Traffic Safety

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 8, relative to electric bicycles.

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Reeves, Johnson
Last action: 2026-04-06
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 651
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about enforcement mechanisms.

Electric Bicycle Regulations in Tennessee

This legislation changes how local governments and state agencies can regulate class 1 and class 2 electric bicycles on streets, highways, paths, and trails.

What This Bill Does

Allows local governments to make rules about where class 1 and class 2 electric bicycles can be ridden.
Gives state agencies the power to set rules for class 1 and class 2 electric bicycles on parts of roads they control.

Who It Names or Affects

Local governments in Tennessee
State agencies responsible for roadways and paths
People who ride electric bicycles

Terms To Know

Class 1 Electric Bicycle: An electric bicycle that has a motor to help pedal power but does not have throttle control.
Class 2 Electric Bicycle: An electric bicycle with a motor that can be used without pedaling, like a throttle.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how local governments or state agencies will enforce these rules.
It is unclear what happens if a path or trail is near but not directly connected to a street or highway.

Amendments

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

HA0645

Amendment 1-0 to HB1712

Plain English: The amendment changes where certain types of electric bicycles can be ridden and raises the age limit for riding without adult supervision.

Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles are allowed to ride on streets, highways, bike lanes, shoulders, and trails where regular bikes are permitted.
Local governments and state agencies have the power to make rules or ban these types of electric bicycles in certain areas if they think it's necessary for safety reasons.
Class 3 electric bicycles can only be ridden on roads with special permission from local authorities or state agencies.

The amendment does not specify how the age limit increase will affect current laws regarding riding without adult supervision.

HA0646

Amendment 2-0 to HB1712

Plain English: The amendment changes where certain types of electric bicycles can be ridden.

It restricts Class 3 electric bicycles from being used on paths and trails unless the area is next to a street or highway, or local government rules allow it.

The amendment does not specify what happens if there are no local government rules about riding Class 3 electric bicycles on certain paths and trails.
It's unclear how this change will affect existing bicycle lanes and paths in Tennessee.

SA0525

Amendment 1-0 to SB1782

Plain English: The amendment changes where certain types of electric bicycles can be ridden and raises the age limit for riding without adult supervision.

Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles are allowed to ride on streets, highways, bike lanes, shoulders, and trails where regular bikes are permitted.
Local governments and state agencies have the power to regulate or ban Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles in certain areas if they believe it is necessary for public safety.
Class 3 electric bicycles can only be ridden on streets, highways, bike lanes, shoulders, and trails where regular bikes are allowed, unless a local government or state agency specifically allows them.

The amendment does not specify the exact criteria that local governments and state agencies must use to determine if regulations or prohibitions are necessary for public safety.
It is unclear how this change will affect existing rules about where electric bicycles can be ridden in Tennessee.

SA0556

Amendment 2-0 to SB1782

Plain English: The amendment changes where high-speed electric bicycles can be ridden.

High-speed electric bicycles (class 3) cannot be operated on paths or trails unless they are next to a street, highway, or state highway, or if local government rules allow it.

The exact details of how local governments will implement these rules are not specified in the amendment text.

Bill History

2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 651
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 04/01/2026, 07/01/2026
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 651
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 72, Nays 21, PNV 1
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - HA0646)
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0645)
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0556)
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0525)
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/5/2026
2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate Reset on calendar for 3/5/2026
2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/2/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 1 PNV 0
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Transportation Subcommittee to Next Available Calendar
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Transportation Subcommittee to 2/17/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/10/2026
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 5, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1782, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, authorize a local government to regulate or prohibit the operation of a class 1 or class 2 electric bicycle on any part of a street or highway where bicycles are authorized to travel within its jurisdiction. F
urther, this amendment authorizes a state agency having jurisdiction over any part of a street or highway where bicycles are authorized to travel to regulate or prohibit the operation of a class 1 or class 2 electric bicycle on that part of the street or
hi
ghway.

Present law prohibits a person under 14 from operating such a bicycle on any street or highway. Effective July 1, 2026, this amendment prohibits a person under 16 from operating a class 3 electric bicycle on any street or highway.

AMENDMENT #2 clarifies that a class 3 electric bicycle is prohibited from operating on any part of a path or trail where bicycles are authorized to travel unless (i) the bicycle lane, shoulder or berm, or path or trail is within or adjacent to the street
, highway, or state highway; or (ii) the governing body of the local government in which that bicycle lane, shoulder or berm, or path or trail is located or a state agency with jurisdiction permits its operation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1782
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 1712
By Reeves
HB1712
011398
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55,
Chapter 8, relative to electric bicycles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-306, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(c) A local government adopting a prohibition of class 1 or class 2 electric
bicycles on a bicycle path or trail in a public park or greenway owned or operated by the
local government may submit a copy of the resolution or ordinance to the department of
safety. Upon notice of a prohibition, the department may compile and publish to its
website a list of public parks and greenways where operation of a class 1 or class 2
electric bicycle is prohibited by a county or municipality pursuant to subsection (a).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.