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SB1143 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, relative to elections.

Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Crowe, Hill
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 01/01/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide details about how the training will be conducted or what materials will be used.

Election Training Requirements

This bill amends Tennessee's election laws to require training on temporary identification for non-U.S. citizens who cannot use these IDs when applying for ballots.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the coordinator of elections to include new training requirements in the minimum standards for educating election officials about temporary forms of ID issued to non-United States citizens that may not be used as evidence of identification on an application for ballot.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Election officials in Tennessee will need to complete this new training.
  • Non-U.S. citizens with temporary IDs may be impacted as their forms of ID cannot be used on ballot applications.

Terms To Know

Coordinator of Elections
The person responsible for setting standards and providing guidance to ensure fair and accurate elections in Tennessee.
Temporary Forms of Identification
Documents that serve as proof of identity but are only valid for a short period, often given to individuals who do not have permanent residency status.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the training will be conducted or what materials will be used.
  • It is unclear if there will be consequences for election officials who fail to complete this new training requirement.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1283

Plain English: The amendment adds a new requirement for election officials to include training on temporary identification forms issued to non-U.S. citizens in their educational standards.

  • Adds a new subsection (e) to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-4-108, which requires the coordinator of elections to include training on temporary identification forms for non-U.S. citizens that cannot be used as voter ID.
  • The amendment does not specify what types of temporary identification are covered or how they differ from other forms of acceptable identification.
  • It is unclear how this new requirement will affect the existing educational standards and training programs for election officials.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1143

Plain English: The amendment adds a new requirement for election officials to include training on temporary identification forms issued to non-U.S. citizens in their educational standards.

  • Adds a new subsection (e) to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-4-108, which requires the coordinator of elections to include training on temporary identification forms for non-U.S. citizens that cannot be used as voter ID.
  • The amendment does not specify what types of temporary identification are covered or provide details about how this training should be implemented.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 01/01/2026

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 394

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 394

  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 74, Nays 23, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0289)

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  15. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  17. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 5, PNV 1

  18. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0325)

  19. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

  21. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/15/2025

  22. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  24. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  27. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  34. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee

  35. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  41. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 15, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED
AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1143, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require t
he coordinator of elections
to
include
,

in the coordinator's
minimum standards for educating election officials
,
training on temporary forms of ide
ntification issued to non-United States citizens that may not be used as evidence of identification
on an application for ballot.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1283
By Hill

SENATE BILL 1143
By Crowe

SB1143
002918
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2,
relative to elections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-134(c), is amended by deleting
the language "shall be retained by the county election commission for two (2) years from the
date of the purge" and substituting instead "shall be retained by the county election commission
for three (3) years from the date of the purge".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.