| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | HOUSE BILL 749 |
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| 6 | 5 | | By Reeves |
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| 7 | 6 | | |
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| 8 | 7 | | |
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| 9 | 8 | | HB0749 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 001896 |
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| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 11 | | |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, |
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| 14 | 13 | | Chapter 50, relative to driver licenses issued to |
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| 15 | 14 | | persons without lawful presence. |
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| 16 | 15 | | |
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| 17 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 18 | 17 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 50, Part 3, is amended by |
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| 19 | 18 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 20 | 19 | | 55-50-355. |
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| 21 | 20 | | Not later than December 1, 2025, the department shall develop and publish on its |
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| 22 | 21 | | website a list of out-of-state classes of driver licenses issued to illegal aliens that are |
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| 23 | 22 | | invalid in this state in accordance with SECTION 2. The department shall update the list |
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| 24 | 23 | | as necessary in order to correct mistakes and to add or remove an out-of-state class of |
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| 25 | 24 | | driver license to keep the list in conformity with the requirements of SECTION 2. |
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| 26 | 25 | | SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 50, Part 3, is amended by |
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| 27 | 26 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 28 | 27 | | (a) If a driver license is of a class of driver licenses issued by another state |
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| 29 | 28 | | exclusively to illegal aliens, then the driver license is invalid in this state and does not |
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| 30 | 29 | | authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle in this state. For purposes of this |
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| 31 | 30 | | section, "driver license" includes a permit purporting to authorize the holder to operate a |
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| 32 | 31 | | motor vehicle on public roadways. The class of driver licenses described in this |
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| 33 | 32 | | subsection (a) includes driver licenses that are: |
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| 34 | 33 | | (1) Issued exclusively to illegal aliens; and |
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| 35 | 34 | | (2) Contain a marking or are designed in such a manner as to be easily |
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| 36 | 35 | | distinguishable from driver licenses issued to residents of that state who: |
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| 37 | 36 | | |
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| 38 | 37 | | |
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| 39 | 38 | | - 2 - 001896 |
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| 40 | 39 | | |
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| 41 | 40 | | (A) Are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents of |
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| 42 | 41 | | the United States; or |
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| 43 | 42 | | (B) Have temporary legal presence and a specified period of |
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| 44 | 43 | | authorized stay in the United States. |
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| 45 | 44 | | (b) It is an offense for a person to operate a motor vehicle in this state with an |
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| 46 | 45 | | invalid driver license described in subsection (a). A violation of this subsection (b) is a |
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| 47 | 46 | | Class B misdemeanor. |
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| 48 | 47 | | SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-304, is amended by adding |
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| 49 | 48 | | the following at the end of subdivisions (3) and (4) immediately preceding the semicolon: |
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| 50 | 49 | | , if the nonresident's license is not invalid under SECTION 2 |
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| 51 | 50 | | SECTION 4. Section 1 of this act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare |
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| 52 | 51 | | requiring it. All remaining sections of this act take effect January 1, 2026, the public welfare |
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| 53 | 52 | | requiring it. |
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