Back to Tennessee

HB0391 • 2026

Charitable Solicitations

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 48, Chapter 101, Part 5, relative to timing of filing fundraising campaign literature.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Atchley, Hatcher
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 248
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on penalties for non-compliance or how existing campaigns will be affected.

Charitable Fundraising Literature Filing

This bill changes when professional fundraisers must file their campaign materials with the state and removes some requirements for notifying the state about changes to those materials.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the filing deadline for fundraising campaign literature from before a campaign starts to within 90 days after it ends or by the end of the fiscal year if the campaign lasts more than one year.
  • Eliminates the requirement that fundraisers must file oral solicitation scripts with the state.
  • Removes the need to notify the secretary of state about changes in fundraising materials within seven days.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Professional fundraisers who work for nonprofit organizations
  • The Secretary of State's office

Terms To Know

solicitation campaign literature
Materials used by professional fundraisers to collect donations, such as brochures or emails.
professional solicitor
A person hired by a nonprofit organization to raise money from the public.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if fundraisers do not follow these new rules.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect current fundraising campaigns that have already started.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 248

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 248

  4. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 1

  12. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/14/2025

  14. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  15. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  25. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/5/2025

  32. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  33. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/26/2025

  34. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/25/2025

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  41. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  43. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

P
rior to the commencement of a solicitation campa
ign,
present law requires
a professional solicitor
to
file with the secretary of state copies, or samples, of each type of solicitation campaign literature or promotional materials utilized in the solicitation campaign, including, but not limited to, the t
ext of any solicitation scripts or pitches made to the public orally, which is utilized in the campaign.
This bill revises this provision to instead require the filing to be completed within 90 days after a solicitation campaign has been completed or with
in 90 days after the end of the fiscal year for a campaign that lasts more than one year. This bill also revises this provision to provide that the text of any solicitation scripts or pitches made to the public orally are no longer required to be utilize
d
in the campaign.

Present law also provides that
within seven days after any modification or changes in campaign solicitation literature or promotional materials utilized by the professional solicitor, the secretary of state must be notified in writing
and be given samples or copies of such changes and modifications.
This bill removes this requirement.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 453
By Hatcher

HOUSE BILL 391
By Atchley

HB0391
000676
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 48,
Chapter 101, Part 5, relative to timing of filing
fundraising campaign literature.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 48-101-513(h)(3), is amended by
deleting "Prior to the commencement of each solicitation campaign" and substituting "Within
ninety (90) days after a solicitation campaign has been completed or within ninety (90) days
after the end of the fiscal year for a campaign that lasts more than one (1) year".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 48-101-513(h)(3), is amended by
deleting ", which is utilized in the campaign".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 48-101-513(h)(3), is amended by
deleting "Within seven (7) days after any modification or changes in campaign solicitation
literature or promotional materials utilized by the professional solicitor, the secretary of state
shall be notified in writing and be given samples or copies of such changes and modifications.".
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.