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SB1238 • 2026

Children's Services, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36; Title 37 and Title 68, relative to children.

Children
Active

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

Sponsor
Stevens, Slater
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Senate Reset on calendar for 4/20/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about ease of access that are not supported by the provided official source material.

Making Adoption Forms Available Online

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Children's Services to post adoption-related forms on its website.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes parts of Tennessee law related to children and families.
  • Requires the department to make adoption-related forms available online.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People involved in adoptions
  • Agencies helping with adoptions

Terms To Know

Department of Children's Services
The government agency in Tennessee that helps take care of children and families.
Adoption forms
Paperwork needed to legally adopt a child.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the department will ensure all adoption-related forms are posted online.
  • It is unclear if this bill will be passed into law or what changes might happen before it becomes official.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1263

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that allows birth parents to voluntarily give up their parental rights without appearing in court, under specific conditions.

  • Adds a new section (36-1-150) allowing voluntary out-of-court surrender of parental rights for children six months old or younger who are not in state custody and where the parent is over 18 years old and represented by an attorney.
  • Specifies that this procedure does not apply to parents with intellectual disabilities or lacking mental capacity, nor does it affect a father's waiver of parental rights under existing law.
  • The amendment text was truncated at the end, so some details about the full process and requirements are missing.
  • Some technical legal terms may require further explanation for clarity.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1263

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to Tennessee law that allows birth parents to voluntarily give up their parental rights without appearing in court, under certain conditions.

  • Adds a new section (36-1-150) allowing birth parents to execute an out-of-court surrender of parental rights if the child is six months old or younger and not in state custody.
  • Specifies that this procedure applies only when the birth parent is over 18 years old, represented by an attorney, and does not have intellectual disabilities or lack mental capacity.
  • Allows birth parents to sign a notice of intent to surrender parental rights, which must be approved by a court before it becomes binding.
  • The amendment text is complex and includes many legal details that are beyond the scope of this summary for grade 6-8 readers.
  • Some parts of the amendment refer to other sections of Tennessee law, which may require additional context not provided here.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/20/2026

  2. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  4. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  5. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  7. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Re-ref. Judiciary Committee

  8. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  10. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 4/1/2026

  12. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on Final calendar of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  15. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/23/2026

  16. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Health and Welfare Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

  17. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Health and Welfare Committee to 3/18/2026

  18. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  19. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/17/2026

  21. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/17/2026

  22. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/10/2026

  23. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Def. to Special Calendar to be Published with Final Calendar in Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  24. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 2/3/2026

  25. 2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  26. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 1/27/2026

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Health and Welfare Committee

  28. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/25/2025

  31. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/25/2025

  32. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  33. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  34. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  40. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  41. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1263
By Slater

SENATE BILL 1238
By Stevens

SB1238
003234
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36;
Title 37 and Title 68, relative to children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-1-141(b), is amended by
redesignating the current language as subdivision (b)(1) and adding the following new
subdivision:
(2) The department must make the forms available on the department's website.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.