# Tennessee HB 2542: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 50-7-303, relative to suitable work requirements.

Tennessee HB 2542, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 50-7-303, relative to suitable work requirements., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-05-27 (Effective date(s) 05/21/2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2542-2025-2026
- 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 2542
- State: Tennessee
- Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026)
- Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 50-7-303, relative to suitable work requirements.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-03
- Last action: 2026-05-27, Effective date(s) 05/21/2026
- Sponsors: no sponsor on record
- Cosponsors: 4
- Subjects: Unemployment Compensation
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 5 (124 yes, 21 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Lower-paying jobs count as suitable work: cost, medium. Tennessee removes the rule that a job must pay a set percentage of your past wages to be suitable work for unemployment. Lower-paying jobs can now be labeled suitable. If you refuse suitable work, you can lose unemployment benefits. This change takes effect immediately.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Cosponsor: Rush Bricken (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Mark Cochran (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Michele Reneau (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: White

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-21 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/21/2026 | pass | 27 | 6 |   |
| 2026-03-12 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/12/2026 | pass | 70 | 15 |   |
| 2026-03-09 | House | HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE | fail | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | House | HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-18 | House | HOUSE BANKING AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE | pass | 5 | 0 |   |

## Bill text

- Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc1043.pdf)
- Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1874.pdf)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB2542.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 2509: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 53; Title 13; Title 48, Chapter 101, Part 3; Title 56 and Title 67, relative to housing. (signed)
- HB 2503: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 10; Title 12; Title 29; Title 35; Title 36; Title 37; Tit… (signed)
- HB 2533: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 5, Chapter 21; Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 1; Title 49, Chapte… (signed)
- HB 2541: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 4, relative to the prevailing wage rate. (signed)
- HB 2502: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 38; Title 39; Title 45; Title 47; Title 49 and Title 67, relative to money transmission. (signed)
- HB 2510: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, Chapter 6, relative to tax revenue. (signed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc1043.pdf)
- [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB1874.pdf)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB2542.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 2509: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 53; Title 13; Title…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2509-2025-2026)
- [HB 2503: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; T…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2503-2025-2026)
- [HB 2533: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 5, Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2533-2025-2026)
- [HB 2541: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 4, relative…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2541-2025-2026)
- [HB 2502: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 38; Title 39; Title 45…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2502-2025-2026)
- [HB 2510: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, Chapter 6, relative to tax…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2510-2025-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2542-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).