A slate of new Tennessee laws approved during the first session of the 114th General Assembly will took effect Jan. 1, ushering in changes across commerce, elections, public safety, health care, taxation and government operations.
The legislation reflects policy decisions adopted during the 2025 session and touches nearly every aspect of daily life, from vaping regulations and health insurance coverage to voter registration requirements and paid leave for state employees. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene for the second session of the General Assembly Jan. 13.
Commerce and consumer regulation
Several new laws focus on consumer protection and industry oversight.
Updated vape regulations raise the age threshold for required ID checks from 30 to 50 and establish a statewide database of vape products that are approved by or pending review from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The measure is intended to curb the sale of unauthorized products, particularly those marketed to minors.
New guardrails for the hemp industry impose potency limits and stricter licensing requirements for hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The law bans certain intoxicating substances, restricts sales to age 21 and older establishments, prohibits direct-to-consumer shipping and shifts enforcement authority from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission. It also creates a new wholesale tax structure for the industry.
Changes to tattoo licensing extend required apprenticeships from one year to two and require written verification of completion before a license may be issued. The law also allows tattoo artists licensed for at least 10 years in another state to supervise apprentices in Tennessee, even if they have been licensed locally for fewer than three years.
Another measure updates cemetery reclamation laws, allowing cemeteries to reclaim and resell unused gravesites after 75 years with no family contact. Families retain the right to reclaim the site or proceeds if they return within 25 years.
Elections, voter verification
New election laws strengthen voter registration requirements by mandating real-time verification of U.S. citizenship and felony status before a registration is completed. Supporters say the change closes gaps that previously allowed ineligible registrations to be processed.
Additional provisions require training for election officials to recognize temporary identification documents issued to non-citizens and reinforce existing safeguards designed to ensure only eligible voters participate in elections.
Immigration enforcement
Several laws address immigration enforcement and identification standards.
One measure creates the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division, expands coordination with federal authorities and establishes grant funding to help local law enforcement agencies participate in the federal 287(g) program. The law also requires state-issued identification cards to clearly distinguish non-citizens.
Another statute prohibits Tennessee from recognizing out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to individuals who are not lawfully present in the country. Beginning Jan. 1, driving without a valid license under the new standard becomes a Class B misdemeanor.
Taxes and court fees
Changes to community investment tax credits revise how credits are calculated to close a loophole that allowed banks to qualify for the full credit by offering short-term lines of credit at the end of the year. Under the new law, qualifying credit must be available year-round.
A separate measure establishes a $2 litigation privilege tax in most civil and criminal cases at the county level. The revenue will be used to support continuing education for court clerks. Juvenile and municipal court cases are excluded.
Health care and disability services
Several laws expand access to health care and disability-related services.
Eligibility for Tennessee’s Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts has been expanded by raising the age of disability onset from 26 to 46, allowing more Tennesseans with disabilities to open tax-advantaged savings accounts for qualified expenses.
Insurance reforms remove step-therapy requirements for patients with advanced or metastatic cancers, allowing immediate access to federally approved treatments. Another law ensures FDA-approved non-opioid medications are treated equally on the state’s preferred drug list, encouraging alternatives to opioid prescriptions.
Eligible state employees will also be allowed up to six weeks of paid leave to care for qualifying family members receiving hospice care.
Public safety and foreign influence
A new public registry for repeat domestic violence offenders will be established under Savanna’s Law, aimed at improving transparency and prevention efforts.
The Ink of Hope Act requires tattoo artists to receive training on recognizing and reporting signs of human trafficking.
In addition, the Tennessee Genomic Security and End Organ Harvesting Act bans the use of genetic technology from foreign adversaries and prohibits insurance coverage for organ transplants linked to illegal organ harvesting practices in China.
Government efficiency
One law modernizes state code by eliminating references to fax machines and replacing them with electronic transmission language, a move intended to improve efficiency and reflect current communication practices.
Source: State Rep. Greg Vital