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HB0646 • 2026

Game and Fish Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 70, relative to the use of certain colors while hunting.

Firearms
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Carringer, Massey
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 220
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide information on whether the law removes the specific definition of daylight fluorescent orange from the state’s laws, only that it deletes a subsection related to this definition.

Hunting Color Requirements

This law allows hunters in Tennessee to wear daylight fluorescent pink instead of orange when hunting big game with guns.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the color requirement for hunters from wearing only daylight fluorescent orange to allowing daylight fluorescent pink as an option while hunting big game during gun hunts.
  • Requires hunters to wear at least 500 square inches of either pink or orange on their upper body and head, visible from both front and back.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Hunters who hunt big game with guns in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Daylight fluorescent
A bright color that is easy to see during the day, used for safety and visibility.
Big game
Large animals hunted in Tennessee such as deer or elk.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if a hunter chooses to wear both pink and orange.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect hunting safety practices.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 220

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 220

  4. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 96, Nays 0, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/7/2025

  14. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/3/2025

  16. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee to 3/25/2025

  19. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/18/2025

  21. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  25. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/10/2025

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  28. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/5/2025

  29. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  30. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  31. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  32. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  33. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 206
By Massey

HOUSE BILL 646
By Carringer

HB0646
001782
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39
and Title 70, relative to the use of certain colors
while hunting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-4-124(a), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
Every person hunting big game except turkey during the gun hunts proclaimed by
the commission shall wear, on both the upper portion of the body and head, outer
garments of daylight fluorescent orange or daylight fluorescent pink color of not less than
a combined five hundred square inches (500 sq. in.) and visible from the front and back.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-4-124(b), is amended by deleting
the subsection.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.