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HB0590 • 2026

Child Custody and Support

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36 and Title 37, relative to children.

Children
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Atchley, Massey
Last action
2026-04-24
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 683
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Child Custody and Support

ON MARCH 2, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 609, AS AMENDED.

What This Bill Does

  • ON MARCH 2, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 609, AS AMENDED.
  • AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the court to consider the extent to which a parenting schedule provides each parent a frequent and meaningful opportunity to participate in the child's life, consistent with the child's best interest, i n addition to the other relevant factors, when making a child custody determination.
  • This amendment also changes the effective date from effective upon becoming a law to July 1, 2026.
  • ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 609, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 609, AS AMENDED.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0590

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB0590 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 609 House Bill No.
  • 590* HA0756 014970 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0609

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB0609 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 609 House Bill No.
  • 590* SA0516 013637 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 683

  2. 2026-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

  3. 2026-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 683

  4. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 32, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0756)

  10. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/2/2026

  11. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  12. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0

  13. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0756)

  14. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  15. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  17. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  21. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  22. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/10/2026

  24. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/10/2026

  25. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  27. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  28. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0516)

  29. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  30. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/3/2026

  31. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  32. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  33. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1

  34. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  35. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  36. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 2/24/2026

  37. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/17/2026

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  41. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  43. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 2, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 609, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the court to consider the extent to which a parenting schedule provides each parent a frequent and meaningful opportunity to participate in the child's life, consistent with the child's best interest, i
n addition to the other relevant factors, when making a child custody determination. This amendment also changes the effective date from effective upon becoming a law to July 1, 2026.

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 609, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 609, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Requires a court, when making a child custody determination, to consider all relevant factors with the best interest of the child always being paramount.



Removes that such meaningful opportunities must be frequent.

ON APRIL 2, 2026, THE SENATE CONCURRED IN HOUSE AMENDMENT #1.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 609
By Massey

HOUSE BILL 590
By Atchley

HB0590
002440
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36
and Title 37, relative to children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-6-101(a)(3)(B)(i), is amended by
deleting "twice" and substituting "three (3) times".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.