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SB1156 • 2026

Food and Food Products

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 53, relative to foods that contain nanotechnology.

Active

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

Sponsor
Kyle, Towns
Last action
2026-03-17
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health & Welfare Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide information on enforcement mechanisms or penalties.

Food Labeling for Nanotechnology

This bill prohibits food companies from selling foods that contain human-made nanotechnology capable of collecting and transmitting data unless they are labeled as such.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits the sale, delivery for sale, holding for sale, or offering for sale of food containing nanotechnology unless it is labeled as such.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Food companies selling or planning to sell foods with nanotechnology in Tennessee
  • Consumers buying food products in Tennessee

Terms To Know

nanotechnology
Human-created structures, devices, and systems designed by manipulating atoms and molecules having one (1) or more dimensions of the order of one hundred (100) nanometers or less that have the capability of collecting and transmitting data.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what will happen if a company sells unlabeled food with nanotechnology.
  • It is unclear how the law will be enforced or who will check for compliance.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health & Welfare Committee

  2. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  3. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee to Special Calendar 37

  4. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  5. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/26/2025

  6. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  7. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  8. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  9. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  11. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  12. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  13. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee - Health Committee

  14. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  15. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  16. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1099
By Towns

SENATE BILL 1156
By Kyle

SB1156
003144
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47,
Chapter 18 and Title 53, relative to foods that
contain nanotechnology.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 53-1-103(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
( ) The sale, delivery for sale, holding for sale, or offering for sale of food that
contains nanotechnology, unless the food is labeled as containing nanotechnology. As
used in this subdivision (a)( ), "nanotechnology" means human-created structures,
devices, and systems that are designed by manipulating atoms and molecules having
one (1) or more dimensions of the order of one hundred (100) nanometers or less and
that have the capability of collecting and transmitting data;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.