# Tennessee SB 0171: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 38, relative to The Ink of Hope Act. Tennessee SB 0171, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 38, relative to The Ink of Hope Act., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2025-03-21 (Effective date(s) 03/12/2025, 01/01/2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0171-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Tennessee SB 0171 - State: Tennessee - Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) - Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 38, relative to The Ink of Hope Act. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-15 - Last action: 2025-03-21, Effective date(s) 03/12/2025, 01/01/2026 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 8 - Subjects: Tattoos and Piercings - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (9 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 3 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Tattoo licensees gain trafficking liability protection: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2026, covered Tennessee tattoo licensees and their employers gain legal protection for specified trafficking-related conduct. They face no civil or criminal liability for responding to trafficking signs or referring clients to victim resources. The same protection covers failin… - Renewing tattoo licensees face training deadline: cost, medium. Beginning January 1, 2026, Tennessee applies a training rule to people renewing tattoo licenses held on December 31, 2025. They must complete up to one hour of free online or in-person training by December 31, 2028. A nonprofit approved by the Tennessee Human Trafficking Advisory Council provides i… - Tattoo applicants face new training rules: cost, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Tennessee tattoo operators and artists must complete trafficking training before getting a permit. Training takes up to one hour, online or in person, and is free. A nonprofit approved by the Tennessee Human Trafficking Advisory Council provides it. It covers spotting tra… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Cosponsor: Raumesh Akbari (Democrat), Senate - Cosponsor: Richard Briggs (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Heidi Campbell (Democrat), Senate - Cosponsor: Ed Jackson (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: London Lamar (Democrat), Senate - Cosponsor: Reeves - Cosponsor: White - Cosponsor: Ken Yager (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-02-11 | Senate | SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE | pass | 9 | 0 | | ## Actions (22) - 2025-03-21: Effective date(s) 03/12/2025, 01/01/2026 - 2025-03-21: Pub. Ch. 19 - 2025-03-12: Signed by Governor. (Senate) - 2025-03-10: Transmitted to Governor for action. (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Signed by H. Speaker (House) - 2025-03-05: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate) - 2025-03-04: Enrolled and ready for signatures (Senate) - 2025-03-03: Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0 (House) - 2025-03-03: Subst. for comp. HB. (House) - 2025-02-24: Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk. (House) - 2025-02-20: Engrossed; ready for transmission to House (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-02-20: Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0 (Senate) - 2025-02-18: Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/20/2025 (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-02-11: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-05: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/11/2025 (Senate) - 2025-01-27: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-16: Introduced, Passed on First Consideration (Senate) - 2025-01-15: Filed for introduction (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0019.pdf) - Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB0171.pdf) - Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0171.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 55, relative to criminal law. (signed) - SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes. (signed) - HB 2670: 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… (signed) - HB 2656: AN ACT to amend Chapter 325 of the Private Acts of 1945; as amended by Chapter 335 of the Private Acts of 1968; Chapter 282 of the Private Acts of 1972; Chapte… (signed) - HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter 85 of the Private Acts of 1987; Chapter 74 of the Private Acts of 1995; Chapter… (signed) - HB 2631: 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,… (failed) ## Sources - [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0019.pdf) - [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB0171.pdf) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB0171.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0254: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 38; Title 39; Title 40 and Titl…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0254-2025-2026) - [SB 0198: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, relative to taxes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB0198-2025-2026) - [HB 2670: AN ACT to amend Chapter 33 of the Private Acts of 1985; as amended by Chapter 8…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2670-2025-2026) - [HB 2656: AN ACT to amend Chapter 325 of the Private Acts of 1945; as amended by Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2656-2025-2026) - [HB 2666: AN ACT to amend Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended by Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2666-2025-2026) - [HB 2631: AN ACT to make appropriations for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-HB2631-2025-2026) - [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-SB0171-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).