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SB1140 • 2026

Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58 and Title 70, relative to hunting licenses for disabled veterans participating in hunts sponsored by not-for-profit organizations.

Active

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

Sponsor
Crowe, Slater
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not specify if there are limits on how many permits can be issued or any additional requirements beyond those stated in the official text.

Hunting Licenses for Disabled Veterans

This bill allows disabled veterans to receive free temporary hunting licenses when participating in hunts organized and paid for by non-profit organizations.

What This Bill Does

  • The executive director of the wildlife resources agency, or their chosen person, must issue a free temporary group hunting event permit to a not-for-profit organization that sponsors and pays for a hunting experience at no cost to a veteran with any percentage of service-connected disability.
  • Such permits are valid only for up to seven days and must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and proclamations.
  • Participants must provide necessary information but do not have to pay for the permit.
  • The executive director or their chosen person may accept a certification from the Veterans Administration as proof of service-connected disability.
  • The Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission is authorized to make rules about these temporary permits.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Disabled veterans who want to participate in hunting experiences sponsored by non-profit organizations.
  • The executive director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency or their chosen person.
  • Not-for-profit organizations that sponsor free hunts for disabled veterans.

Terms To Know

Service-connected disability
A condition caused or made worse by military service.
Temporary group hunting event permit
A special license that allows a disabled veteran to hunt for up to seven days without paying, when part of an organized non-profit hunt.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only applies to hunts sponsored by not-for-profit organizations and does not cover other types of hunting.
  • It is unclear how many veterans will take advantage of this new permit option.
  • The effectiveness date for these changes is July 1, 2025.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0918

Plain English: The amendment adds a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-2-104, allowing not-for-profit organizations to sponsor free hunting experiences for disabled veterans by obtaining temporary group hunting event permits.

  • Not-for-profit organizations can now apply for temporary group hunting event permits to organize free hunting trips for disabled veterans with service-connected disabilities.
  • The permit is valid only for the duration of the hunting experience, but not longer than seven days.
  • Disabled veteran participants must provide information needed to obtain an individual hunting license and cannot be charged for the permit.
  • The amendment does not specify how the executive director will handle lost federal funding or what specific information is required from unique individuals taking part in these events.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1140

Plain English: The amendment adds a new subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated that allows not-for-profit organizations to sponsor free hunting experiences for disabled veterans by obtaining temporary group hunting event permits.

  • Not-for-profit organizations can now apply for temporary group hunting event permits to organize free hunting trips for disabled veterans with service-connected disabilities.
  • The permit is valid only for the duration of the hunting experience, but not longer than seven days.
  • Disabled veteran participants must provide information needed for an individual hunting license and cannot be charged for the permit.
  • The amendment does not specify how federal funding will be affected or compensated for by this new provision.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 216

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 216

  4. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0155)

  11. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/3/2025

  15. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/27/2025

  16. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/25/2025

  19. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  22. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0109)

  23. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/17/2025

  25. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  27. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  28. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  29. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/12/2025

  30. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  31. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  32. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee to 3/12/2025

  33. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  37. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  38. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 17, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1140, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Adds that the
executive director

of the wildlife resources agency, or the executive director's designee,
must
, upon request, issue a temporary group hunting event permit to a not-for-profit organization that sponsors and pays for a hunting experience at no cost to a veteran with any percentage of service-connected disability.



Provides that such a
temporary group hunting event permit must be for a duration that is no longer than the duration of the hunting experience for which the permit is issued, but in no event may the permit be valid for more than seven days. Such hunting experience must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and proclamations.



Requires p
articipants
to
provide all information necessary to obtain an individual hunting license in connection with a temporary group hunting event permit, and none of the cost for the permit must be borne by the disabled veteran participant.



Requires the
executive director, or the executive director's designee,
to
accept as evidence of service-connected disability a certification from the veterans' administration.



Provides that in order to
account for lost federal funding to the agency and to comply with
present law
, the executive director, or the executive director's designee, may collect all pertinent and relevant information to certify the unique individuals taking part in the hunting experience under a temporary group hunting event permit.



Authorizes the
Tennessee fish and wildlife

commission
to
promulgate rules necessary to effectuate this
amendment.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 918
By Slater

SENATE BILL 1140
By Crowe

SB1140
001569
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58
and Title 70, relative to hunting licenses for
disabled veterans participating in hunts sponsored
by not-for-profit organizations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 70-2-104, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
( ) The executive director, or the executive director's designee, shall, upon
request, issue a temporary hunting license at no cost to a veteran with any percentage
of service-connected disability for the limited purpose of participating in a hunting
experience that is sponsored and paid for by a not-for-profit organization. A temporary
hunting license issued pursuant to this subsection ( ) must be for a duration that is no
longer than the duration of the hunting experience for which the license is issued, but in
no event may the license be valid for more than seven (7) days. The executive director,
or the executive director's designee, shall accept as evidence of service-connected
disability for the purposes of this subsection ( ) a certification from the veterans'
administration.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.