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SB2003 • 2026

Transportation, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3; Title 54 and Title 68, Chapter 120, relative to family restrooms in safety rest areas.

Children
Active

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

Sponsor
Hatcher, Raper
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Family Restrooms for Safety Rest Areas

This bill requires each safety rest area that has public restrooms to provide at least one family restroom and sets deadlines for construction and reporting.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires safety rest areas with public restrooms to have at least one family restroom.
  • Directs the Department of Transportation to pay for building and maintaining these restrooms using existing funds.
  • Asks the Department of Transportation to give detailed plans by July 1, 2026, showing when each family restroom will be ready and when all safety rest areas will follow this rule.
  • Requires at least one family restroom to be built or started in construction by July 1, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Travelers using safety rest areas with public restrooms
  • The Department of Transportation

Terms To Know

Safety Rest Area
An area or site set up and maintained by the government for travelers' convenience, usually near highways.
Family Restroom
A restroom designed to accommodate families with children, typically including changing tables and enough space for parents and children.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many family restrooms must be built beyond the requirement of at least one per safety rest area.
  • It is unclear if there are any penalties for non-compliance with this law.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1824

Plain English: The amendment requires that each safety rest area with public restrooms must have at least one family restroom and sets deadlines for construction and reporting.

  • Safety rest areas providing public restrooms must include at least one family restroom.
  • The Department of Transportation will pay for the construction and maintenance of these restrooms using existing resources.
  • By January 1, 2027, a detailed construction schedule for all required family restrooms must be provided to relevant committees.
  • At least one family restroom must be completed or under construction at safety rest stops by July 1, 2028.
  • The amendment does not specify how the Department of Transportation will prioritize which safety rest areas receive new family restrooms first.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2003

Plain English: This amendment requires that each safety rest area with public restrooms must provide access to at least one family restroom and sets deadlines for construction and reporting.

  • Adds a requirement for safety rest areas to have at least one family restroom.
  • Specifies that the Department of Transportation will pay for the construction and maintenance of these restrooms using existing resources.
  • Requires the Department of Transportation to provide a detailed construction schedule by January 1, 2027, showing when each family restroom will be completed and when all safety rest areas will comply with this requirement.
  • Sets a deadline of July 1, 2028, for the completion or start of construction of at least one family restroom.
  • The amendment does not specify how many safety rest areas are affected or what 'family restroom' means in detail beyond referencing another section.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

  2. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee of Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  3. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/1/2026

  4. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 4/1/2026

  5. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  6. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  7. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  8. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  9. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  10. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Transportation and Safety Committee to 3/11/2026

  11. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/10/2026

  12. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee

  13. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/4/2026

  14. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/3/2026

  15. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  16. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  17. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  18. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  19. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  20. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  21. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill requires a safety rest area that
provides restrooms for the public
to
provide access to no less than one family restroom.
As used in this provision, a "safety rest area"
means an area or site established and maintained within or adjacent to the right-of-way by or under public supervision or control, for the convenience of the traveling public
.
It is the legislative intent that the department of transportation pay for the construction and maintenance of the restrooms from the department's existin
g resources.

On or before July 1, 2026,
this bill requires
the department of transportation
to
provide to
legislative committees
having jurisdiction over transportation-related matters a detailed construction schedule for completion of each family restroom
described above
and the date by which all safety rest areas will be in compliance with
this bill.

On or before July 1, 2028,
this bill requires
the department of transportation
to
complete the construction of, or have begun the construction of, at least one

family restroom at a safety rest stop.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1824
By Raper

SENATE BILL 2003
By Hatcher
SB2003
011366
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 3; Title 54 and Title 68, Chapter 120,
relative to family restrooms in safety rest areas.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 54, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) A safety rest area, as defined in § 54-21-102, that provides restrooms for the
public, must provide access to no less than one (1) family restroom, as defined in § 4-3-
2316(a).
(b) It is the legislative intent that the department of transportation pay for the
construction and maintenance of the restrooms from the department's existing
resources.
SECTION 2. On or before July 1, 2026, the department of transportation shall provide to
the transportation and safety committee of the senate and the committee in the house of
representatives having jurisdiction over transportation-related matters a detailed construction
schedule for completion of each family restroom described in Section 1 and the date by which
all safety rest areas will be in compliance with Section 1.
SECTION 3. On or before July 1, 2028, the department of transportation shall complete
the construction of, or have begun the construction of, at least one (1) family restroom as
described in Section 1 at a safety rest stop.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.