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HB2517 • 2026

Agriculture, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 44, relative to animal health.

Agriculture
Active

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

Sponsor
Todd, Reeves
Last action
2026-03-30
Official status
Comp. SB subst.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on enforcement or penalties for non-compliance with recommendations.

Animal Health Supervision Powers

This bill changes how the commissioner of agriculture and state veterinarian can recommend tests or vaccinations for animals in Tennessee to protect their health, while limiting their ability to order such actions only when needed to detect or treat specific diseases.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds new powers for the commissioner of agriculture and state veterinarian to recommend tests or vaccinations for animals within Tennessee or imported into the state, aimed at protecting animal health.
  • Limits the ability of these officials to order tests or vaccinations only when needed to detect or treat notifiable diseases or monitored diseases as defined by the USDA.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The commissioner of agriculture
  • The state veterinarian
  • Animal owners within Tennessee
  • Importers of animals into Tennessee

Terms To Know

Monitored disease
A disease that is endemic in the United States as listed by the USDA.
Notifiable disease
A disease and condition consisting of emergency incidents, emerging disease incidents, and regulated disease incidents as listed by the USDA.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how often or under what circumstances recommendations can be made.
  • It is unclear if there are any penalties for non-compliance with recommended tests or vaccinations.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 82, Nays 1, PNV 10

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  8. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/30/2026

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  10. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/24/2026

  12. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee to Next Available Calendar

  13. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  16. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  17. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/10/2026

  18. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/5/2026

  21. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/5/2026

  22. 2026-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/2/2026

  23. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  25. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  26. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  28. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  31. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law
grants
the commissioner of agriculture and the state veterinarian general supervis
ory powers
o
ver
all animals within or that may be in transit through the state, including the ability to order tests or vaccinations of animals within the state or imported into the state for the purpose of protecting the health of animals in
this state
.

This bill adds
to the list of supervisory powers
the ability for the commissioner of agriculture and the state veterinarian to recommend tests or vaccinations of animals within the state or imported into the state for the purpose of protecting the health of animals, and clarifies
that such
ability to order tests or vaccinations of animals is for the purpose of detecting or treating a notifiable disease or monitored disease.

As used in this bill, a
"
m
onitored disease" is a disease that is endemic in the United States as listed by the U
nited
S
tates department of agriculture (USDA)
, and a "
n
otifiable disease" is a disease and condition consisting of emergency incidents, emerging disease incidents, and regulated disease incidents as listed by the USDA.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 2558
By Reeves

HOUSE BILL 2517
By Todd
HB2517
012501
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 44,
relative to animal health.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 44-2-101, is amended by adding the
following new subdivisions:
( ) "Monitored disease" means a disease that is endemic in the United States as
listed by the USDA;
( ) "Notifiable disease" means a disease and condition consisting of emergency
incidents, emerging disease incidents, and regulated disease incidents as listed by the
USDA;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 44-2-102, is amended by deleting
subdivision (4) and substituting:
(4)
(A) Recommend tests or vaccinations of animals within the state or
imported into the state for the purpose of protecting the health of animals; and
(B) Order tests or vaccinations of animals within the state or imported
into the state for the purpose of detecting or treating a notifiable disease or
monitored disease;
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.