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HB1546 • 2026

Driver Licenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 50, Part 4, relative to commercial driver license qualifications.

Healthcare
Active

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

Sponsor
McCalmon, Powers
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
Effective date(s) 03/18/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information about suspensions of licenses based on medical conditions other than diabetes requiring insulin.

Changes to Commercial Driver License Medical Requirements

This bill changes Tennessee's rules for commercial driver licenses by allowing people with diabetes requiring insulin and well-controlled through medication to drive commercial vehicles in any state and transport hazardous materials if they are certified as medically fit.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the rule that prevents drivers from being denied a commercial license or declared medically unfit because of diabetes requiring insulin, if their condition is well-controlled by medication.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who need commercial driver licenses in Tennessee
  • Medical examiners certified by the federal motor carrier safety administration

Terms To Know

Commercial Driver License (CDL)
A special license needed to drive large trucks or buses that carry goods or people for work.
Medical Examiner
A doctor who checks if someone is healthy enough to have a commercial driver's license.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only affects drivers in Tennessee.
  • It does not change rules for other medical conditions beyond diabetes requiring insulin.
  • Drivers must still meet federal safety standards and be certified by specific doctors.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1546

Plain English: The amendment removes part of Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-411, specifically subdivision (a)(2), which relates to commercial driver license qualifications.

  • Removes subdivision (a)(2) from Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-411.
  • The exact content and implications of the removed subdivision (a)(2) are not provided in the amendment text.
  • It is unclear what specific qualifications or requirements were contained within the deleted section.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1669

Plain English: The amendment removes part of Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-411, specifically subdivision (a)(2), which relates to commercial driver license qualifications.

  • Removes subdivision (a)(2) from Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-411.
  • The exact content and implications of the removed subdivision (a)(2) are not provided in the amendment text.
  • It is unclear what specific qualifications or requirements were contained within the deleted section.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/18/2026

  2. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 601

  3. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 601

  4. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  10. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0526)

  11. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  13. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026

  14. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  16. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  17. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0

  19. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0562)

  20. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/23/2026

  21. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/19/2026

  22. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 2/25/2026

  23. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Transportation and Safety Committee to 2/25/2026

  24. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 2/17/2026

  26. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 2/18/2026

  27. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/10/2026

  29. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  30. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  31. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  32. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  34. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law prohibits a person from being denied a commercial driver license, or being deemed medically unqualified to operate a motor vehicle, based on the failure to meet motor safety carrier regulations because of any of the following medical conditio
ns:



Distant visual acuity, if the person has only one eye but the distant visual acuity meets the requirements of federal law.



A medical history or diagnosis of diabetes mellitus currently requiring insulin, but whose medical history indicates that the insulin controls the diabetes to the extent that it is not likely to cause a loss of ability to control the motor vehicle.



Classification as an American Heart Association Class I or II heart patient.



Implantation of an automated implantable cardiac defibrillator due to a sudden death event or a prophylactic reason.

Present law generally requires persons who obtain a commercial driver license, despite having one of the medical conditions described above, to operate a commercial vehicle only in this state. It also prohibits such drivers from transporting hazardous m
aterials or from operating a common carrier motor vehicle for the transporting of passengers for hire. Persons who fail to meet these requirements may have their commercial driver license suspended. A license may be suspended permanently if a person is
fo
und to have committed a serious traffic violation or reportable accident due to one of the medical conditions described above.

This bill clarifies that persons who hold a commercial driver license and are certified as medically qualified to operate a commercial vehicle are not limited to operating a commercial motor vehicle only in this state. However, the certificate must be i
ssued by a medical examiner certified by the federal motor carrier safety administration and be listed on the national registry of certified medical examiners. Persons who are certified as medically qualified are not prohibited from transporting hazardou
s
materials or from operating a common motor carrier vehicle for the transporting of passengers for hire. Such persons are not subject to a suspension of their license if they have committed a serious traffic violation or reportable accident due to the medi
cal conditions described above.

ON FEBRUARY 23, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1546, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, delete present law that prohibits a
person from being denied a commercial driver license, or being deemed medically unqualified to operate a motor vehicle, based on the failure to meet motor safety carrier regulations because o
f a medical history or clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus currently requiring insulin,
but whose medical history indicates that the insulin controls the diabetes to the extent that the condition is not likely to cause any loss of abili
ty to control a motor vehicle
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 1669
By Powers

HOUSE BILL 1546
By McCalmon
HB1546
010863
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55,
Chapter 50, Part 4, relative to commercial driver
license qualifications.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-411, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection (e):
Subsections (b) and (c) shall not apply to a person who holds a commercial
driver license and is certified as medically qualified to operate a commercial motor
vehicle pursuant to 49 CFR 391.43 if that certificate is issued by a medical examiner
certified by the federal motor carrier safety administration and listed on the national
registry of certified medical examiners in accordance with 49 CFR Part 390, Subpart D.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.