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SB2355 • 2026

Courts, Juvenile

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16; Title 20; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36 and Title 37, relative to guardians ad litem.

Children Parental Rights
Active

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

Sponsor
Massey, Raper
Last action
2026-04-29
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Courts, Juvenile

ON MARCH 5, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2355, AS AMENDED.

What This Bill Does

  • ON MARCH 5, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2355, AS AMENDED.
  • AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require a guardian ad litem appointed by the court to complete training appropriate to that role, including training in early childhood, child, and adolescent development.
  • However, the court may appoint a pers on as a guardian ad litem that has not completed such training if that person completes the required training within three years of the date of the person's initial appointment.
  • Persons appointed as a guardian ad litem prior to July 1, 2026, can continue t o be appointed and serve as a guardian ad litem, if such a person completes the required training before July 1, 2029.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2154

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB2154 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2355 House Bill No.
  • 2154* HA0862 013691 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2355

Plain English: Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB2355 Gardenhire Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2355 House Bill No.
  • 2154* SA0517 013691 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

  2. 2026-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 810

  3. 2026-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 810

  4. 2026-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 4, PNV 1

  10. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0862)

  11. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  14. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/8/2026

  15. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  17. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 3/25/2026

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/18/2026

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  25. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 3

  26. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0517)

  27. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/5/2026

  29. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee to 3/10/2026

  30. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee

  33. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Judiciary Committee

  34. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  35. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 2/24/2026

  36. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/17/2026

  37. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  38. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  39. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  41. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 5, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2355, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, require a guardian ad litem appointed by the court to complete training appropriate to that role, including training in early childhood, child, and adolescent development. However, the court may appoint a pers
on as a guardian ad litem that has not completed such training if that person completes the required training within three years of the date of the person's initial appointment. Persons appointed as a guardian ad litem prior to July 1, 2026, can continue
t
o be appointed and serve as a guardian ad litem, if such a person completes the required training before July 1, 2029.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2154
By Raper

SENATE BILL 2355
By Massey
SB2355
012180
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16;
Title 20; Title 33; Title 34; Title 36 and Title 37,
relative to guardians ad litem.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-1-126(c)(5), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
(H) Total amount of guardian ad litem administrative fees that were not waived
but were not collected.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.