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HB0175 • 2026

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 70, relative to the use of unmanned aircraft for deer recovery when hunting.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Darby, Walley
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not explicitly state the conditions under which hunters can use drones, but it implies that usage should be in accordance with rules set by the commission.

Using Drones to Find Wounded Deer

This bill allows the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission to make rules about using drones to find and retrieve wounded deer during hunting.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows the commission to create rules for using drones to locate and retrieve wounded deer.
  • Requires these rules to follow a specific set of laws called the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Hunters who might need to find and retrieve wounded deer.
  • The Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission, which will make rules about drone usage.

Terms To Know

Uniform Administrative Procedures Act
A set of laws that guide how government agencies create rules.
Unmanned aircraft
Another term for drones, which are flying machines without a pilot on board.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the consequences if hunters use drones in ways that the commission did not allow.
  • It is unclear how many hunters will actually use this new rule to find wounded deer.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 478

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 478

  4. 2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 86, Nays 0, PNV 1

  14. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  18. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/14/2025

  21. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Government Operations Committee to 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/7/2025

  23. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Government Operations Committee

  24. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 4/1/2025

  25. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee to 4/1/2025

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/25/2025

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  28. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  30. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  31. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee to 3/12/2025

  32. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  33. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  34. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 2/26/2025

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 2/26/2025

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 2/19/2025

  37. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  38. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee - Government Operations for

  39. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., & Natural Resources Committee

  41. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  43. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 130
By Walley

HOUSE BILL 175
By Darby

HB0175
001101
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 70, relative to the use of unmanned
aircraft for deer recovery when hunting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 70, Chapter 4, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
The commission is authorized to promulgate rules, in accordance with the
Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5, and pass
proclamations regarding the utilization of unmanned aircraft, including drones, solely for
the purpose of locating and recovering a deer that has been wounded or is reasonably
believed to have been wounded while a person is lawfully engaged in hunting.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.