# Tennessee HB 0910: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8 and Title 68, relative to human rights. Tennessee HB 0910, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8 and Title 68, relative to human rights., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2025-05-27 (Effective date(s) 05/12/2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB0910-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Tennessee HB 0910 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8 and Title 68, relative to human rights. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-04 - Last action: 2025-05-27, Effective date(s) 05/12/2025 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 4 - Subjects: Human Rights - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 10 (256 yes, 140 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 26 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Civil remedies enforce state nondiscrimination rules: benefit, medium. The attorney general or a person discriminated against can sue to enforce the covered state nondiscrimination rules. A violator owes actual damages plus an additional amount of at least $250, reasonable attorney fees, and court costs. Courts can also order violations to stop, and other remedies rem… - People protected against rights-based intimidation: benefit, medium. People cannot threaten, coerce, intimidate, or interfere with someone for using protected rights or helping others use them. A person covered by the law cannot excuse discrimination by saying someone outside its coverage requested it. The attorney general can sue over intentional or knowing malicio… - Fair treatment for renters and homebuyers: benefit, medium. The law bars housing discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, disability, family status, or national origin. It covers sales, rentals, terms, services, listings, false claims of unavailability, access to real estate organizations, loans, brokerage, and appraisals. Property insurer… - Students protected from school access discrimination: benefit, medium. Schools cannot exclude people from programs or deny benefits because of race, color, or national origin. The same protections apply to admission and recruitment for school programs and activities. - State agencies face civil rights checks: benefit, low. Tennessee's Department of Human Resources checks state agencies for Title VI compliance, which bars race, color, and national-origin discrimination. Covered agencies must develop plans, including beneficiary input and plans from recipients of their federal funds when required. Reports and plan upda… - Workers face limits on lawsuit damages: cost, medium. The law caps certain damages for each person bringing a covered private employment discrimination, disability, or whistleblower case. Caps cover future financial losses and harms such as emotional pain, suffering, mental anguish, and lost enjoyment of life. The cap is $25,000 for fewer than 15 empl… - Workers face proof and parallel-case limits: cost, medium. Private plaintiffs must first establish an initial case of intentional discrimination or retaliation. If the defendant gives a legitimate, nondiscriminatory employment reason, the plaintiff must show that reason was not the real one. Plaintiffs keep the burden of proving their case at every stage,… - Some housing falls outside discrimination protections: cost, low. Exceptions cover buildings housing no more than two families when the owner or a family member lives there. Some live-in landlord room rentals are exempt, and sex-based exceptions cover rentals with shared baths or showers and single-sex dormitories or school housing. Noncommercial religious housin… - Exceptions limit some workers’ discrimination protections: cost, low. Employers can require English at work for a legitimate business need, with advance notice of the rule and consequences. Religious organizations can hire people of a particular religion for work tied to their religious activities. Religion or sex can guide hiring, classification, referrals, or progr… - Housing agents must report court violations: cost, low. Real-estate brokers and salespeople must report covered housing-discrimination violations to Tennessee’s real-estate commission in writing. The duty applies after a court finds they committed the violation. - State spending barred at discriminatory clubs: cost, low. State workers and agencies cannot hold state-business activities at venues denying full membership rights based on protected traits. Those traits are sex, race, creed, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, and disability. State money and reimbursement cannot cover related activities, dues, or… - Recordkeeping duties for older discrimination cases: cost, low. For matters pending before the Tennessee Human Rights Commission before July 1, 2025, transition rules required relevant records and reports. Covered people and groups had to preserve records and provide reports the commission reasonably required. The commission could request access to relevant pre… - Workers receive protections with coverage limits: mixed, high. Employers cannot discriminate in hiring, firing, pay, job conditions, or opportunities because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin. Employment agencies and labor organizations must also protect referrals, membership, and job opportunities; unions cannot push employers to v… - Discrimination remedies come with filing deadlines: mixed, medium. People must file complaints with the Civil Rights Enforcement Division within 180 days after the alleged discrimination. People injured by violations can also sue within one year after the discriminatory practice ends. Lawsuits can be filed where the violation occurred, where the respondent lives o… - Funded programs protect access, limit complaints: mixed, medium. State agencies receiving federal funds covered by Title VI cannot discriminate in funded programs based on race, color, or national origin. The rule also covers recipients getting those funds through a state agency, including exclusion and denial of benefits. People can complain to the state entity… - Government reports protected, with falsehood limits: mixed, medium. People receive civil-liability protection for reports to government agencies about public issues that further constitutional speech or petition rights. Protection excludes knowing or reckless falsehoods and negligent failure to check facts about someone who is not a public figure. People who win th… - Pending complaints ended; earlier orders survive: mixed, medium. Commission complaints pending June 30, 2025, were terminated and lost their legal effect. People whose complaints had no hearing received 90 days after July 1, 2025, to refile with the attorney general or sue. The same deadline applied after a hearing without a final order; those complaints were di… - Public access protections retain sex-based exceptions: mixed, medium. Covered public places cannot deny equal access because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin. Notices cannot announce refusal of service based on those traits other than age, or say someone is unwelcome based on any listed trait. Sex-based separation remains allowed in bathr… - Disability housing access with modification costs: mixed, medium. Housing providers must allow reasonable disability-related modifications and make reasonable changes to rules, policies, and services. Residents pay for physical modifications; landlords can require interior restoration, except ordinary wear, unless another agreement is reached. Access rules cover… - Disability job protections have coverage limits: mixed, medium. Employers with at least eight Tennessee employees cannot discriminate in hiring, firing, or job terms solely because of an applicant’s disability. This covers physical, mental, and visual disabilities. An exception applies when the disability prevents the applicant from performing duties to some de… - Older workers protected, with retirement exceptions: mixed, medium. Employment age-discrimination protections cover workers age 40 and older. Genuine job qualifications, reasonable factors other than age, and valid seniority or benefit plans allow limited exceptions. Those plans cannot excuse refusal to hire or forced retirement based on age. Employers can require… - Parents get leave