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

HB1659 • 2026

Public Records

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and Title 10, Chapter 7, relative to public records.

Elections Labor
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Moon, Haile
Last action
2026-05-04
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 829
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Public Records

Present law requires candidates for elections to qualify by filing nominating petitions.

What This Bill Does

  • Present law requires candidates for elections to qualify by filing nominating petitions.
  • Such petitions must include the candidate's address.
  • This bill clarifies that the address on a nominating petition for the office of judge, chancellor, district at torney general, and public defender are confidential and not open to public inspection.
  • EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION MATERIALS Present law provides that certain records or information of a state, county, municipal, or other public employee or former employee, or applicant to such position, in the possession of a governmental entity or any person in its capacity as an employer mu st be treated as confidential and not open to public inspection.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1659

Plain English: House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.

  • House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1659 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1720 House Bill No.
  • 1659* HA1100 017037 - 1 - by deleting Section 1 and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1720

Plain English: Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB1720 Briggs Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1720 House Bill No.
  • 1659* SA0746 014365 - 1 - by deleting Section 2 and renumbering the remaining section accordingly.
Amendment 2-0 to SB1720

Plain English: Amendment No.

  • Amendment No.
  • 2 to SB1720 Haile Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1720 House Bill No.
  • 1659* SA0940 016923 - 1 - by deleting Section 1 and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 829

  2. 2026-05-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/27/2026

  3. 2026-05-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 829

  4. 2026-04-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 0

  12. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA1100)

  13. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  14. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  18. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  19. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  21. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0940)

  22. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0746)

  23. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  24. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/6/2026

  25. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026

  26. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026

  27. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  28. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/2/2026

  29. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  30. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  31. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026

  32. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  33. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  34. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  35. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/17/2026

  36. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  37. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  39. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  40. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  41. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  43. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires candidates for elections to qualify by filing nominating petitions. Such petitions must include the candidate's address. This bill clarifies that the address on a nominating petition for the office of judge, chancellor, district at
torney general, and public defender are confidential and not open to public inspection.

EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION MATERIALS

Present law provides that certain records or information of a state, county, municipal, or other public employee or former employee, or applicant to such position, in the possession of a governmental entity or any person in its capacity as an employer mu
st be treated as confidential and not open to public inspection.

However, present law requires all records, employment applications, credentials, and similar documents obtained by any person in conjunction with an employment search for a director of schools or any chief public administrative officer, during business h
ours, to be open for personal inspection by any citizen of this state, and those in charge of such records must not refuse such right of inspection to any citizen, unless otherwise provided by state law. For the purposes of this provision, a "person" inc
lu
des a natural person, or a corporation, firm, company, association, or other business entity.

This bill provides that, except as provided in the prior paragraph, the application materials submitted by an individual when seeking employment with a governmental entity must be treated as confidential and not open to public inspection.

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1720, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 eliminates the requirement that the application materials submitted by an individual when seeking employment with a governmental entity be kept confidential and not open to public inspect.

AMENDMENT #2 clarifies that the addresses on a nominating petition may be made open to public inspection upon the request of a candidate or law enforcement authority in anticipation of, or as part of, a contest of candidacy or contest of election. The r
eason for the request must be certified by the person making the request under penalty of perjury.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1720
By Haile

HOUSE BILL 1659
By Moon
HB1659
011286
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and
Title 10, Chapter 7, relative to public records.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-5-102, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(c) Notwithstanding § 10-7-503, the addresses on a nominating petition for the
office of judge, chancellor, district attorney general, and public defender are confidential
and are not open to public inspection.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 10-7-504(f)(1), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) Except as provided in § 10-7-503(f), the application materials submitted by
an individual when seeking employment with the governmental entity.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.