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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
2026-04-09
Official status
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
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.

Amendment 1-0 to HB2206

Plain English: The amendment stops the Department of Children's Services from asking foster parents and those who want to become foster parents about their firearms or ammunition details.

  • The department cannot ask for information on how many guns or types of bullets a foster parent has, nor can they demand to see these items.
  • However, the department is allowed to check if there are any guns in the home and whether they are stored safely.
  • The amendment does not explain what happens during an investigation into abuse or neglect in a foster home.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2459

Plain English: The amendment stops the Department of Children's Services from asking foster parents and those who want to become foster parents about their firearms or ammunition details.

  • Forbids the department from requesting information on the number, type, or identifying details of firearms and ammunition owned by foster parents or prospective foster parents.
  • Prohibits the department from asking foster parents or prospective foster parents to show or give access to their firearms or ammunition.
  • The amendment allows the department to ask if firearms are present in the home and whether they are securely stored, but it does not allow them to open a secured storage compartment.
  • This rule doesn't apply during investigations into abuse or neglect allegations within foster homes.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  3. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  4. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/8/2026

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  7. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  8. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  9. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  11. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 5, PNV 1

  12. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0573)

  13. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  14. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026

  15. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/17/2026

  16. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  17. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  18. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  19. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  20. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  21. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  23. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  25. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  26. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  27. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  28. 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.