Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SB0133 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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2	2	HOUSE BILL 69
3	3	By Lamberth
4	4
5	5	SENATE BILL 133
6	6	By Johnson
7	7
8	8
9	9	SB0133
10	10	001317
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13	13	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
14	14	Title 4; Title 38; Title 39; Title 41 and Title 55,
15	15	relative to determining voter eligibility.
16	16
17	17	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
18	18	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 2, is amended by creating
19	19	the following as a new part:
20	20	Part 4. Verification of Voter Eligibility
21	21	2-2-401. Verification of eligibility to vote based upon United States citizenship.
22	22	(a) The coordinator of elections, in collaboration with the department of safety,
23	23	shall, prior to January 1, 2028, create a secure, electronic portal through which each
24	24	county administrator of elections may access information to verify, prior to processing an
25	25	applicant's application to register to vote, whether the applicant is a non-United States
26	26	citizen based upon records on file.
27	27	(b) In carrying out subsection (a), the coordinator of elections and department:
28	28	(1) Shall identify the parameters of information of an applicant to register
29	29	to vote that may be submitted and received through the portal by an
30	30	administrator;
31	31	(2) Shall ensure that, upon submission of such information by an
32	32	administrator, the administrator receives accurate and current information
33	33	regarding the citizenship status of the applicant on file with the department
34	34	without undue delay;
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39	39	(3) Shall ensure that the portal has the capacity to respond to a high
40	40	volume of daily submissions of applicant information by administrators across
41	41	this state as specified by the coordinator of elections; and
42	42	(4) May develop a temporary alternative method for the verification of
43	43	citizenship by an administrator in the event that the portal is offline, inaccessible,
44	44	malfunctioning, or undergoing maintenance.
45	45	(c) If a county administrator rejects an application based upon information
46	46	received pursuant to this section, the administrator shall provide written notice to the
47	47	applicant of the applicant's right to appeal the decision in accordance with § 2-2-125.
48	48	2-2-402. Verification of eligibility to vote based upon felony conviction.
49	49	(a) The coordinator of elections, in collaboration with the Tennessee bureau of
50	50	investigation (TBI), shall, prior to January 1, 2028, create a secure, electronic portal
51	51	through which each county administrator of elections may access information to verify,
52	52	prior to processing an applicant's application to register to vote, whether the applicant is
53	53	ineligible to vote based upon records on file as the result of a felony conviction, or
54	54	alternatively, whether an applicant who has been convicted of a felony is eligible to vote
55	55	as the result of expunction.
56	56	(b) In carrying out subsection (a), the coordinator of elections and TBI:
57	57	(1) Shall identify the parameters of information of an applicant to register
58	58	to vote that may be submitted and received through the portal by an
59	59	administrator;
60	60	(2) Shall ensure that, upon submission of such information by an
61	61	administrator, the administrator receives accurate and current information
62	62	regarding the eligibility status of the applicant without undue delay;
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67	67	(3) Shall ensure that the portal has the capacity to respond to a high
68	68	volume of daily submissions of applicant information by administrators across
69	69	this state as specified by the coordinator of elections; and
70	70	(4) May develop a temporary alternative method for the verification of
71	71	eligibility by an administrator in the event that the portal is offline, inaccessible,
72	72	malfunctioning, or undergoing maintenance.
73	73	(c) If a county administrator rejects an application based upon information
74	74	received pursuant to this section, the administrator shall provide written notice to the
75	75	applicant of the applicant's right to appeal the decision in accordance with § 2-2-125.
76	76	2-2-403. Severability.
77	77	If a provision of this part or its application to a person or circumstance is held
78	78	invalid, then the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the part that
79	79	can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the
80	80	provisions of this part are severable.
81	81	SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-125, is amended by deleting
82	82	subsection (b) and substituting instead the following:
83	83	(b) The administrator shall provide written notice to the registrant that the
84	84	registrant has a right to appeal the decision to the commission within ten (10) days from
85	85	the date the notice was sent. The administrator shall include with such notice an appeal
86	86	form.
87	87	SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-7-112(c)(1), is amended by adding
88	88	the language "that is not a temporary driver license" immediately after the language "Tennessee
89	89	driver license".
90	90	SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-303(a)(9), is amended by
91	91	deleting the following language:
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96	96	To any person who is not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident of
97	97	the United States.
98	98	and substituting instead the following:
99	99	To any person who is not a United States citizen.
100	100	SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-321(c)(1)(C), is amended by
101	101	deleting the subdivision and substituting instead the following:
102	102	(C) Any applicant applying for a driver license, instruction permit, intermediate
103	103	driver license, or photo identification license, upon initial issuance or reinstatement, shall
104	104	provide either an original or certified copy of documentation that the applicant is a citizen
105	105	of the United States.
106	106	SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-321(i)(1), is amended by
107	107	deleting the subdivision and substituting instead the following:
108	108	(1) Any person presenting a driver license from a state that issues driver
109	109	licenses to illegal aliens for the purposes of obtaining a Tennessee driver license is
110	110	required to establish proof of United States citizenship, or, in the case of a temporary
111	111	driver license, either lawful permanent resident status or a specified period of authorized
112	112	stay in the United States.
113	113	SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-331(g), is amended by
114	114	deleting the subsection and substituting instead the following:
115	115	(1) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, the department may issue a
116	116	temporary driver license, temporary intermediate driver license, temporary photo
117	117	identification license, or temporary learner permit to lawful permanent residents of the
118	118	United States or to persons whose presence in the United States has been authorized
119	119	by the federal government for a specific purpose and for a specified period of authorized
120	120	stay.
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125	125	(2) The temporary driver license or photo identification license is valid only
126	126	during the period of time of the applicant's authorized stay in the United States or the
127	127	valid period of the applicant's lawful permanent resident card; provided, however, that a
128	128	temporary license or photo identification license must not be issued for a period longer
129	129	than eight (8) years.
130	130	(3) A temporary driver license, temporary photo identification license, or
131	131	temporary permit must include a visually distinctive font or color for the class designation
132	132	on the face of the license to distinguish the temporary license from the license issued to
133	133	United States citizens under § 55-50-303(a)(9) that are used as a photo identification for
134	134	voting purposes.
135	135	(4) A lawful permanent resident who renews or reinstates a driver license,
136	136	permit, or photo identification license on or after January 1, 2026, must provide proof of
137	137	United States citizenship to maintain the driver license, permit, or photo identification
138	138	license. If such proof of citizenship is not provided, then the person must be issued a
139	139	temporary driver license, temporary permit, or temporary photo identification license
140	140	pursuant to this section.
141	141	(5) A person who becomes a United States citizen may provide proof of such
142	142	citizenship to the department at any time to receive a license under § 55-50-303(a)(9).
143	143	SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-50-102(56), is amended by
144	144	adding the language "except for an individual who is a lawful permanent resident," immediately
145	145	before the language "if there is no definite end".
146	146	SECTION 9. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not
147	147	constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
148	148	requested to include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.
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153	153	SECTION 10. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance
154	154	is held invalid, then the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act that
155	155	can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the provisions of
156	156	this act are severable.
157	157	SECTION 11. Sections 1, 2, and 9 of this act take effect upon becoming a law, the
158	158	public welfare requiring it. For purposes of promulgating rules and forms and redesigning
159	159	licenses and permits, if applicable, all remaining sections of this act take effect upon becoming a
160	160	law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, all remaining sections of this act take
161	161	effect January 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.