# Tennessee HB 1263: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36; Title 37 and Title 68, relative to children. Tennessee HB 1263, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36; Title 37 and Title 68, relative to children., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-05-15 (Effective date(s) 05/07/2026, 01/01/2027) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB1263-2025-2026 - 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 1263 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36; Title 37 and Title 68, relative to children. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-06 - Last action: 2026-05-15, Effective date(s) 05/07/2026, 01/01/2027 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 3 - Subjects: Children - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 7 (164 yes, 5 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Out-of-state and video judge options: benefit, low. If the adoptive parent lives in another state, you can sign that state’s surrender or consent papers in Tennessee. A Tennessee judge can be present in person or by live video to see and hear you sign. If you are incarcerated, a warden, deputy warden, or a notary may witness instead. These options a… - Standard surrender forms posted online: benefit, low. The court system develops and posts three standard forms online: a notice of intent with required rights, an out-of-court surrender form, and a revocation form. These forms are available to parents, lawyers, agencies, and courts. - Out-of-court surrender for newborns: mixed, high. Beginning January 1, 2027, Tennessee lets a birth parent give up parental rights without going before a judge by signing in Tennessee. You can use this only if the child is 6 months old or younger, not in department custody, and you are 18 or older with your own lawyer. You cannot use it if you hav… - Plan ahead with court-approved notice: mixed, high. You may file a court-approved notice saying you plan an out-of-court surrender. It must be signed by you, your lawyer, the accepting party, and that party’s lawyer, and cannot be signed more than 30 days before birth. File the notice, petition, and home study with the clerk; the court holds a heari… - Signing and revoking an out-of-court surrender: mixed, high. Beginning January 1, 2027, you may sign an out-of-court surrender only after you leave the birth facility or 72 hours after birth, whichever is later. Three different people must witness and certify the signing: your lawyer, an independent adult witness, and a notary. Some people tied to the case c… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Rush Bricken (Republican), House - Cosponsor: T.J. Hardaway (Democrat), House - Cosponsor: Mary Littleton (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-20 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/20/2026 | pass | 27 | 4 | | | 2026-04-15 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/15/2026 | pass | 96 | 0 | | | 2026-04-13 | House | HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-04-07 | House | HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE | pass | 17 | 1 | | | 2026-04-02 | House | HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE | fail | 0 | 0 | | | 2026-03-25 | House | HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE | pass | 18 | 0 | | | 2026-03-17 | House | HOUSE CHILDREN AND FAMILY AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE | pass | 6 | 0 | | ## Actions (42) - 2026-05-15: Effective date(s) 05/07/2026, 01/01/2027 - 2026-05-15: Pub. Ch. 936 - 2026-05-07: Signed by Governor. - 2026-05-06: Transmitted to Governor for his action. (House) - 2026-05-05: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2026-04-30: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2026-04-23: Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. (House) - 2026-04-20: Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 4, PNV 2 (Senate) - 2026-04-20: Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. (Senate) - 2026-04-15: Received from House, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2026-04-15: Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. (House) - 2026-04-15: Passed H., as am., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0 (House) - 2026-04-15: H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA1062) (House) - 2026-04-15: Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0868) (House) - 2026-04-15: Sponsor(s) Added. (House) - 2026-04-09: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026 (House) - 2026-04-08: Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026 (House) - 2026-04-07: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee (House) - 2026-04-02: Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026 (House) - 2026-04-02: Re-ref. Judiciary Committee (House) - 2026-04-02: Sponsor(s) Added. (House) - 2026-03-26: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026 (House) - 2026-03-25: Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026 (House) - 2026-03-25: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee (House) - 2026-03-18: Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026 (House) - 2026-03-17: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee (House) - 2026-03-11: Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/17/2026 (House) - 2026-03-10: Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/17/2026 (House) - 2026-03-04: Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/10/2026 (House) - 2026-02-03: Def. to Special Calendar to be Published with Final Calendar in Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee (House) - 2026-01-28: Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 2/3/2026 (House) - 2026-01-23: Meeting Canceled (House) - 2026-01-21: Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 1/27/2026 (House) - 2025-03-25: Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026 (House) - 2025-03-19: Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/25/2025 (House) - 2025-03-18: Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/25/2025 (House) - 2025-03-12: Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/18/2025 (House) - 2025-03-11: Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee (House) - 2025-03-11: Ref. to Judiciary Committee (House) - 2025-02-12: P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt. (House) - 2025-02-10: Intro., P1C. (House) - 2025-02-06: Filed for introduction (House) ## Bill text - HA1062 (Substitute), 2026-04-15: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1062.pdf) - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0936.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1238.pdf) - HA0868: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0868.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB1263.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 - [HA1062 (Substitute) (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1062.pdf) - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0936.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1238.pdf) - [HA0868 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0868.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB1263.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-HB1263-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).