Tennessee House Bill HB1312

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/12/25
• Refer: 3/5/25
• Refer: 3/12/25
• Chaptered: 4/8/25
• Passed: 4/8/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 1, relative to state employment bereavement leave.

Summary

HB1312, which became Public Chapter No. 74, amends Tennessee’s state employee bereavement leave law to require paid leave for certain state officers and employees when a family member dies. The bill establishes three tiers of leave: three paid days for the death of a sibling, grandparent, grandchild, foster parent, or parent-in-law; five paid days for the death of a parent or stepparent; and ten paid days for the death of a spouse, child, or stepchild. It applies to officers and employees of specified state agencies, boards, and departments identified in the Tennessee Code. The measure updates Tennessee Code Annotated Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 1, specifically Section 8-50-113, by adding a new subsection that creates mandatory paid bereavement leave entitlements for covered state workers. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting a policy change in state employment benefits rather than a broader private-sector labor mandate.

Impact

The bill expands statutory leave rights for covered state employees and officers by creating a uniform, mandatory paid bereavement leave standard in state government. It affects the administration of state personnel policies and requires the relevant agencies to provide paid time off in the specified family-death circumstances, while leaving private employers and most other workers unaffected. The amendment directly changes Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-50-113.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have had broadly favorable support and little visible opposition. It passed the House Public Service Subcommittee unanimously, advanced through the House State & Local Government Committee with only one dissenting vote, and then passed the House floor on a consent calendar with 92 yeas and no nays. The lack of committee transcript discussion suggests the proposal was viewed as a straightforward employee-benefits measure.

Contention

There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record. The only notable dissent came in the House State & Local Government Committee, indicating at least one member had reservations, but no recorded discussion explains the objection. Any potential points of contention would likely center on the cost and administrative burden of mandating paid leave for state agencies versus the benefit of providing more generous bereavement support to employees.