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HB1890 • 2026

General Assembly

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3; Title 4 and Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5, relative to legislative access to records.

Education Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Hemmer, Gardenhire
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Taken off notice for cal. in State & Local Government Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide information regarding the consequences if an agency fails to comply with the new rules.

Tennessee Law on Legislative Access to Records

This bill allows members of Tennessee's General Assembly to request records from state agencies to check if laws are being followed and whether changes are needed.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires state governmental entities to disclose records and information to a member of the general assembly when requested, as long as certain procedures are followed.
  • Allows a lawmaker to submit a written request for specific documents relevant to an inquiry about law compliance or needed changes.
  • Needs lawmakers to sign a form before reviewing records, outlining confidentiality laws and penalties for unauthorized release.
  • Keeps all reviewed documents in the governmental entity's possession.
  • Requires agencies to discuss circumstances related to additional record requests after initial review.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Members of Tennessee’s General Assembly
  • State governmental entities and their records custodians

Terms To Know

General Assembly
The state legislature of Tennessee, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Records Custodian
A person in charge of managing and protecting official documents for a government entity.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if an agency does not follow the new rules.
  • The bill's full impact on how lawmakers access records is unclear until it becomes law.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to SB2034

Plain English: This amendment allows members of the Tennessee General Assembly to request certain educational records from the Department of Education for legislative purposes, while excluding specific types of sensitive information.

  • Members of the Tennessee General Assembly can now ask the Department of Education for records and information to check if state laws are being followed or need changes.
  • The amendment lists several categories of records that cannot be disclosed, such as individual student education records, employee background checks, school security plans, TSSAA student records, teacher evaluation data, TVAAS data, and confidential federal information.
  • The exact procedures for requesting and reviewing the records are not detailed in this amendment text.
  • It is unclear how conflicts between this amendment and other laws will be resolved.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in State & Local Government Committee

  2. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee

  7. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  8. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  9. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026

  10. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  13. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  14. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 3/11/2026

  20. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  22. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 2/25/2026

  23. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  26. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  28. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  30. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires
a state governmental entity
to
disclose records and information to a member of the general assembly to enable the member to determine whether the laws of this state are being complied with
,
and to determine whether the laws of this state need to be changed
, as long as
the procedures set out in this
bill
and any other procedures required by law are followed.

If a member of the general assembly receives a written inquiry regarding whether the laws of this state are being complied with
,
or whether the laws of this state need to be changed, then
this bill authorizes
the member
to
submit a written request to the state governmental entity that has records relevant to the inquiry, requesting review of the records and information. The written request must include any information that will assist the records custodian in locating the
records and information.

This bill requires the
member
to
sign a form, before reviewing the records and information, that outlines applicable state and federal laws regarding confidentiality and the penalties for the unauthorized release of the records and information. All records and information being reviewed
by a member must remain in the governmental entity's possession.

After reviewing the records and information, if the member requests access to additional records and information, then
this bill requires
the governmental entity
to
discuss with the member the circumstances related to the records and information being disclosed.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2034
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 1890
By Hemmer
HB1890
011498
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3;
Title 4 and Title 10, Chapter 7, Part 5, relative to
legislative access to records.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, a state governmental entity shall
disclose records and information to a member of the general assembly to enable the
member to determine whether the laws of this state are being complied with and to
determine whether the laws of this state need to be changed; provided, that the
procedures set out in this section and any other procedures required by law are
followed.
(b) If a member of the general assembly receives a written inquiry regarding
whether the laws of this state are being complied with or whether the laws of this state
need to be changed, then the member of the general assembly may submit a written
request to the state governmental entity that has records relevant to the inquiry,
requesting review of the records and information. The written request must include any
information that will assist the records custodian in locating the records and information.
(c) The member shall sign a form, before reviewing the records and information,
that outlines applicable state and federal laws regarding confidentiality and the penalties
for the unauthorized release of the records and information. All records and information
being reviewed by a member must remain in the governmental entity's possession.

- 2 - 011498

(d) After reviewing the records and information, if the member requests access
to additional records and information, then the governmental entity shall discuss with the
member the circumstances related to the records and information being disclosed.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.