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HB1792 • 2026

Taxes, Exemption and Credits

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, Chapter 6, relative to food and food ingredients.

Children Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Fritts, Hensley
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement or monitoring of the tax exemption, nor does it specify additional state laws affecting WIC-eligible food items after enactment.

Tennessee Food Tax Exemption Act

This bill removes state sales and use tax on food items that are part of the WIC program.

What This Bill Does

  • Exempts from Tennessee's sales and use taxes the retail sale of food and food ingredients eligible for vouchers under the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
  • Adds a new section to Title 67, Chapter 6 of the Tennessee Code Annotated.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who receive WIC vouchers and use them to buy food at stores.
  • Retailers selling food items eligible for WIC vouchers.

Terms To Know

WIC
Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children, a federal program that provides nutrition assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the tax exemption will be enforced or monitored.
  • It is unclear if there are any additional state laws that might affect WIC-eligible food items after this act takes effect.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee w/ negative recommendation

  3. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  5. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate FW&M Revenue Subcommittee calendar for 2/24/2026

  6. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  7. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate FW&M Revenue Subcommittee

  8. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  9. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  10. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  11. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  12. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  13. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  14. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 1837
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 1792
By Fritts
HB1792
009223
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67,
Chapter 6, relative to food and food ingredients.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
67-6-359.
There is exempt from the state tax imposed by this chapter the retail sale of food
and food ingredients that are voucher-eligible under the Special Supplemental Food
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (42 U.S.C. § 1786), and any subsequent
federal legislation. Unless exempted pursuant to § 67-6-702(a)(1)(B) and
notwithstanding § 67-6-702(a) to the contrary, such food and food ingredients remain
taxable under part 7 of this chapter.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.