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HB1398 • 2026

State Employees

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50, relative to bereavement leave.

Children Labor
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Pearson, Akbari
Last action
2026-02-11
Official status
Failed in s/c Public Service Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify that the bill affects children or stepchildren of state government employees directly, only that it provides leave for their death to state employees.

Bereavement Leave for State Employees

This bill changes Tennessee law to provide state employees with three months of paid leave if their child or stepchild dies.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the amount of paid leave from three days to three months if an employee's child or stepchild passes away.
  • Does not change the existing three-day leave for other family members like parents, siblings, and grandparents.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State government employees

Terms To Know

Bereavement leave
Paid time off given to an employee when a family member dies.
State government agencies, boards, and departments
The different parts of the state's government where people work.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It is not clear how much this will cost the state because it depends on many factors.
  • This bill did not pass in its current session.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in s/c Public Service Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee

  2. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  3. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 2/11/2026

  4. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/4/2026

  5. 2026-01-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  6. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 1/28/2026

  7. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026

  8. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  9. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  10. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  11. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  12. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  13. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  14. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  15. 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 1358
By Akbari

HOUSE BILL 1398
By Pearson

HB1398
003063
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 50, relative to bereavement leave.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-113(a), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting instead:
(a) The officers and employees of the various agencies, boards, and
departments of state government are granted, without charge to the affected officers' or
employees' accumulated leave accounts:
(1) Three (3) days paid leave in the event of the death of such officers' or
employees' spouse, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, stepparents,
foster parents, or parents-in-law; and
(2) Three (3) months paid leave in the event of the death of such officers'
or employees' children or stepchildren.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.