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HB2150 • 2026

Livestock

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 44, Chapter 10, relative to livestock.

Agriculture
Active

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

Sponsor
Jones R, Reeves
Last action
2026-02-24
Official status
Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the impact of this amendment on existing regulations.

Livestock Dealer Licensing Act

This bill amends Tennessee's livestock dealer licensing requirements by removing the need for alternative livestock to be hoofed animals.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement that alternative livestock must be hoofed animals.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Livestock dealers who sell non-traditional animals used in agriculture or recreation.
  • The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, which issues licenses to livestock dealers.

Terms To Know

alternative livestock
Non-traditional farm animals like those used for agricultural or recreational purposes that are captive-farmed.
livestock dealer
A person who buys and sells livestock as a business.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify which non-traditional animals are included in the new definition.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect existing regulations on disease control for these animals.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  2. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/4/2026

  3. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  4. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  5. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  6. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 2/25/2026

  7. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 2/25/2026

  8. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 2/18/2026

  9. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  10. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  11. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  12. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  13. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  14. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires any
person doing business as a livestock dealer
to
procure from the commissioner
of agriculture or the commissioner's appointed agent
("commissioner")
an annual license.
The following
actions are
specifically
prohibited:



Any person acting as a livestock dealer without
such
a valid license
.


Failure to maintain records as required by the commissioner
.


Failure to provide access to all records required of such licensee
.


Buying or selling livestock under an assumed name or address.


Violation of a valid rule, regulation
,
or statute governing livestock disease control
.


Failure to make payment to a buyer or seller
.


M
aking
a
payment to a buyer or seller with insufficient funds
.


Failure to keep current bond requirements pursuant to
federal law
.

Present law provides that the above provisions do not
apply to any livestock producer who may occasionally buy or sell livestock in connection with that person's farming operations.

As used in the law described above, "l
ivestock”
means cattle, calves, horses, mules, poultry, swine, sheep, goats, and alternative livestock
.

"ALTERNATIVE LIVESTOCK" DEFINED

Present law defines "a
lternative livestock
"

as
non-traditional cattle, calves, horses, mules, poultry, swine, sheep, goats, and alternative livestock that are hoofed and captive-farmed for purposes of agricultural or recreational use
. This bill removes the requirement that other unspecified alternative livestock that are captive-farmed for
purposes of agricultural or recreational use
must be hoofed.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 2553
By Reeves

HOUSE BILL 2150
By Jones R
HB2150
009604
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 44,
Chapter 10, relative to livestock.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 44-10-202(1), is amended by
deleting "hoofed and".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.