HB2077 • 2026

Human Rights

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 21, relative to the attorney general and reporter.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Faison, Rose
Last action: 2026-04-06
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 662
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material did not provide information on whether the bill specifies an effective date, but it takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Changes to Human Rights Investigations

This bill modifies how the Tennessee Attorney General handles human rights investigations and agreements.

What This Bill Does

Removes rules transferred from a former human rights commission to the attorney general's office.
Allows the attorney general to share documents with complainants, respondents, their lawyers, or law enforcement agencies if needed for anti-discrimination cases.
Changes how confidential information is treated during investigations by the attorney general.

Who It Names or Affects

The Tennessee Attorney General and their office
People who file human rights complaints in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Complainant: A person who files a complaint about discrimination or other unfair treatment.
Respondent: The person or organization being accused of discrimination or unfair treatment in a human rights case.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear how these changes will affect ongoing investigations.
This bill does not specify when it becomes effective, but it takes effect immediately after becoming law.

Bill History

2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 662
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 04/01/2026
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 662
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 70, Nays 18, PNV 0
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Reset on cal. for 3/19/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 5
2026-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/9/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Government Operations Committee to 3/9/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/2/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/3/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Government Operations Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/10/2026
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 - Government Operations for Review
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes the attorney general to conduct an investigation to ascertain whether a person is engaging in, has engaged in, or is about to engage in, an act or practice that is a human rights violation. Any documentary material or other inform
ation obtained by the attorney general pursuant to such an investigation must remain confidential and not be produced for inspection to a person other than an authorized representative of the attorney general for the purpose of prosecution. This bill aut
ho
rizes such documentary material obtained by the attorney general to be provided to the complainant, the respondent, or their attorneys, or to any state or federal law enforcement agency seeking to enforce anti-discrimination statutes.

Current law prohibits a conciliation agreement from being made public without the agreement of the complainant and the respondent in an action for alleged discriminatory practices and the determination by the attorney general that disclosure is not requi
red. This bill eliminates that prohibition.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2364
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 2077
By Faison
HB2077
012064
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 21, relative to the attorney general and
reporter.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-21-1201(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(5) All rules transferred from the commission to the attorney general pursuant to
§ 4-5-226(b)(2) are repealed.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-21-205(g), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
(g)
(1) Unless otherwise ordered by the court for good cause shown,
complaints filed with the attorney general and all documentary material or other
information obtained by the attorney general pursuant to an investigation under
this chapter must not be produced for inspection, copied by, or its contents
disclosed to, a person other than an authorized representative of the attorney
general for the purpose of investigation or prosecution without the consent of the
person who produced the material or information, except that documentary
material obtained by the attorney general pursuant to this section may be
provided to the complainant, the respondent, their attorneys, or any state or
federal law enforcement agency seeking to enforce anti-discrimination statutes.
(2) The attorney general may use copies of the documentary material or
information produced in accordance with this section as it determines necessary

- 2 - 012064

in the enforcement of this part, including the presentation of such material or
information before a court.
(3) All other documentary material, answers to written interrogatories,
and transcripts of oral testimony that are voluntarily provided to the attorney
general as part of an investigation under this section must be treated as if such
information was obtained pursuant to a request issued under this section if such
materials were obtained pursuant to an investigative demand or similar process
issued by another state or federal attorney general, obtained from a state or
federal attorney general pursuant to a statutory obligation to produce such
information, or provided by a person with information relevant to the subject
matter of the investigation.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-21-302(b)(3)(F), is amended by
deleting the language "commission" and substituting "attorney general".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-21-303(d), is amended by deleting:
The conciliation agreement must not be made public without the agreement of
the complainant and the respondent, and the determination by the attorney
general that disclosure is not required to further this chapter.
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.