KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

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

Back to Tennessee

HB1985 • 2026

Professions and Occupations

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 32, relative to alarm systems contractors.

Labor Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Grills, Stevens
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.

Professions and Occupations

Present law prohibits a person from selling and installing, servicing, monitoring, or responding to alarm signals, signal devices, fire alarms, burglar alarms, television, or still cameras used to detect fire, burglary, breaking or entering, intrusion, shoplifting, p ilferage or theft in violation of the Alarm Contractors Licensing Act of 1991.

What This Bill Does

  • Present law prohibits a person from selling and installing, servicing, monitoring, or responding to alarm signals, signal devices, fire alarms, burglar alarms, television, or still cameras used to detect fire, burglary, breaking or entering, intrusion, shoplifting, p ilferage or theft in violation of the Alarm Contractors Licensing Act of 1991.
  • This bill eliminates the prohibition on the sale, installation, service, monitoring, or responding to television or still cameras.
  • ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1985, AS AMENDED.
  • AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, add that a managed services provider that (i) provides direct sales, installation, or maintenance service for an IP camera connected to the managed services provider's network; (ii) derives less than 25% of the managed servi ces provider's gross annual revenue from those services; and provides proof of employee vetting satisfactory to the commissioner is specifically excluded from the requirements of the Alarm Contractors Licensing Act.

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 HB1985

Plain English: House Commerce 1 Amendment No.

  • House Commerce 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB1985 Vaughan Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2291 House Bill No.
  • 1985* HA0960 015754 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2291

Plain English: Senate Commerce and Labor 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Commerce and Labor 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB2291 Bailey Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2291 House Bill No.
  • 1985* SA1002 015754 - 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. 998

  3. 2026-05-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 998

  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. 2026-04-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  10. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA1002)

  11. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  13. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2026

  14. 2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/21/2026

  15. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  16. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  18. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  20. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0960)

  21. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  22. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  23. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  24. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 4/1/2026

  27. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Commerce Committee to 4/1/2026

  28. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  39. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee

  41. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee

  42. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  44. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  45. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law
prohibits a person from selling and installing, servicing, monitoring, or responding to alarm signals, signal devices, fire alarms, burglar alarms, television, or still cameras used to detect fire, burglary, breaking or entering, intrusion, shoplifting, p
ilferage or theft in violation of the Alarm Contractors Licensing Act of 1991. This bill eliminates the prohibition on the sale, installation, service, monitoring, or responding to television or still cameras.

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1985, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1
rewrites the bill to, instead, add that a managed services provider that (i) provides direct sales, installation, or maintenance service for an IP camera connected to the managed services provider's network; (ii) derives less than 25% of the managed servi
ces provider's gross annual revenue from those services; and provides proof of employee vetting satisfactory to the commissioner is specifically excluded from the requirements of the Alarm Contractors Licensing Act. That Act provides uniform
procedures and qualifications throughout this state for the certifying, licensing and regulation of alarm systems contractors and to protects the safety and security of persons and property by assuring the competence of individuals or companies offering a
larm systems and services to the general public. However, such exemption does not apply to a managed services provider that offers monitoring services. A "managed services provider" is defined as a business entity that manages and maintains a customer's
i
nformation technology systems. This amendment takes effect upon becoming a law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2291
By Stevens

HOUSE BILL 1985
By Grills
HB1985
011421
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62,
Chapter 32, relative to alarm systems contractors.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-32-304, is amended by deleting
subsection (j) and substituting:
(j) A person shall not sell and install, service, monitor, or respond to alarm
signals, signal devices, fire alarms, or burglar alarms used to detect fire, burglary,
breaking or entering, intrusion, shoplifting, pilferage, or theft in violation of this part or the
rules adopted under this part.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.