Tennessee House Bill HB1184

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 12; Title 13; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 48; Title 50; Title 53; Title 54; Title 55; Title 56; Title 61; Title 62; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to commerce.

Summary

HB1184 makes a targeted change to Tennessee’s contractor licensing laws. It restates that it is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to hold itself out as a licensed contractor, or to perform as a “contractor” under Tennessee law and related rules, unless that person or entity is properly licensed under the state’s contractor licensing provisions. The bill also removes a cross-reference in the contractor licensing enforcement statute, deleting references to two specific code sections from Tennessee Code Annotated § 62-6-136(b). The measure takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting a narrow regulatory update rather than a broad policy change.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 62-6-136, which governs unlawful representation and unlicensed contracting activity, and it also deletes obsolete or unnecessary statutory references from subsection (b). Its practical effect is to reinforce enforcement against unlicensed contractors and clarify the licensing requirement for anyone acting in the capacity of a contractor under Tennessee law or comparable rules from other states. The change primarily affects contractors, construction businesses, regulators, and consumers relying on licensed work standards.

Sentiment

Based on the text provided, the bill appears to be a straightforward technical and enforcement-oriented measure with no recorded committee debate or votes in the available materials. The absence of opposition, amendments, or recorded controversy suggests the bill was likely viewed as a routine clarification of existing contractor licensing law rather than a contentious policy proposal.

Contention

No specific points of contention are shown in the available record because there are no committee transcripts or vote details. If any concern were to arise from the bill’s substance, it would likely center on enforcement of unlicensed contracting restrictions and whether the statutory cleanup could affect how licensing violations are prosecuted, but no such objections are documented here.