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SB0823 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-132, relative to the purging of permanent voter registration records.

Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Hensley, Warner
Last action
2025-04-02
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Clarifying Voter Record Purging Rules

This bill changes Tennessee's voter registration rules to clarify that county election commissions must remove inactive voters from permanent records unless federal law prevents them from doing so.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law about how county election commissions manage voter records.
  • Requires county election commissions to remove inactive voters from permanent records, unless federal law stops them from doing so.
  • Updates Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-132.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County election commissions in Tennessee
  • Voters whose names might be removed from permanent voter registration records

Terms To Know

Permanent Voter Registration Records
The official list of all registered voters that stays up-to-date by removing inactive voters.
County Election Commissions
Local government bodies responsible for managing elections and voter registration in each county.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify which federal laws might prevent the removal of certain voters from permanent records.
  • The bill's effects depend on how federal law interacts with Tennessee’s new rules.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee

  2. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in State & Local Government Committee

  3. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  4. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  5. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  6. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  7. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  8. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  9. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  10. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  11. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/19/2025

  12. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/12/2025

  13. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/12/2025

  14. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/5/2025

  16. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  17. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 2/25/2025

  18. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  19. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee

  21. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  22. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  23. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  24. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 722
By Warner

SENATE BILL 823
By Hensley

SB0823
000804
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-
2-132, relative to the purging of permanent voter
registration records.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-132, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
The commission shall purge the permanent registration records of those persons
whose registrations are required to be purged under § 2-2-106, unless otherwise
prohibited by federal law.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.