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SB2481 • 2026

Obscenity and Pornography

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51 and Title 39, relative to adult-oriented entertainment.

Active

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

Sponsor
Bowling, Fritts
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material provided does not include information about the impact of the bill on people who work at or visit adult entertainment establishments.

Changes to Adult-Oriented Entertainment Regulations

This bill modifies Tennessee's regulations for adult-oriented entertainment businesses by altering sign requirements and licensing timelines.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement for signs at entrances of adult entertainment establishments to be a specific size with bold, black-on-white text.
  • Changes the warning message on signs displaying sexually oriented material from a general statement about production conditions to one specifically mentioning risks like domestic assault and human trafficking.
  • Eliminates the need for signs showing sexually oriented materials to meet certain size and formatting requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Adult-oriented entertainment businesses in Tennessee

Terms To Know

adult-oriented establishment
A business that offers sexually oriented materials for sale, loan, or use.
licensing requirements
Rules about getting permission to operate a specific type of business.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the changes will be enforced.
  • It is unclear what other impacts these changes might have on businesses and communities.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2314

Plain English: The amendment requires adult-oriented entertainment establishments to post specific warning signs about potential contributions to domestic violence, sexual assaults, and human trafficking.

  • Establishments must display an eight-and-a-half-by-eleven-inch sign at each entrance stating that engaging in the type of entertainment offered may contribute to an increase in domestic assault, rape or sexual assault, and human trafficking.
  • If sexually oriented materials are sold, loaned, or used, additional signs must be posted next to each display warning that producing these materials may also contribute to such issues.
  • The amendment does not specify the exact wording beyond what is provided in the text, which might leave room for interpretation on how detailed or specific the signs should be.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2481

Plain English: The amendment requires adult-oriented entertainment establishments to post specific warning signs about contributing to domestic assault, rape or sexual assault, and human trafficking.

  • Establishments must display a sign at each entrance stating that engaging in the type of entertainment may contribute to an increase in certain crimes.
  • For sexually oriented materials sold, loaned, or used within the establishment, another specific warning sign must be posted at each display.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if establishments do not comply with these requirements.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2026

  2. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  3. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/15/2026

  4. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  6. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  7. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 83, Nays 7, PNV 0

  9. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA1007)

  10. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  15. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  16. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  17. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/24/2026

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/23/2026

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  20. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  23. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  24. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  25. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  26. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  27. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  29. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  30. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2314, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:

•

Removes the requirement for signs posted at each entrance of the establishment no smaller than 8 1/2" x 11" to have the required language printed in at least 48-point type in boldface, block letters, centered on the sign, and that the letters must be bl
ack on a white background.
•

Changes what must be stated on signs that are posted at each display of sexually oriented material, if an adult-oriented establishment lawfully offers for sale, loan, or use sexually oriented materials, including print, video, and other media, to: "For
Your Information: Production of these materials may contribute to an increase in domestic assault, rape or sexual assault, and human trafficking."
•

Removes the requirement for signs posted at each display of sexually oriented material to be no smaller than 8 1/2" x 11" and that the required language must be printed in at least 48-point type in boldface, block letters, centered on the sign, and that
the letters must be black on a white background.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2314
By Fritts

SENATE BILL 2481
By Bowling
SB2481
012259
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7,
Chapter 51 and Title 39, relative to adult-oriented
entertainment.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-1107(b), is amended by
deleting "ten (10) days" and substituting "ten (10) business days".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.