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HB1666 • 2026

Human Rights

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50; Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 24 and Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 51, relative to the use of honorifics.

Education Labor Parental Rights
Active

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

Sponsor
Maberry, Rose
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for violations.

Amending Tennessee Laws on Honorific Use

This bill updates Tennessee laws to include 'honorifics' in rules about not forcing students, teachers, state employees, or contractors to use someone's preferred name, pronoun, or honorific.

What This Bill Does

  • Updates several sections of Tennessee law to include 'honorifics' in rules about names, pronouns, and titles.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students
  • Teachers
  • State employees
  • Contractors working with the state

Terms To Know

honorifics
Titles or words used to show respect, like 'Mr.', 'Mrs.', 'Dr.'.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the changes will be enforced.
  • It is unclear what specific consequences there might be for violating these rules.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1666

Plain English: This amendment changes Tennessee laws to include 'honorifics' along with names and pronouns in various sections related to education and state employment.

  • Adds the term 'honorifics' alongside 'names' and 'pronouns' in multiple sections of the law.
  • Updates rules regarding preferred honorifics for students, teachers, employees, and contractors if these do not match their sex.
  • Specifies that a person must obtain written consent from a student's parent or guardian before using an honorific inconsistent with the student's sex.
  • The full extent of how this amendment will be applied in practice is unclear without additional context.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/8/2026

  3. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Education Committee

  5. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  7. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  8. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  9. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026

  10. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026

  12. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  13. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 26, Nays 6

  15. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

  16. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  17. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026

  18. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  19. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/4/2026

  20. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026

  21. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/4/2026

  22. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/18/2026

  23. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  26. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  28. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee - Education Committee

  29. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  30. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  31. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  32. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  33. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1665
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 1666
By Maberry
HB1666
010345
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 50; Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 24 and Title
49, Chapter 6, Part 51, relative to the use of
honorifics.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(a)(3), is amended by
deleting the language "names and pronouns" and substituting instead "names, pronouns, and
honorifics".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102, is amended by deleting
the language "pronoun" wherever it appears in subsections (b) and (c) and substituting instead
"pronoun or honorific".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(d), is amended by
deleting the language "pronouns" wherever it appears and substituting instead "pronouns or
honorifics" and by deleting the language "pronoun or title" and substituting instead "pronoun,
title, or honorific".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(e), is amended by
deleting the language "preferred name or preferred pronoun" wherever it appears in subdivision
(1) and substituting instead "preferred name, pronoun, or honorific" and by deleting the
language "pronouns" wherever it appears in subdivision (2) and substituting instead "pronouns
or honorifics".
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409(a)(3), is amended by
deleting the language "names or pronouns" and substituting instead "names, pronouns, and
honorifics".

- 2 - 010345

SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409, is amended by deleting
the language "pronoun" wherever it appears in subsections (b) and (c) and substituting instead
"pronoun or honorific" and by deleting the language "pronouns" in subsection (d) and
substituting instead "pronouns or honorifics".
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-121(a)(3), is amended by
deleting the language "names and pronouns" and substituting instead "names, pronouns, and
honorifics".
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-121, is amended by deleting the
language "pronoun" wherever it appears in subsections (b) and (c) and substituting instead
"pronoun or honorific" and by deleting "pronouns" wherever it appears in subsection (d) and
substituting instead "pronouns or honorifics".
SECTION 9. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.