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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB1781 • 2026

Adoption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 18; Title 36, Chapter 1; Title 37; Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 9; Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 7 and Section 49-6-1304, relative to adoption.

Active

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

Sponsor
Leatherwood, Rose
Last action
2026-01-22
Official status
P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details on other updates to Tennessee's laws about adoption, only the specific change regarding the time period before adoption records become public.

Changing Time for Adoption Records to Become Public

This bill changes how long adoption records stay private before they become open to anyone who wants to see them.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the time from 100 years to 90 years that must pass after an adoption is finalized for its records to be made public.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who were adopted and want to see their adoption records
  • Adoption agencies that keep these records

Terms To Know

adoption records
Information about a person's adoption, like when it happened or who was involved.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the shorter time period will affect current cases.
  • It is unclear if this change will lead to more people asking for access to older records.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  2. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  3. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  4. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  5. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  6. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1854
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 1781
By Leatherwood
HB1781
010766
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 18;
Title 36, Chapter 1; Title 37; Title 49, Chapter 4,
Part 9; Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 7 and Section 49-
6-1304, relative to adoption.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-149, is amended by deleting
"one hundred (100) years" wherever it appears and substituting "ninety (90) years".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.