2026 is the second year of the 114th General Assembly of the State of Tennessee. As well as bills from last year, we will monitor newly filed bills this year. If you have questions, contact us at [email protected] .

Bills filed in 2026 directly affecting the LGBTQ community

SB1745/HB1472 by Sen. Bowling and Rep. Bulso. As introduced, enacts the "Banning Bostock Act."

SB1746/HB1473 by Sen. Bowling and Rep. Bulso. As introduced, states that private citizens and organizations are not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment or the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges to recognize a marriage between individuals of the same sex; prohibits the board of professional responsibility from disciplining or sanctioning an attorney for declining to officiate a marriage between two persons of the same sex.

HB1474 by Rep. Bulso. As introduced, enacts the "No Pride Flag or Month Act."

SB1664/HB1665 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Maberry. As introduced, prohibits a healthcare provider from asking certain listed gender-related questions to a minor unless a parent is physically present and fully informed and provides written consent to such questions and the questions are directly related to the diagnosis or treatment of a specific medical or psychological condition currently being evaluated; makes other related changes.

SB1665/HB1666 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Maberry. As introduced, includes "honorifics" in the prohibition on requiring a student, teacher, employee, or contractor to use or provide a person's preferred name or pronoun; makes related revisions.

SB2031/HB1872 by Sen. Lowe and Rep. Zachary. As introduced, creates a civil cause of action against a healthcare professional by a person who suffered an injury that resulted from certain medical procedures if the reason the person, or the person's parent, guardian, or legal representative, consented to the medical procedure was due in whole or in part to coercion by the healthcare professional.

SB1989 by Sen. Rose.  As introduced, specifies that a parent's or legal guardian's action of raising, guiding, or instructing the parent's or legal guardian's child in a manner consistent with the child's biological sex is not a basis for certain findings or actions by the court, does not constitute the criminal offense of child abuse, child neglect, or child endangerment, and must not be considered as a negative factor by a court in determining a custody arrangement in the best interest of the child.

SB2045 by Sen. Taylor.  As introduced, requires healthcare provider regulatory authorities to report quarterly to the department of health the number and type of disciplinary actions taken against a healthcare provider for knowingly performing or offering to perform on a minor, or administering or offering to administer to a minor, a prohibited medical procedure.

SB2044/HB1990 by Sen. Taylor and Rep. Lankford.  As introduced, directs the department to conduct a study on health concerns of, and identifying obstacles for receiving better care for, persons whose biological sex is female; requires the department to submit a report to the members of the general assembly on the results of the study on or before January 1, 2027. Note:  The language of "biological sex" is discriminatory. It will be important to see how the bill develops.

SB2118 by Sen. Lowe. TennCare - As introduced, prohibits the division from providing coverage or reimbursement for a medical procedure performed on, or administered to, an individual if the performance or administration of the procedure is for the purpose of enabling the individual to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the individual's sex, or treat purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the individual's sex and asserted identity.

Bills filed in 2026 with generally discriminatory potential

SB1741/HB1476 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Bulso. As introduced, enacts the "Charlie Kirk Act."

SB1713/HB1664 by Sen. Johnson and Rep. Maberry. As introduced, requires the executive head of each state department or agency, local government, and public institution of higher education to submit an annual attestation to the comptroller of the treasury that such entity has not implemented a discriminatory preference to increase diversity, equity, or inclusion.

Bills from 2025 that could move in 2026

SB226/HB470 by Sen.Taylor and Rep. Rudd. As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Professionals' Freedom of Religion Act."

SB266/HB304 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Bulso. As introduced, prohibits state and local government entities from displaying or allowing display of flags other than Tennessee and U.S. flags on courthouses and public roads and sidewalks; prohibits LEAs and public charter schools from displaying in public schools flags other than the official United States flag and the official Tennessee state flag. See the brief on the bill by TEP and the Human Rights Campaign.

SB737/HB315 by Rep. Bulso. As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act" to create covenant marriage, which is entered into by one male and one female, who understand and agree that marriage is a lifelong relationship; permits a spouse in a covenant marriage to obtain a judgment of divorce under certain circumstances.

SB1043/HB320 by Sen. Bowling and Rep. Bulso.  As introduced, designates the new swimming pool at Henry Horton State Park as the "Riley Gaines Aquatic Center".

SB372/HB551 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Cochran. As introduced, urges the human rights commission to study problems of discrimination against healthcare providers in this state because of their decision to decline to participate in a healthcare service on the basis of religious, moral, or ethical beliefs.

SB468/HB571 by Sen. Bowling and Rep. Barrett. As introduced, enacts the "Women's Safety and Protection Act."

SB674/HB900 by Sen. Taylor and Rep. Todd. As introduced, clarifies that the general assembly preempts and occupies the entire field of regulating the terms and conditions of employment; prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing any law, rule, or policy that requires a term or condition of employment that exceeds or conflicts with state or federal law.

SB676/HB754 by Sen. Taylor and Rep. Faison. As introduced, requires gender clinics accepting funds from this state to perform gender transition procedures to also perform detransition procedures; requires insurance entities providing coverage of gender transition procedures to also cover detransition procedures; requires certain gender clinics and insurance entities to report information regarding detransition procedures to the department of health.

SB692/HB1119 by Sen. Johnson and Rep. Carringer. As introduced, requires the attorney general to report to the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives certain information regarding violations of the prohibition against using medical procedures to enable a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex or to treat purported discomfort or distress from discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity.

SB1424/HB884 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Todd.  As introduced, specifies that a community or municipal center that is being used to offer adult cabaret entertainment is an "adult-oriented establishment" for purposes of regulating its hours of operation, location, and physical characteristics.

SB936/HB1271 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Cochran.  As introduced, declares that the policy of this state is that there are only two sexes, a biological male and a biological female.

SB1126 by Sen. Rose. As introduced, makes various changes to the categories of individuals who are not required to use a preferred pronoun, and for whom a preferred pronoun be disregarded, if the pronoun is inconsistent with the person's biological sex; makes various changes to the civil liability and adverse action protections as it relates to the use of, or the refusal to use, a pronoun or preferred pronoun.

SB1252/HB1262 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Reneau. As introduced, makes various changes to the categories of individuals who are not required to use a preferred pronoun, and for whom a preferred pronoun be disregarded, if the pronoun is inconsistent with the person's biological sex; makes various changes to the civil liability and adverse action protections as it relates to the use of, or the refusal to use, a pronoun or preferred pronoun.