General Assembly

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 1 and Title 4, relative to the general assembly.

Children Crime

Active

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

Sponsor: Miller, Hatcher
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text and summary do not specify who pays for any associated costs of lying in state.

Act for Honoring Deceased Legislators

This bill allows the speakers of the Tennessee Senate and House to permit deceased members or former members of the general assembly to lie in state at the state capitol upon request by an immediate family member, with a one-day limit.

What This Bill Does

Allows the speakers of the Tennessee Senate and House to let a deceased legislator lie in state at the state capitol if requested by their immediate family.
Limits the time for lying in state to no more than one day that the capitol is open to the public.
Defines 'immediate family' as including spouses, parents, siblings, or children of the deceased member.

Who It Names or Affects

Deceased members and former members of the Tennessee General Assembly
Immediate family members of deceased legislators
Speakers of the Senate and House

Terms To Know

immediate family member: A spouse, parent, sibling, or child.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if there is no immediate family to make the request.
It remains unclear how often this provision might be used in practice.
There are no details on who pays for any associated costs of lying in state.

Amendments

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

HA1141

Amendment 1-0 to HB1532

Plain English: The amendment changes the conditions under which a deceased member or former member of the Tennessee General Assembly can lie in state at the state capitol.

A deceased member or former member cannot lie in state if they were convicted of a felony, unless they received a pardon for that felony.
A deceased former member also cannot lie in state if they were expelled from office and not reelected.

The amendment does not specify what happens if the conditions are met but the person is still allowed to lie in state under other circumstances.

HA1142

Amendment 2-0 to HB1532

Plain English: The amendment allows for members of the Tennessee General Assembly who have passed away to lie in state at the state capitol under certain conditions.

Adds a new section allowing immediate family members or the governor and speakers to request that a deceased member or former member of the general assembly can lie in state at the state capitol for up to one day.
Specifies that lying in state is not allowed if the person was convicted of a felony without pardon, or expelled from office and not reelected.

The amendment does not specify what happens if there are no immediate family members available to request the lying in state ceremony.

SA0626

Amendment 1-0 to SB2530

Plain English: The amendment allows for members of the Tennessee General Assembly to lie in state at the state capitol building upon request by an immediate family member or initiative by the speakers if there is no immediate family member.

Adds a new section allowing deceased members or former members of the general assembly to lie in state at the state capitol building for up to one full day that the building is open, based on a request from an immediate family member.
Defines 'immediate family member' as including spouse, parent, sibling, or child.

The amendment does not specify what happens if there are multiple immediate family members with conflicting requests.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to the Next Calendar
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 28, Nays 1
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0626)
2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/23/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/10/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires the governor and speakers of the senate and house of representatives to grant a deceased member or former member of the general assembly the ability to lie in state at the state capitol building if it is requested by an immediate famil
y member. A deceased member or former member of the general assembly would be allowed to lie at the state capitol for no longer than one day that the state capitol building is open to the public.

Under this bill, "immediate family" means a spouse, parent, sibling, or child. If the deceased member or former member does not have an immediate family member, then the governor and speakers may authorize the deceased member or former member to lie in
state upon their own initiative.

ON MARCH 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2530, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, authorize, rather than require, the speakers of the senate and the house of representatives, and not the governor, to allow a decreased member or former member of the general assembly to lie in state at the sta
te capitol building upon the request of an immediate family member for a specified period of time. If the deceased member or former member does not have an immediate family member, then the speakers may authorize the deceased member or former member to l
ie
in state upon the speakers' initiative.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2530
By Hatcher

HOUSE BILL 1532
By Miller
HB1532
010653
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3,
Chapter 1 and Title 4, relative to the general
assembly.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Upon the request of an immediate family member of a deceased member or
former member of the general assembly, the governor and the speakers of the senate
and house of representatives shall allow the deceased member or former member to lie
in state at the state capitol building for a specified period of time not to exceed the entire
period of time during one (1) day that the state capitol building is open to the public. If
the deceased member or former member does not have an immediate family member,
the governor and the speakers may authorize the deceased member or former member
to lie in state in accordance with this subsection (a) upon their own initiative.
(b) As used in this section, "immediate family member" means a spouse, parent,
sibling, or child.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.