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HB0318 • 2026

State Government

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 4, relative to state government.

Healthcare
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Rudd, Hensley
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 361
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on the effective date beyond July 1, 2025.

Clarifies International Organizations' Jurisdiction in Tennessee

This law clarifies that international organizations like the World Health Organization do not have authority to make rules for Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

  • States that the World Health Organization, United Nations, and World Economic Forum cannot enforce requirements or mandates within Tennessee.
  • Prohibits state and local governments from enforcing or collaborating with enforcement of these international organizations' requirements.
  • Prevents using such requirements as a basis for action in Tennessee, including those related to masks, vaccines, medical testing, or gathering information about residents.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tennessee state and local governments
  • International organizations like the World Health Organization

Terms To Know

political subdivision
A part of a government that is smaller than the whole, such as cities or counties.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if other states follow these international organizations.
  • It's unclear how this will affect cooperation with international health efforts.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0318

Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to HB0318, which renames the bill as the 'Anti-Public Health Initiative'.

  • Adds a new section immediately before the last existing section of HB0318.
  • Names the act as the 'Anti-Public Health Initiative.'
  • The amendment text does not provide details about what the Anti-Public Health Initiative entails.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 361

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 361

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 72, Nays 25, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/17/2025

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  16. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/16/2025

  17. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  19. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  21. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 25, Nays 6

  22. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  23. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  24. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  25. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  27. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  28. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/8/2025

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  31. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  32. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  33. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  34. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/19/2025

  35. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/12/2025

  36. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  37. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/12/2025

  38. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/5/2025

  40. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  41. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  42. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  43. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  44. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  45. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  46. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  47. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  48. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  49. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  50. 2025-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  51. 2025-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill clarifies that

t
he World Health
Organization, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum have no jurisdiction in this state. This state and its political subdivisions must not be compelled to enforce, or collaborate with the enforcement of, requirements or mandates issued by the

World Health Organization, the United Nations, or the World Economic Forum.

This bill prohibits r
equirements or mandates issued by the World Health Organization, the United Nations, or the World Economic Forum
from
be
ing
used in this state as a basis for
action, or to direct, order, or otherwise impose, contrary to this state's constitution and the laws of this state, any requirements whatsoever, including those for masks, vaccines, or medical testing, or to gather public or private information about thi
s
state's citizens or residents, and such requirements or mandates have no force or effect in this state or its political subdivisions.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 263
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 318
By Rudd

HB0318
000248
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 1, Part 4, relative to state government.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 4, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) The World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Economic
Forum have no jurisdiction in this state. This state and its political subdivisions must not
be compelled to enforce, or collaborate with the enforcement of, requirements or
mandates issued by the World Health Organization, the United Nations, or the World
Economic Forum.
(b) Requirements or mandates issued by the World Health Organization, the
United Nations, or the World Economic Forum must not be used in this state as a basis
for action, or to direct, order, or otherwise impose, contrary to this state's constitution
and the laws of this state, any requirements whatsoever, including those for masks,
vaccines, or medical testing, or to gather public or private information about this state's
citizens or residents, and such requirements or mandates have no force or effect in this
state or its political subdivisions.
(c) As used in this section, "political subdivision" means a municipality; public
corporation; body politic; authority; district; metropolitan government; county; an agency,
department, or board of such entities; or another form of local government.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.