HB2499 • 2026

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39; Title 44 and Title 70, relative to possession of wildlife.

Active

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

Sponsor: Capley, Hensley
Last action: 2026-04-06
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance, leaving these aspects uncertain.

Tennessee Wildlife Possession Act

This bill changes Tennessee's wildlife possession rules to allow people to keep raccoons without paying a $150 fee and shortens the time for reporting injuries from captive wildlife.

What This Bill Does

Allows people to have raccoons without paying a $150 permit fee if they get the raccoon legally, it has been vaccinated, and TWRA gives them permission.
Reduces the time limit for reporting injuries caused by captive wildlife from 48 hours to 24 hours.

Who It Names or Affects

People who want to keep raccoons as pets or in captivity.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) which issues permits and enforces the rules.

Terms To Know

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA): The agency responsible for managing wildlife in Tennessee, including issuing permits and enforcing laws related to wildlife possession.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what happens if someone does not report an injury within the new 24-hour time limit.
It is unclear how this bill will be enforced or what penalties might apply for non-compliance.

Amendments

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

HA0776

Amendment 1-0 to HB2499

Plain English: The amendment allows people to keep raccoons without paying a personal possession fee if certain conditions are met.

Adds an exception in Tennessee law that permits keeping raccoons without a personal possession permit fee under specific circumstances.

The exact process for obtaining the required possession permit is not detailed in this amendment text.

SA0703

Amendment 1-0 to SB2354

Plain English: This amendment allows people to keep raccoons without paying a personal possession fee if certain conditions are met.

Adds an exception in Tennessee law that permits keeping raccoons without a personal possession permit fee under specific circumstances.

The exact process for obtaining the required possession permit is not detailed in this amendment text.

Bill History

2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 78, Nays 14, PNV 0
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0776)
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Calendar & Rules Committee to Next Avail. Cal.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 0
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0703)
2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/23/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
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 Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 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 23, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2354, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
ewrites this bill to authorize a person to possess a raccoon without the payment of the $150 personal possession permit fee, which is require
d
under present law, if:

(1)
The raccoon is o
btained from a legal source and has been vaccinated;

(2)
The raccoon is n
on-native and was not captured from the wild; and

(3) A possession permit for the raccoon has been issued by TWRA.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2354
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 2499
By Capley
HB2499
012071
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39;
Title 44 and Title 70, relative to possession of
wildlife.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-4-416, is amended by deleting
"forty-eight (48) hours" and substituting "twenty-four (24) hours".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.