HB2018 • 2026

Immigration

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 7; Title 38 and Title 41, relative to enforcement of immigration laws.

Active

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

Sponsor: Cochran, Taylor
Last action: 2026-04-17
Official status: Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
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.

Immigration

Present law authorizes a law enforcement agency to negotiate the terms of an agreement between the law enforcement agency and the appropriate federal official under the 287(g) program, concerning the enforcement of federal immigration laws, without appro val from the governing body of the local government that the agency serves.

What This Bill Does

Present law authorizes a law enforcement agency to negotiate the terms of an agreement between the law enforcement agency and the appropriate federal official under the 287(g) program, concerning the enforcement of federal immigration laws, without appro val from the governing body of the local government that the agency serves.
Any memorandum of agreement negotiated pursuant to the 287(g) program must meet all of the following criteria:  Be entered into in accordance with federal law.
 Require that each officer employed by the law enforcement agency be trained in accordance with the memorandum of agreement concerning the officer's role in enforcing federal immigration laws, in accordance with the 287(g) program.
 Allow for the enforcement of federal immigration laws to the full extent permitted under federal law.

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.

SA0618

Amendment 1-0 to SB1486

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
1 to SB1486 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
1486* House Bill No.
2018 SA0618 013636 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

SA0964

Amendment 2-0 to SB1486

Plain English: Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.

Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.
2 to SB1486 Watson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
1486* House Bill No.
2018 SA0964 016827 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

2026-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. concurred in S. am. no. 2 Ayes 76, Nays 18 PNV 0 HB2018
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Message Calendar for 4/16/2026
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 5
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0618)
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0964)
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 72, Nays 23, PNV 1
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 1 PNV 0
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/1/2026
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/1/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/31/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/9/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee to 3/10/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/10/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/17/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-12-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes a law enforcement agency to negotiate the terms of an agreement between the law enforcement agency and the appropriate federal official under the 287(g) program, concerning the enforcement of federal immigration laws, without appro
val from the governing body of the local government that the agency serves. Any memorandum of agreement negotiated pursuant to the 287(g) program must meet all of the following criteria:



Be entered into in accordance with federal law.


Require that each officer employed by the law enforcement agency be trained in accordance with the memorandum of agreement concerning the officer's role in enforcing federal immigration laws, in accordance with the 287(g) program.


Allow for the enforcement of federal immigration laws to the full extent permitted under federal law.

This bill requires, on or after July 1, 2026, the law enforcement agency to accept and honor any immigration detainer received from federal immigration authorities. As used in this provision, "accept and honor" means to comply with the requested conditi
ons in the immigration detainer and includes maintaining custody of the subject of an immigration detainer for 48 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, beyond the time when the subject would have otherwise been released from the law enforceme
nt
agency's custody to allow federal immigration authorities to take custody of the subject and notifying federal immigration authorities as soon as possible prior to releasing the subject of the immigration detainer.

ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1486, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 l
imits this bill's requirements for accepting and honoring immigration detainers to

sherif
f
s
'
department
s
currently operating pursuant to
mem
orandum of agreement under an available federal 287(g) program
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1486
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 2018
By Cochran
HB2018
009839
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 7; Title 38 and Title 41, relative to
enforcement of immigration laws.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-68-105(b), is amended by deleting
the word "and" at the end of subdivision (2), deleting the period at the end of subdivision (3) and
substituting instead the language "; and", and adding the following new subdivision:
(4) On or after July 1, 2026, require the law enforcement agency to accept and
honor any immigration detainer received from federal immigration authorities. As used
in this subdivision (b)(4), "accept and honor" means to comply with the requested
conditions in the immigration detainer and includes maintaining custody of the subject of
an immigration detainer for forty-eight (48) hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and
holidays, beyond the time when the subject would have otherwise been released from
the law enforcement agency's custody to allow federal immigration authorities to take
custody of the subject and notifying federal immigration authorities as soon as possible
prior to releasing the subject of the immigration detainer.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.