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HB0684 • 2026

Welfare

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 3, relative to food assistance.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Farmer, Reeves
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not mention recommendations for statutory changes needed to facilitate efficient processing and delivery of benefits, though it is implied by the bill text.

Food Assistance Waiver Act

This bill requires Tennessee's Department of Human Services to apply for federal waivers annually and report on them to help improve food assistance programs.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the department to identify any federal rules that are stopping it from giving food assistance quickly enough.
  • Tells the department to ask for changes (waivers) to these rules by October 31 each year, if needed.
  • Needs the department to write a report every December about what waivers were asked for and their status.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tennessee Department of Human Services

Terms To Know

Waiver
An exception or change to a rule, allowed by the government.
Regulatory limitations
Rules set by the government that can make it harder for agencies to do their job.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money will be spent on this process.
  • It is unclear if and when federal authorities will approve Tennessee's waiver requests.
  • This act only affects the state of Tennessee.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0684

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that requires inmates preparing for release from state correctional institutions to be provided with an application form for food assistance and allows them to decline the application anonymously or provide reasons for declining.

  • Inmates will receive an application form for food assistance before their release.
  • The form includes options for inmates to either apply for food assistance, decline it, or do so anonymously.
  • State correctional institutions must collect and return these applications to the department of human services.
  • The amendment does not specify how often reports will be submitted after the initial January 15, 2027 deadline.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0879

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated that requires inmates preparing for release from state correctional institutions to be provided with an application form for food assistance and allows them to decline the application anonymously or provide reasons for declining.

  • Inmates will receive an application form for food assistance before their release.
  • The form includes options for inmates to either apply for food assistance, decline it, or do so anonymously.
  • State correctional institutions must collect and return these applications to the department of human services.
  • Details on how the data collection process will be implemented are not fully explained in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  5. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0

  7. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Health Committee for 3/31/2026

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/1/2026

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/25/2026

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  14. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

  15. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Health Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  19. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Health Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  23. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Health Subcommittee

  24. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  25. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  26. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  27. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Health Committee

  28. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  29. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 879
By Reeves

HOUSE BILL 684
By Farmer

HB0684
002798
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71,
Chapter 5, Part 3, relative to food assistance.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-5-318, is amended by deleting
subsections (b) and (c) and substituting:
(b) The department shall annually identify any federal waivers it deems
necessary to alleviate any federal regulatory limitations it identifies pursuant to
subsection (a), and shall, no later than October 31 of each year, as applicable, submit
applications to the federal government for such waivers.
(c) On or before December 31 of each year, the department shall submit a report
to the chair of the health and welfare committee of the senate, the chair of the committee
of the house of representatives with subject matter jurisdiction over health, and the
legislative librarian that details its findings pursuant to subsection (a), describes any
waiver applications it has submitted pursuant to subsection (b) and the status of such
applications, and includes recommendations to the general assembly for any statutory
changes the department deems necessary to facilitate efficient processing and approval
of applications and delivery of benefits for the food assistance program.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.