Alcoholic Beverages

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57, relative to consumption of alcoholic beverages on premises.

Active

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

Sponsor: Briggs, Eldridge
Last action: 2026-04-16
Official status: Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide details on enforcement or additional requirements for businesses.

Alcoholic Beverage Consumption on Premises

This bill changes Tennessee laws to allow certain places like resorts, restaurants, and theaters to sell alcoholic drinks.

What This Bill Does

Establishes New Cumberland Resort and other locations as 'premier type tourist resorts' that can offer liquor by the drink.
Lists Speedy B's/Krish Enterprise Inc. and Jose Casa's Mexican Restaurant as 'restaurants' allowed to offer liquor by the drink.
Designates the Harrell Performing Arts Theater as a 'community theater' where people can buy drinks with alcohol.
Allows the Cheekwood Golf Club, Crestmoor at Green Hills, Market Square in Knoxville, and Tan Assets, LLC to sell drinks with alcohol on their premises.

Who It Names or Affects

People who visit New Cumberland Resort, Tossed Italian Grill, Madison Social Club, Sunset Marina and Resort, Ancient Lore Village, Hensley's Corner Market and Grill, Island Pointe Golf Course, Estate at Sweetwater Creek, Loser's Most Wanted Bar/Riley Green's Duck Blind, Ocoee Cigar Lounge, USA Raft Adventure Resort, Grateful Shed, Lodge 2A, 111 Motorcars, Ernest Tubb Record Shop and Hank Williams Boogie Bar, W Nashville, Rallo's Bar & Grill, Belle Meade Village, Paseo Nashville, Ciel of Germantown, Riverbend Country Club Golf Course, Volunteer Club, LLC, Speedy B's/Krish Enterprise Inc., Jose Casa's Mexican Restaurant, Harrell Performing Arts Theater, Cheekwood Golf Club, Crestmoor at Green Hills, Market Square in Knoxville, and Tan Assets, LLC.

Terms To Know

Premier Type Tourist Resort: A special kind of resort that can sell drinks with alcohol to visitors.
Community Theater: A theater where people can buy drinks with alcohol during performances.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how these changes will be enforced or monitored.
It is unclear if there are any additional requirements for businesses to meet before they can start selling drinks with alcohol.

Amendments

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

HA1095

Amendment 1-0 to HB1652

Plain English: House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.

House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.
1 to HB1652 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
1620* House Bill No.
1652 HA1095 017052 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

SA0508

Amendment 1-0 to SB1620

Plain English: Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.

Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.
1 to SB1620 Briggs Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
1620* House Bill No.
1652 SA0508 014089 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

SA0941

Amendment 2-0 to SB1620

Plain English: Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.

Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.
2 to SB1620 Watson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
1620* House Bill No.
1652 SA0941 017052 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 24, Nays 2, PNV 2
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0508)
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0941)
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/14/2026
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 2
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/31/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 3/31/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 7, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 2/24/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/17/2026
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1620, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Establishes each of the following as a "premier type tourist resort" that can offer liquor by the drink:

o

New Cumberland Resort
o

Tossed Italian Grill
o

Madison Social Club
o

Sunset Marina and Resort
o

Ancient Lore Village
o

Hensley's Corner Market and Grill
o

Island Pointe Golf Course
o

Estate at Sweetwater Creek
o

Loser's Most Wanted Bar/Riley Green's Duck Blind
o

Ocoee Cigar Lounge
o

USA Raft Adventure Resort
o

Grateful Shed
o

Lodge 2A
o

111 Motorcars
o

Ernest Tubb Record Shop and Hank Williams Boogie Bar
o

W Nashville
o

Rallo's Bar & Grill
o

Belle Meade Village
o

Paseo Nashville
o

Ciel of Germantown
o

Riverbend Country Club Golf Course
o

Volunteer Club, LLC



Establishes each of the following as a "restaurant" that can offer liquor by the drink:

o

Speedy B's/Krish Enterprise Inc.
o

Jose Casa's Mexican Restaurant



Establishes the Harrell Performing Arts Theater as a "community theater" that can offer liquor by the drink.



Establishes the Cheekwood Golf Club as a "club" that can offer liquor by the drink.



Establishes Crestmoor at Green Hills as a "retirement center" that can offer liquor by the drink.



Establishes Market Square in Knoxville as a "premises" that can offer liquor by the drink.



Establishes Tan Assets, LLC, as a "commercial passenger boat company" that can offer liquor by the drink.



Clarifies that, for the purposes of establishing "restaurants" that can offer liquor by the drink, such a term also means a commercially operated facility that is located within a special historic district.



Clarifies that a "commercial passenger boat company" that can offer liquor by the drink is authorized to store alcoholic beverages and beer at any location within a county in which the vessel docks, if the docking location is within the boundaries of a local government that has approved the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 1652
By Eldridge

SENATE BILL 1620
By Briggs
SB1620
011130
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57,
relative to consumption of alcoholic beverages on
premises.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 57-4-205, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(e) The commission shall produce an annual report listing the persons convicted
under this section in the previous year and file such report with the chair of the state and
local government committee of the senate and the chair of the committee having
jurisdiction over consumption of alcoholic beverages on premises in the house of
representatives. The first report must include all convictions since this section became
law and be filed no later than December 1, 2026. All subsequent reports must be filed
no later than December 1 each year.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.