Local Government, General

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 26, relative to sober living homes.

Education Housing Land

Active

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

Sponsor: Williams, Bailey
Last action: 2026-04-08
Official status: Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2026
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Sober Living Home Regulations for Putnam County

This bill allows Putnam County and its cities to regulate sober living homes near schools in ways similar to Hamilton County's regulations.

What This Bill Does

Allows Putnam County and any city within it to create rules about sober living homes that are close to K-12 schools, preschools, or daycare centers.
Requires new sober living homes less than 1,000 feet from a school to be recognized by an approved organization listed on the state's mental health website.
Does not apply this rule to existing sober living homes until they stop operating and reopen under new rules.
Ensures that sober living homes follow local zoning laws and safety codes.

Who It Names or Affects

Putnam County
Cities within Putnam County
Sober living home operators in Putnam County

Terms To Know

sober living homes: Places where people who are recovering from alcohol or drug addiction live and get support.
local government: The county or city that makes rules for a specific area.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear how much this will cost local governments in Putnam County.
This bill only applies to Putnam County and does not change the rules for other counties.

Bill History

2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 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
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/9/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes t
he governing body of
Hamilton County, and any
incorporated city or town within

Hamilton County, to
adopt an ordinance or resolution
, in compliance with
the federal Fair Housing Act and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
, regulating sober living homes near educational facilities in the following ways:



Requiring a sober living home located at a distance equal to or less than
1,000
feet

from a

K-12 educational facility, preschool, or daycare facility to be recognized or certified by an organization

that is included on a list of approved organizations maintained on the website of the department of mental health and substance abuse services.
However, t
he ordinance or resolution with respect to such distance requirements must not apply to a sober living home in operation prior to May 21, 2025
,
until such home ceases operation.



Regulating the location or operation of a sober living home within the jurisdiction of the local government, including

ensuring compliance with applicable state and local zoning laws, and applicable health, safety, fire, and building codes.



Requiring that an operator, prior to authorizing an individual to reside in a sober living home, receive a recommendation or referral from a licensed healthcare provider or a court that the individual reside in a sober living home.

This bill authorizes Putnam County, and
any incorporated city or town within
Putnam
County, to adopt an ordinance or resolution regulating sober living homes near educational facilities
in the same manner

as described above.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1610
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 2196
By Williams
HB2196
010775
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7,
Chapter 51, Part 26, relative to sober living
homes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-2601(3), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(3) "Local government" means a county, and an incorporated city or town within
such county, with a population of:
(A) Not less than three hundred sixty-six thousand two hundred
(366,200) and not more than three hundred sixty-six thousand three hundred
(366,300), according to the 2020 or a subsequent federal census; and
(B) Not less than seventy-nine thousand eight hundred (79,800) and not
more than seventy-nine thousand nine hundred (79,900), according to the 2020
or a subsequent federal census;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.