HB0141 • 2026

Consumer Protection

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 47 and Title 65, relative to consumer billing.

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Hale, Haile
Last action: 2025-05-02
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 154
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify an effective date, but it is mentioned that the law will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Consumer Protection for Service Termination

This law sets rules for how service providers can bill consumers when they end their contracts early.

What This Bill Does

Limits when a service provider can charge a customer after the customer ends a contract.
Allows billing only until the end of the current billing cycle if the contract is ended in the first half of that cycle.
Permits billing for up to one additional billing cycle if the contract is ended in the second half of the cycle.

Who It Names or Affects

Consumers who end their telephone, cable television, internet, or broadband service agreements early.
Service providers offering these services to consumers.

Terms To Know

Billing cycle: The period between billing statements for a consumer's payment amount.
Covered services: Telephone, cable television, internet, broadband services, or any combination of these.

Limits and Unknowns

This law only applies to the specific types of services listed and does not cover other kinds of contracts.
The exact penalties for violating this law are defined in the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977.

Bill History

2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 154
2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 154
2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 97, Nays 0, PNV 0
2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar 3/27/2025
2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Objected to on Consent Calendar.
2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/24/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/19/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee to 3/12/2025
2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee for 3/5/2025
2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0
2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/24/2025
2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/18/2025
2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee
2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Ref. to Commerce Committee
2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C held on desk pending appointment of Standing Committees
2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-01-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

I
f a consumer terminates an agreement or contract for

telephone, cable television, internet, broadband, or any combina
tion of such services

pursuant to the terms of the agreement or contract, then
this bill authorizes
the service provider
to
bill the consumer for the remainder of that billing cycle
,

but

the service provider may
not bill the consumer for any subsequent bil
ling cycle
if
the date of termination occurs within the first
half
of a billing cycle
. However, if the date of termination occurs within the second half of a billing cycle, then the service provider may bill the consumer for the remainder of that billing
cycle and up to one subsequent billing cycle. Additionally, this bill does not prohibit a service provider from including a term or period of minimum duration in a service agreement or contract.

This bill provides that a violation of this bill constitu
tes a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977 and is subject to the penalties and remedies under such Act.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 41
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 141
By Hale

HB0141
000518
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7;
Title 47 and Title 65, relative to consumer billing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, Chapter 18, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Billing cycle" means the defined period of time between billing
statements or invoices on which a consumer's payment amount for services is
based under an agreement or contract for covered services;
(2) "Covered services" means telephone, cable television, internet,
broadband services, or any combination of such services; and
(3) "Service provider" means an entity, whether a for-profit, nonprofit, or
government entity, that provides covered services to consumers for a fee.
(b) On and after July 1, 2025, if a consumer terminates an agreement or contract
for covered services pursuant to the terms of the agreement or contract, then:
(1) If the date of termination occurs within the first half (1/2) of a billing
cycle, then the service provider may only bill the consumer for the remainder of
that billing cycle and shall not bill the consumer for any subsequent billing cycle;
and
(2) If the date of termination occurs within the second half (1/2) of a
billing cycle, then the service provider may bill the consumer for the remainder of
that billing cycle and up to one (1) subsequent billing cycle.

- 2 - 000518

(c) This section does not prohibit a service provider from including in a service
agreement or contract a term or period of minimum duration.
(d) A violation of this section constitutes a violation of the Tennessee Consumer
Protection Act of 1977, compiled in this part. A violation of this section constitutes an
unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting trade or commerce and is subject to the
penalties and remedies as provided in this part.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 47-18-104(b), is amended by adding
the following new subdivision:
( ) A violation of SECTION 1.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.