the U.S. for nefarious purposes.

The legislation bans the use of genetic sequencers or bioinformatics software from nations identified as foreign adversaries by the federal government. It prohibits health insurers from knowingly covering organ transplants in China or any transplants involving organs sold or donated by Chinese sources. This provision ensures Tennessee health coverage does not indirectly support human rights violations and balances medical advancements with security and ethical standards.

Senate Bill 318 / Sponsored by Lowe, Rose, Stevens / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 96

Strengthening tattoo apprenticeship licensure requirements - New legislation makes various improvements to tattoo licensure in the state, now requiring a signature of completion for tattoo apprenticeships. Previously, the tattoo artist was not required to sign off when an apprentice had completed their tenure. This law requires their signature to make the application for licensure valid and increases the apprenticeship from 1 year to 2 years. The measure also allows tattoo artists who have not been licensed in Tennessee for more than 3 years to have an apprentice as long as they were licensed for more than 10 years in another state. This update allows the many remarkable tattoo artists moving to Tennessee to have the opportunity to train and apprentice as well.

Senate Bill 497 / Sponsored by Walley / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 212

Changes to community investment tax credits - A new measure changes the calculation for community investment tax credits from looking at lines of credit available at the end of the year, to using a monthly average. This change prevents banks from offering temporary lines of credit at the end of the year, closing them at the start of the following year, and claiming the full credit. These lines of credit must be available year round in order for businesses to claim the full community investment tax credit.

Senate Bill 784 / Sponsored by Walley / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Signed by Governor

Updates to cemetery reclamation laws, monument installation - The General Assembly passed a measure to update the laws surrounding unclaimed grave sites by allowing cemeteries to reclaim unused areas. Currently, cemeteries are unable to use spaces, even if they go unclaimed by families for many generations. Many families will purchase multiple grave spaces, and after several generations, the family becomes unaware that they own those spaces. The cemetery operator loses contact with the people who have a right to those spaces, so they go unclaimed. The law allows cemeteries to reclaim and resell gravesites 75 years after the last known contact with the family. If the family returns to claim their site within the following 25 years, they are entitled to either that site or the money collected from the resale of the space.

Senate Bill 715 / Sponsored by Taylor / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 119

Crime and Public Safety

Ink of Hope Act - A new law passed this year which requires tattoo artists to receive training on recognizing and reporting signs of human trafficking as a part of their licensure requirements. As a means of control, traffickers often brand their victims with tattoos of symbols, names or phrases to mark their ownership. By nature of their profession, tattoo artists may come in contact with human trafficking victims without knowing. This legislation will help tattoo artists recognize victims and know how to report it safely to authorities.

Senate Bill 171 / Sponsored by Massey, Reeves, Yager, Briggs, Jackson, White / Effective Date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 19

Savanna’s Law domestic violence registry - Tennessee will now have a domestic violence registry under a new law to provide public access to offender information. The registry will include the offender’s name, birthdate, conviction date, and photograph. Offenders will be required to register with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation following their second and subsequent domestic violence offenses. The fee collected at the time of registration will be used for violence prevention efforts.

Savanna’s Law is named after Robertson County Sheriff’s Deputy Savanna Puckett who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend who had a history of domestic violence prior to their meeting. Puckett was unaware of those charges.

Senate Bill 324 / Sponsored by Massey, Haile, Hatcher, Jackson, Reeves, Roberts, Rose / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Passed both chambers

Health and Insurance

Encouraging alternatives to opioid prescriptions - New legislation ensures that non-opioid drugs with FDA approval are not disadvantaged compared to opioid drugs on the state preferred drug list. The law encourages providers to prescribe safe alternatives to the traditional opioid painkillers in an effort to combat the drug addiction crisis.

Senate Bill 428 / Sponsored by Reeves, Haile, Jackson / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Transmitted to Governor

Protections from Foreign Influence

Senate Bill 318 / Sponsored by Lowe, Rose, Stevens / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 96

Election Integrity / Voting

Senate Bill 133 / Sponsored by Johnson, Yager, Lowe, Stevens / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Passed both chambers

State and Local

Paid leave for care of family members - State employees who are taking care of family members can now take up to 6 weeks of paid leave to care for a parent, child, grandchild, or spouse with a serious illness involving hospice. This aims to increase employee retention, lowering turnover costs for the state government, by ensuring that employees have the flexibility to care for their family.

Senate Bill 322 / Sponsored by Massey, Reeves, Jackson, Rose / Effective date: January 1, 2026 / Public Chapter 423

Todd Rapp