HB2206 • 2026

Children's Services, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37, relative to the department of children's services.

Children Firearms

Active

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

Sponsor: Sherrell, Bailey
Last action: 2026-04-15
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material provided does not include details on firearm information requests and storage checks, which were present in the candidate explanation.

Department of Children's Services Report Requirements

This bill changes how the Department of Children's Services reports information about certain courts to several state officials and commissions.

What This Bill Does

Changes a law so that the Department of Children's Services must send an annual report on zero to three courts and safe baby courts to more people, including the commission on children and youth.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Children's Services
State officials like the director of the administrative office of the courts

Terms To Know

Department of Children's Services: A state agency that helps children who need care or protection.
Foster parents: People who take care of children when their own parents cannot.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not address firearm information requests from foster parents and prospective foster parents.
It is unclear what specific information about firearm storage will be shared with state officials.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HA1106

Amendment 1-0 to HB2206

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
1 to HB2206 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2459 House Bill No.
2206* HA1106 014477 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

SA0573

Amendment 1-0 to SB2459

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
1 to SB2459 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2459 House Bill No.
2206* SA0573 014477 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 72, Nays 23, PNV 0
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA1106)
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/8/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 4/8/2026
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 5, PNV 1
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0573)
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Ref. to Judiciary Committee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/3/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 19, 2026, THE SENATE
ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2459, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, generally prohibit t
he department of children's services
from (i) r
equest
ing
information regarding the number or type of firearms or ammunition or identifying information about such firearms or ammunition that a foster parent or prospective foster parent owns or possesses; or
(ii) r
equest
ing
a foster parent or prospective foster parent to display or provide access to a firearm or ammunition owned or possessed by the parent.

However, this amendment
does not prohibit the department from

(
i
)
i
nquiring whether firearms and ammunition are present in the foster parent or prospective foster parent's home and, if so, whether such firearms and ammunition are securely stored; and

(
ii
)
r
equesting to see the storage of
such
firearms or ammunition
without requesting
that the foster parent or prospective foster parent open a secured storage compartment.

Further, this amendment
does not apply to an investigation into an allegation of abuse or neglect within a foster home.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2459
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 2206
By Sherrell
HB2206
012096
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37,
relative to the department of children's services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-903(c)(2), is amended by
deleting the second sentence of the subdivision and substituting:
The department of children's services shall create and disseminate an annual report to
the director of the administrative office of the courts, the commissioner of the department
of mental health and substance abuse services, the council of juvenile and family court
judges, the commission on children and youth, and the chairs of the civil justice
committee of the house of representatives and the judiciary committee of the senate.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.