Tennessee House Bill HB0928

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 53, relative to food products.

Summary

HB0928 amends Tennessee law to prohibit the sale or offering for sale of any food that contains a live vaccine. The bill adds a new definition of “live vaccine” to Title 53, describing it as a weakened form of a virus or bacteria intended for use in humans to stimulate antibodies and provide immunity against disease. The measure is framed as a food-product regulation and would make it unlawful to market food containing live vaccines in Tennessee. It does not create a broader vaccine policy, but instead targets a specific category of food items under the state’s existing regulatory framework for food and related products.

Impact

The bill would add a new prohibited practice under Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 53-1-103(a), expanding the state’s food-related restrictions to include any food containing a live vaccine. It also adds a statutory definition of “live vaccine” in Section 53-1-102, which would guide enforcement and interpretation by regulators, sellers, and manufacturers. The practical effect would be to bar such products from sale or offer for sale in Tennessee and potentially affect food producers, retailers, and distributors dealing with novel vaccine-related food products.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented debate or vote-based sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears precautionary and consumer-protection oriented, with an emphasis on preventing the sale of food products containing live vaccines.

Contention

Because there are no available discussion transcripts, specific points of contention are not documented. Potential areas of concern, based on the text, could include how broadly “food” is defined, whether the prohibition could affect experimental or biotech products, and how regulators would distinguish between ordinary food items and products involving vaccine technology. Any opposition would likely center on scientific, commercial, or definitional issues rather than on a broader food-safety framework.