SB2723 • 2026

Gaming

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 17, relative to charitable gaming.

Active

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

Sponsor: Johnson, Lamberth
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Effective date(s) 04/08/2026
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not mention additional requirements for clerks to transmit authorizations electronically, which was included in the candidate explanation but removed due to lack of supporting evidence from official sources.

Charitable Gaming Deadline Extension

This bill changes the deadline for nonprofit organizations to apply for permission to run annual charitable gaming events from January 31st each year to within five days after the law takes effect, specifically for the period July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

What This Bill Does

Allows nonprofits to submit applications for a special year-long event within five calendar days after the bill becomes law, instead of by January 31st each year, specifically for the period July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
Requires the secretary of state to send an additional list of approved organizations to the clerks of both houses and district attorney generals by noon ten days after the bill becomes law.

Who It Names or Affects

Nonprofit organizations in Tennessee seeking to run annual charitable gaming events for the period July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
The secretary of state, clerks of both houses, and district attorney generals.

Terms To Know

Charitable Gaming: Events where nonprofits raise money for a cause through games like raffles or lotteries.
Annual Event Application: A form that nonprofits fill out to ask permission to run a charitable gaming event.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill only changes the application deadline for one specific year, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
It does not change how nonprofits apply or are reviewed in other years.

Amendments

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

HA0783

Amendment 1-0 to HB2659

Plain English: The amendment changes how the clerk of the house sends information about charitable gaming authorizations to the secretary and the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference.

Removes the first sentence in Section 3-17-103(c) of Tennessee Code Annotated.
Adds a new sentence that requires the clerk of the house to send an electronic copy of charitable gaming authorizations to specific officials.

The amendment text does not specify what happens if electronic transmission is not possible or fails.

SA0863

Amendment 1-0 to SB2723

Plain English: The amendment changes how the clerk of the house sends information about charitable gaming authorizations to other officials.

Changes the way the clerk of the house transmits a copy of charitable gaming authorization from paper to electronic format.

The exact details on how and when this transmission happens are not provided in the amendment text.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 04/08/2026
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 680
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 680
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0783)
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0863)
2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/25/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State & Local Government Committee
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/17/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Approved by Delayed Bills Committee
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Refer to Senate Delayed Bills Committee
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Approved by Delayed Bills Comm.
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Delayed Bills Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Ref. to Delayed Bills Committee
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires a nonprofit organization seeking to operate an annual event for the benefit of that organization to submit an annual event application to the secretary of state by January 31
st
of each year. This bill authorizes such a nonprofit organization to submit an annual event application to the secretary of state within five calendar days after this bill becomes a law, for the annual event period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June
30, 2027.

Present law requires the secretary of state to review all annual event applications and submit a list of qualifying applicants to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives by March 8
th
of each year. This bill requires the secretary of state to transfer an additional list of approved organizations for those organizations approved pursuant to the above-stated deadline for the annual event period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 3
0, 2027. The additional list must be transferred to the cle
rks by noon within 10 calendar days after this bill becomes a law.

ON MARCH 30, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2723, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 adds to the bill that for nonprofit organizations seeking to operate an annual gaming event, that u
pon authorization by the general assembly, the clerk of the house last approving the authorization
must
transmit electronically a copy of
the authorization
to the secretary and to the executive director of the Tennessee district attorney generals conference for distribution to each affected district attorney general.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 2659
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 2723
By Johnson
SB2723
014569
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3,
Chapter 17, relative to charitable gaming.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 3-17-103(a)(1)(A)(ii), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(ii) In addition to the submission deadline described in subdivision (a)(1)(A)(i), a
nonprofit organization seeking to operate an annual event for the benefit of that
organization located in this state may submit an annual event application to the
secretary within five (5) calendar days after the effective date of this act, for the annual
event period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 3-17-103(b)(2), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(2) In addition to the omnibus listing transferred to the clerk of the senate and
the clerk of the house of representatives pursuant to subdivision (b)(1), the secretary
shall transfer an additional omnibus listing of any organizations approved pursuant to
subdivision (a)(1)(A)(ii) for the annual event period beginning July 1, 2026, and ending
June 30, 2027. The list must be transferred in a manner consistent with subdivision
(b)(1) by twelve o'clock (12:00) noon central daylight time (CDT) within ten (10) calendar
days after the effective date of this act.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.