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HB0386 • 2026

Children

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36, Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 2, relative to voluntary surrender of an infant.

Children
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Butler, Haile
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 420
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Official source material does not provide specific details on how facilities will handle surrendered infants or what happens after the 45-day period ends, leaving these points as unknowns.

Expanding Infant Surrender Age

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to allow infants up to 45 days old to be surrendered voluntarily without their mothers facing criminal charges.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the age limit for surrendering an infant from 14 days to 45 days.
  • Updates multiple sections of state law to reflect this new age limit.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Mothers and parents who want to voluntarily give up their newborns.

Terms To Know

Voluntary surrender
The act of giving up a baby without legal consequences for the mother.
Criminal liability
Legal responsibility that could result in punishment if someone breaks the law.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how facilities will be funded to handle more surrendered infants.
  • The bill does not address what happens after the 45-day period ends.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 420

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/09/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 420

  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 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  23. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  24. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/17/2025

  25. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  27. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  28. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  29. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 2/25/2025

  32. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Health Committee

  33. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  34. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  36. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  37. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  40. 2025-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 262
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 386
By Butler

HB0386
000152
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36,
Chapter 1, Part 1 and Title 68, Chapter 11, Part 2,
relative to voluntary surrender of an infant.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-102(1)(A)(v), is amended by
deleting "fourteen (14)" and substituting "forty-five (45)".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-142(a), is amended by deleting
"fourteen (14)" and substituting "forty-five (45)".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-255(a)(4), is amended by
deleting "fourteen (14)" and substituting "forty-five (45)".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-255(a)(6), is amended by
deleting "fourteen (14)" and substituting "forty-five (45)".
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-255(b)(1)(A), is amended by
deleting "fourteen-day period" and substituting "forty-five-day period".
SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.