March 2026 Legislative Report

The 114th Tennessee legislature is scheduled to adjourn by April 24, 2026. Already, several of their committees and subcommittees are holding their last meetings of the session. Here are updates on the bills we have been following:

SB 1587 (Johnson) HB1706 (Zachary): This would make it a misdemeanor for a person who resides in the U.S. illegally to operate a motor vehicle, further requiring the arresting law enforcement agency to notify federal immigration authorities. This has been placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/24/2026 and was placed behind the budget in the House on 3/18/2026.

SB 1486 (Taylor) HB2018 (Cochran): This requires a memorandum of understanding between local law enforcement agencies and federal officials regarding the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The local law enforcement agencies would be required to comply with immigration detainers ordered by federal immigration authorities. This has been recommended for passage with amendments and was referred to the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee on 3/09/26. It was placed on the calendar of the State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026 in the House.

SB1712 (Johnson) HB1697 (McCalmon): 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. Transmitted to the House on 2/26/26. It was placed on the calendar for the House State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026.

SB0831 (Hensley) HB1159 (Lynn): This would require a voter to designate on the voter registration record a political party with which the voter is affiliated to vote in primary elections for such political party. This was placed on the Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026 and placed on the House State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026.

SB0367 (Briggs) HB0458 (Rudd):  This bill which has become law now authorizes nominees to fill a vacancy for a judge, district attorney general, or public defender occurring later than 180 days before the qualifying deadline, to be selected by statewide political parties by any method authorized by the rules of the party. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 55, Chapter 50. The original language included making various changes to election laws regarding voter registration, absentee and early voting, voter list maintenance, tabulation and recording of votes, and voter identification. This was signed by the Governor on 2/23/26. It became Public Chapter 534 on 3/16/26.

SB0936 (Rose) HB1271 (Cochran): As introduced, declares that the policy of this state is that there are only two sexes, a biological male, and a biological female. It was recommended for passage with amendments in the Senate and referred to the House Calendar and Rules Committee.

SB 2347 (Hensley) HB1530 (Warner): As introduced, exempts from the state sales and use tax the retail sale of food and food ingredients. This has been referred to the Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee with a negative recommendation. It was placed behind the budget in the House in February.

SB0593 (Walley) HB0224 (Haston): This would establish the School District Capital Improvements Trust Act allowing local education agencies to establish irrevocable investment trusts to fund long-term capital improvements. The legislation details the actions that would be required of the local boards of education, and the comptroller of the treasury would have oversight authority. There has been no activity on this bill since February and is being held in subcommittees so that probably means no more action will be taken this year.

SB1567 (Roberts) HB1499 (Reedy): This bill revises faithful delegate laws pertaining to Article V conventions. An Article V convention can be called to propose amendments to the constitution. These bills were filed as a continued application in accordance with Article V of the US Constitution. At least two-thirds of the legislatures of the states must make application on the same subjects for an Article V convention to occur. Tennessee has already passed a resolution in accordance with the Article V application to establish term limits for Federal Senators and Representatives. The bills this year help keep that alive.

On the National Front:

The Senate agreed (51-48) to Senator Thune’s (R-SD) motion to begin debate on S. 1383, a bill that would require Americans to prove their citizenship when registering to vote and to present photo identification when casting a ballot.

The Senate rejected (47-53) Senator Booker’s (D-NJ) motion to discharge from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the resolution that would direct the president to terminate the use of U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran, unless explicitly a war declaration or a specific use of military force authorization.

The House passed (231-186) H.R. 1958, the Deporting Fraudsters Act, which would amend The Immigration and Nationality Act to make non-citizens who have defrauded the U.S. Government or unlawfully received public benefits both inadmissible for entry and deportable if they are already in the country. This moves to the Senate.

Two bills introduced: Senate Bill 3057 and a corresponding House Bill H.R. 5891

Both pieces deal with withholding pay for its members. This legislation prohibits members from collecting pay during the ongoing federal shutdowns and deducts pay from members’ paychecks during future shutdowns.

No action thus far.