KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

HB1263 • 2026

Children's Services, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36; Title 37 and Title 68, relative to children.

Children
Active

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

Sponsor
Slater, Stevens
Last action
2026-04-09
Official status
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the department will ensure form updates or if this change will help everyone who needs these forms.

Making Adoption Forms Available Online

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Children's Services to post adoption-related forms on its official website.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes an existing law by adding a new part that says the department must make adoption forms available online.
  • Requires the department to post these forms on their official website for easy access.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved in the adoption process who need to fill out and submit forms.
  • The Tennessee Department of Children's Services which must put these forms online.

Terms To Know

Department
Refers to the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, a government agency that handles issues related to children.
Forms
Paperwork or documents needed for legal processes like adoption.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the department will ensure all forms are up-to-date.
  • It is unclear if this change will help everyone who needs these forms, especially those without internet access.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1263

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that allows birth parents to voluntarily give up their parental rights without appearing in court, under specific conditions.

  • Adds a new section (36-1-150) allowing for out-of-court surrender of parental rights when the child is six months old or younger and not in state custody.
  • Requires that the birth parent be over 18 years old and represented by an attorney, with certain exceptions for those with intellectual disabilities or lacking mental capacity.
  • Establishes a process where a notice and petition must be filed with the court before an out-of-court surrender can take place.
  • The amendment text is truncated at the end, so some details about the full process are missing.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1263

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that allows parents to voluntarily give up their parental rights without appearing in court, under certain conditions.

  • Adds a new section (36-1-150) allowing birth parents to surrender their parental rights out of court if the child is six months old or younger and not in state custody.
  • Specifies that this process can be done through another state's laws if the adoptive parent lives there, with some exceptions for incarcerated individuals.
  • Requires a notice signed by the birth parent, attorney, accepting party, and their attorney to initiate the out-of-court surrender process.
  • The amendment text is complex and includes many legal details that are not fully explained here.
  • Some parts of the amendment refer to other sections of Tennessee law which are not included in this summary.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  3. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  4. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  6. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-ref. Judiciary Committee

  7. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  9. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  10. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  15. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/17/2026

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/17/2026

  21. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Def. to Special Calendar to be Published with Final Calendar in Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  23. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 2/3/2026

  24. 2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  25. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 1/27/2026

  26. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  27. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/25/2025

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  30. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/25/2025

  31. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  32. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  33. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  34. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  41. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1238
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 1263
By Slater

HB1263
003234
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36;
Title 37 and Title 68, relative to children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-141(b), is amended by
redesignating the current language as subdivision (b)(1) and adding the following new
subdivision:
(2) The department must make the forms available on the department's website.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.