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HB1970 • 2026

Real Property

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8; Title 23; Title 39; Title 45; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 56; Title 62 and Title 66, relative to real property.

Active

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

Sponsor
Farmer, Taylor
Last action
2026-05-26
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/19/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Real Property

Present law requires a foreign title insurance company desiring to transact a title insurance business in this state to first file with the commissioner a written power of attorney appointing and authorizing the commissioner as its agent for the purpose o f acknowledging or receiving service of process and upon whom process may be served, in all proceedings that may be instituted against the company in any court of this state, or in any court of the United States in this state, which power of attorney cont in ues in force so long as any liability remains outstanding against the insurer in this state.

What This Bill Does

  • Present law requires a foreign title insurance company desiring to transact a title insurance business in this state to first file with the commissioner a written power of attorney appointing and authorizing the commissioner as its agent for the purpose o f acknowledging or receiving service of process and upon whom process may be served, in all proceedings that may be instituted against the company in any court of this state, or in any court of the United States in this state, which power of attorney cont in ues in force so long as any liability remains outstanding against the insurer in this state.
  • This bill removes the requirements described above and only requires such foreign title insurance company to maintain an office within this state so long as any liability remains outstanding against the insurer in this state.
  • PREMIUM FOR TITLE INSURANCE This bill requires the premium for title insurance to be paid equally by the buyer and the seller of the real property for which title insurance is being issued.
  • CONTRACT FOR CONVEYANCE OF REAL PROPERTY FOR NON-RESIDENTS This bill requires a contract for conveyance of real property to a purchaser who is not a resident of this state to include the designation of an agent for the purchaser within the state for the purpose of acknowledging or receiving service of process an d upon whom process may be served, in all proceedings that may be instituted against the purchaser in any court of this state, or in any court of the United States in this state.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1970

Plain English: House Commerce 1 Amendment No.

  • House Commerce 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1970 Vaughan Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1985* House Bill No.
  • 1970 HA0853 016537 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1985

Plain English: Senate Commerce and Labor 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Commerce and Labor 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB1985 Bailey Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 1985* House Bill No.
  • 1970 SA1016 016537 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/19/2026

  2. 2026-05-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 996

  3. 2026-05-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 996

  4. 2026-05-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-05-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  10. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA1016)

  11. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  14. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026

  16. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026

  17. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  18. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  19. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 4/7/2026

  21. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  22. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 1, PNV 0

  23. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0853)

  24. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  25. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  26. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/25/2026

  28. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee

  29. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  30. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  31. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/17/2026

  32. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  33. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee to 3/11/2026

  34. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  35. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/10/2026

  36. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  37. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  38. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  39. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee

  40. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee

  41. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  43. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires a foreign title insurance company desiring to transact a title insurance business in this state to first file with the commissioner a written power of attorney appointing and authorizing the commissioner as its agent for the purpose o
f acknowledging or receiving service of process and upon whom process may be served, in all proceedings that may be instituted against the company in any court of this state, or in any court of the United States in this state, which power of attorney cont
in
ues in force so long as any liability remains outstanding against the insurer in this state.

This bill removes the requirements described above and only requires such foreign title insurance company to maintain an office within this state so long as any liability remains outstanding against the insurer in this state.

PREMIUM FOR TITLE INSURANCE

This bill requires the premium for title insurance to be paid equally by the buyer and the seller of the real property for which title insurance is being issued.

CONTRACT FOR CONVEYANCE OF REAL PROPERTY FOR NON-RESIDENTS

This bill requires a contract for conveyance of real property to a purchaser who is not a resident of this state to include the designation of an agent for the purchaser within the state for the purpose of acknowledging or receiving service of process an
d upon whom process may be served, in all proceedings that may be instituted against the purchaser in any court of this state, or in any court of the United States in this state.

This bill prohibits the register of deeds from recording a deed for conveyance of real property unless the deed has been prepared by an attorney licensed in this state. The attorney must include the attorney's board of professional responsibility number
on the deed. A deed recorded on or after July 1, 2026, that was not prepared by an attorney may be declared void.

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1970, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require a description of real property contained within a deed of conveyance of a property not previously described in a recorded instrument to be prepared by a registered land surveyor, or by a licensed attorn
ey utilizing a survey prepared by a registered land surveyor. Present law requires such property to be prepared only by a registered land surveyor.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 1985
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 1970
By Farmer
HB1970
009375
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8;
Title 23; Title 39; Title 45; Title 47, Chapter 18;
Title 56; Title 62 and Title 66, relative to real
property.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Real Estate
Consumer Fraud Protection Act."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-35-109, is amended by deleting
the section and substituting:
Any foreign title insurance company desiring to transact a title insurance
business in this state must maintain an office within this state so long as any liability
remains outstanding against the insurer in this state.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 56, Chapter 35, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following new section:
The premium for title insurance must be paid equally by the buyer and the seller
of the real property for which title insurance is being issued.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 66, Chapter 4, is amended by adding
the following new part:
66-4-501.
A contract for conveyance of real property to a purchaser who is not a resident of
Tennessee must include the designation of an agent for the purchaser within the state
for the purpose of acknowledging or receiving service of process and upon whom
process may be served, in all proceedings that may be instituted against the purchaser
in any court of this state, or in any court of the United States in this state.

- 2 - 009375

SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 13, is amended by adding
the following new section:
8-13-120.
The register of deeds shall not record a deed for conveyance of real property
unless the deed has been prepared by an attorney licensed in this state. The attorney
shall include the attorney's board of professional responsibility number on the deed. A
deed recorded on or after July 1, 2026, that was not prepared by an attorney may be
declared void.
SECTION 6. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.