with job-return limits: mixed, medium. Eligible workers can take up to four months for adoption, pregnancy, childbirth, or nursing an infant; adoption leave starts at custody. Workers need 12 consecutive full-time months with the same employer and at least 100 permanent full-time employees at their work site. Three months' notice of dep… - Volunteer rescuers keep jobs, not pay: mixed, medium. Employers cannot fire volunteer rescue squad workers for lateness or absence after an emergency response before their scheduled start time. Workers must reasonably try to notify the employer. Employers can deduct lost regular pay and request a written statement confirming the response. Workers can… - Civil rights enforcement moves to attorney general: mixed, low. The Human Rights Commission ended June 30, 2025, and transferred its records and functions to Tennessee’s attorney general. A new Civil Rights Enforcement Division operates within that office, using state general-fund money as appropriated. Funding for 30 commission positions transferred July 1, 20… - Investigation demands carry penalties for obstruction: mixed, low. The attorney general can demand documents, written information, or sworn testimony when violations are suspected or investigation serves the public interest. After notice, intentionally hiding, withholding, destroying, or altering documents to evade a demand can cost up to $5,000 per violation. Wil… - Investigation records protected, with disclosure exceptions: mixed, low. Requested investigation materials generally stay with authorized attorney general representatives handling prosecution. Outside inspection, copying, or disclosure requires the provider’s consent or a court order for good cause. Materials compiled by the attorney general are generally exempt from pu… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Gino Bulso (Republican), House - Cosponsor: John Crawford (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jay D. Reedy (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chris Todd (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-21 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/21/2025 | pass | 27 | 6 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT # 3 BY CAMPER PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | fail | 24 | 68 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | pass | 73 | 23 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/16/2025 | pass | 73 | 23 | | | 2025-04-16 | House | HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2025-04-14 | House | HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS COMMITTEE | pass | 21 | 6 | | | 2025-04-09 | House | HOUSE FINANCE, WAYS, AND MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE | pass | 8 | 2 | | | 2025-03-31 | House | HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE | pass | 7 | 5 | | | 2025-03-26 | House | HOUSE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE | pass | 17 | 5 | | | 2025-03-18 | House | HOUSE DEPARTMENTS & AGENCIES SUBCOMMITTEE | pass | 6 | 2 | | ## Actions (35) - 2025-05-27: Effective date(s) 05/12/2025 - 2025-05-27: Pub. Ch. 471 - 2025-05-12: Signed by Governor. - 2025-05-09: Transmitted to Governor for his action. (House) - 2025-05-08: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2025-04-30: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2025-04-24: Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. (House) - 2025-04-21: Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 6 (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA0404) (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0202) (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Received from House, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. (House) - 2025-04-16: Passed H., as am., Ayes 73, Nays 23, PNV 0 (House) - 2025-04-16: Sponsor(s) Added. (House) - 2025-04-16: Failed to adopt (Amendment 3 - HA0431), Ayes 24, Nays 68, PNV 0 (House) - 2025-04-16: H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA0214) (House) - 2025-04-16: Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0205) (House) - 2025-04-15: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025 (House) - 2025-04-14: Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025 (House) - 2025-04-14: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee (House) - 2025-04-09: Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2025 (House) - 2025-04-09: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee (House) - 2025-04-02: Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/9/2025 (House) - 2025-03-31: Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee (House) - 2025-03-31: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee (House) - 2025-03-26: Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/31/2025 (House) - 2025-03-26: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee (House) - 2025-03-19: Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025 (House) - 2025-03-18: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee (House) - 2025-03-12: Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/18/2025 (House) - 2025-02-10: Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee (House) - 2025-02-06: P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee (House) - 2025-02-05: Intro., P1C. (House) - 2025-02-04: Filed for introduction (House) ## Bill text - HA0214 (Substitute), 2025-04-16: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0214.pdf) - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0471.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/HB0910.pdf) - HA0205: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0205.pdf) - HA0431: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0431.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB0910.pdf) - SA0202: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0202.pdf) - SA0404: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0404.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 0794: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12; Title 13; Title 29; Title 54; Title 64; Title 65; Title 68 and… (failed) - HB 0489: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal law. (failed) - HB 0162: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes. (failed) - SB 2733: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 2004; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative t… (failed) - SB 2702: AN ACT to amend Chapter 154 of the Private Acts of 1955; as amended by Chapter 158 of the Private Acts of 1988; Chapter 204 of the Private Acts of 1990; and an… (failed) - SB 2690: AN ACT to make appropriations for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the state government for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026,… (signed) ## Sources - [HA0214 (Substitute) (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0214.pdf) - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0471.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/HB0910.pdf) - [HA0205 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0205.pdf) - [HA0431 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0431.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB0910.pdf) - [SA0202 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0202.pdf) - [SA0404 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0404.pdf) ## Related - [HB 0794: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; T…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB0794-2025-2026) - [HB 0489: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Titl…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB0489-2025-2026) - [HB 0162: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB0162-2025-2026) - [SB 2733: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 8…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2733-2025-2026) - [SB 2702: AN ACT to amend Chapter 154 of the Private Acts of 1955; as amended by Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2702-2025-2026) - [SB 2690: AN ACT to make appropriations for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2690-2025-2026) - [Tennessee bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee/bills) - [Tennessee state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/tennessee) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB0910-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).