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SB1034 • 2026

Historical Sites and Preservation

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 4, relative to Tennessee heritage protection.

Active

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

Sponsor
Bowling, Wright
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/05/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not mention removing 'artwork' or 'flag', only adding 'seal'.

Tennessee Heritage Protection Act

This bill changes Tennessee's heritage protection laws to include official city or county seals with historical imagery as memorials.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the definition of a memorial in Tennessee's heritage protection laws to include official governmental seals of cities and counties that contain imagery related to history.

Who It Names or Affects

  • City and county governments in Tennessee

Terms To Know

Memorial
A statue, monument, or other item that honors a historical event, figure, or organization.
Heritage protection
Laws and policies to preserve important cultural and historical sites and items.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the new definition will be enforced.
  • It is unclear what specific seals might qualify under this new law.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1071

Plain English: The amendment adds a new rule that allows city and county seals to include images related to historical conflicts, entities, events, figures, or organizations.

  • Adds a new subdivision (C) to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 4-1-412(a)(7), which permits cities and counties to use imagery on their official seals that represents historical elements.
  • The amendment does not specify what types of historical images are allowed or prohibited, leaving some details unclear.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1034

Plain English: The amendment adds a new requirement for city and county seals to include imagery related to historical elements such as conflicts, entities, events, figures, or organizations.

  • Adds a new subdivision (C) to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 4-1-412(a)(7), which requires city and county government official seals to contain imagery representing historic aspects.
  • The amendment does not specify what types of historical imagery must be included or how conflicts between different historical narratives will be resolved.
  • It is unclear if there are any penalties for non-compliance with this new requirement.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 389

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 389

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 70, Nays 24, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0401)

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  14. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  15. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  17. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  18. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  23. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 6

  24. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0118)

  25. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/24/2025

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  29. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0

  32. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  35. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  36. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 3/5/2025

  37. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  38. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  39. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  41. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  42. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  43. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  44. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  45. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  46. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 24, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1034, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, revise
present law defining, for purposes of Tennessee heritage protection, "memorial" as a
ny statue, monument, memorial, bust, nameplate, historical marker, plaque, artwork, flag, historic display, school, street, bridge, or building that has been erected for, n
amed, or dedicated on public property in honor of any historic conflict, historic entity, historic event, historic figure, or historic organization
to, instead, define such term as a
n official governmental seal of a city or county government that contains
imagery representative of any historic conflict, historic entity, historic event, historic figure, or historic organization
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1071
By Wright

SENATE BILL 1034
By Bowling

SB1034
003100
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 1, Part 4, relative to Tennessee heritage
protection.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-1-412(a)(7)(B), is amended by
deleting the language "artwork, flag" and substituting "artwork, seal, flag".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.