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TennesseeSB 0171114th General Assembly (2025-2026)SenateWALLET

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 38, relative to The Ink of Hope Act.

Sponsored By: Becky Duncan Massey (Republican)

Became Law

Tattoos and Piercings

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Liability shield for tattoo licensees

Starting Jan 1, 2026, licensed tattooists and their employers are not civilly or criminally liable for responding to signs of human trafficking, referring clients to victim resources, or for not taking those steps. The department also cannot take action against them for those actions or inactions.

Human trafficking training for tattoo licenses

Beginning Jan 1, 2026, tattoo operators and artists must complete up to one hour of free training before receiving a permit to operate or to apply tattoos. The course may be online or in person, is run by a nonprofit approved by the Tennessee Human Trafficking Advisory Council, and covers spotting, responding to, referring, and reporting signs to the Tennessee Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline. If you held a license on Dec 31, 2025 and renew, you must finish this training by Dec 31, 2028, or your license is invalid until you comply. Local health departments also add questions about recognizing and reporting trafficking to license materials starting Jan 1, 2026.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Becky Duncan Massey

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Raumesh Akbari

    Democrat • Senate

  • Richard Briggs

    Republican • Senate

  • Heidi Campbell

    Democrat • Senate

  • Ed Jackson

    Republican • Senate

  • London Lamar

    Democrat • Senate

  • Shane Reeves

    Republican • Senate

  • Dawn White

    Republican • Senate

  • Ken Yager

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 9 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/11/2025

SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE

Yes: 9 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Pub. Ch. 19

    3/21/2025

  2. Effective date(s) 03/12/2025, 01/01/2026

    3/21/2025

  3. Signed by Governor.

    3/12/2025Senate

  4. Transmitted to Governor for action.

    3/10/2025Senate

  5. Signed by H. Speaker

    3/6/2025House

  6. Signed by Senate Speaker

    3/5/2025Senate

  7. Enrolled and ready for signatures

    3/4/2025Senate

  8. Subst. for comp. HB.

    3/3/2025House

  9. Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0

    3/3/2025House

  10. Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

    2/24/2025House

  11. Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

    2/20/2025Senate

  12. Sponsor(s) Added.

    2/20/2025Senate

  13. Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

    2/20/2025Senate

  14. Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/20/2025

    2/18/2025Senate

  15. Sponsor(s) Added.

    2/12/2025Senate

  16. Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

    2/11/2025Senate

  17. Sponsor(s) Added.

    2/11/2025Senate

  18. Sponsor(s) Added.

    2/5/2025Senate

  19. Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/11/2025

    2/4/2025Senate

  20. Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

    1/27/2025Senate

  21. Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

    1/16/2025Senate

  22. Filed for introduction

    1/15/2025Senate

Bill Text

  • Enrolled / Public Chapter

    PDF

  • Fiscal Note

    PDF

  • Introduced

    PDF

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