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HB0060 • 2026

Highway Signs

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3; Title 12 and Title 54, relative to roadside facilities for motorists.

Children
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Raper, Lowe
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 412
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Highway Signs for Family Restrooms

This bill requires Tennessee's Department of Transportation to install signs near rest areas and welcome centers that have family restrooms and post a list of these facilities on its website.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Department of Transportation to put up signs or markers near rest areas and welcome centers with family restrooms.
  • Specifies that these signs must show symbols or words indicating the presence of a family restroom.
  • Allows the Department to work with other state agencies like Safety and Tourist Development when making these signs.
  • Requires all signs to follow national traffic control guidelines.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Drivers using rest areas and welcome centers in Tennessee
  • The Department of Transportation

Terms To Know

family restroom
A separate, fully enclosed restroom that can be locked from the inside and is designed for use by people with disabilities, elderly individuals, children, or those needing assistance.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much it will cost to install these signs.
  • It's unclear if all rest areas and welcome centers currently have family restrooms.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0060

Plain English: This amendment adds the word 'or language' to certain sections of a bill about highway signs, allowing for both symbols and languages on roadside facilities.

  • Adds 'or language' after 'symbol' in subsection (b) of Section 1.
  • Adds 'or language' after 'symbols' in subsection (c) of Section 1.
  • Adds 'language,' after 'Symbols,' in subsection (d) of Section 1.
  • The exact impact on roadside facilities is not fully explained by the amendment text alone.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0147

Plain English: The amendment adds the word 'or language' to certain sections of a bill about roadside facilities, allowing for signs that include both symbols and words.

  • Adds 'or language' after 'symbol' in subsection (b) of Section 1.
  • Adds 'or language' after 'symbols' in subsection (c) of Section 1.
  • Adds 'language,' after 'Symbols,' in subsection (d) of Section 1.
  • The exact impact on roadside facilities is not detailed beyond the addition of 'language.'

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 412

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/09/2025, 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 412

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0006)

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  18. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025

  19. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  20. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  23. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  24. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0151)

  25. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/24/2025

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  28. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  30. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  31. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  32. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  33. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/3/2025

  34. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in Government Operations Committee

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 2/24/2025

  36. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee

  37. 2025-02-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 2/18/2025

  39. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  40. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/11/2025

  42. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  43. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Transportation Committee- Government Operations for Review

  44. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation & Safety Committee

  45. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  46. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  47. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  48. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  49. 2025-01-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires the department of transportation to (i) install a sign or marker on the portions of the interstate system and state system or highways and associated righ
ts-of-way near a rest area or welcome center, if that rest area or welcome center has a family restroom, and (ii) post on its website the rest areas and welcome centers that have such restrooms. As used in this bill, "family restroom" means a separate fu
l
ly enclosed restroom that has an outer door that can be locked by the occupant and is equipped to be used by one or more persons with disabilities, elderly persons, children, or persons who need the assistance of another person or a relative when using re
s
troom facilities.

This bill authorizes the department of transportation to consult the departments of safety and tourist development in manufacturing and installing the signs or markers, or designating or placing symbols on signs or markers. However, t
he symbols, signs, and markers installed under this bill, must be consistent with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and the state supplemental guidelines, as applicable.

ON MARCH 24, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BIL
L 147, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that the signs or markers required by this bill may display language, instead of only symbols, indicating
the accessibility of a family restroom to motorists
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 147
By Lowe

HOUSE BILL 60
By Raper

HB0060
001038
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 3; Title 12 and Title 54, relative to
roadside facilities for motorists.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 23, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section, "family restroom" means a separate, fully enclosed
restroom that:
(1) Has an outer door that can be locked by the occupant; and
(2) Is equipped to be used by one (1) or more:
(A) Persons with disabilities;
(B) Elderly persons;
(C) Children; or
(D) Persons who need the assistance of another person or a
relative when using restroom facilities.
(b) If a rest area or welcome center has a family restroom, then the department
of transportation shall install a sign or marker displaying a symbol indicating the
accessibility of a family restroom to motorists, or include that symbol on an existing rest
area or welcome center sign or marker, on the portions of the interstate system and
state system of highways and associated rights-of-way near the rest area or welcome
center.

- 2 - 001038

(c) The department may consult the departments of safety and tourist
development in manufacturing and installing the signs or markers or designating or
placing symbols on signs or markers pursuant to this section.
(d) Symbols, signs, and markers installed pursuant to this section must be
consistent with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the state
supplemental guidelines, as applicable.
(e) The department shall post on its website the rest areas and welcome centers
that have family restrooms.
(f) In consultation with the departments of safety and tourist development, the
department of transportation is authorized to promulgate rules necessary to effectuate
this section. The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform
Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in chapter 5 of this title.
SECTION 2. For the purpose of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming
a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2025,
the public welfare requiring it.