Tennessee House Bill HB1659

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/26
• Refer: 1/21/26
• Refer: 3/25/26
• Refer: 4/8/26
• Chaptered: 5/4/26
• Passed: 5/4/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and Title 10, Chapter 7, relative to public records.

Summary

HB1659 amends Tennessee law governing public records and election-related filings by making the home addresses listed on nominating petitions for certain judicial and prosecutorial offices confidential. The protected petitions are those for judge, chancellor, district attorney general, and public defender. Under the bill, those addresses are no longer open to public inspection under the general public records law, except when requested by a candidate or by law enforcement in anticipation of, or during, a contest of candidacy or election. The bill also requires anyone seeking access to certify the reason for the request on a form provided by the coordinator of elections, and that certification is made under penalty of perjury. The measure takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting the legislature’s determination that it serves the public welfare.

Impact

The bill creates a specific exception to Tennessee’s public records statutes by limiting disclosure of address information on nominating petitions for certain judicial and law-enforcement-related offices. It modifies Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, and interacts with the general public records provision in Title 10, Chapter 7, by carving out confidentiality for these petition addresses while preserving access for candidates and law enforcement in election disputes. The practical effect is to reduce public access to personal address information for candidates for judge, chancellor, district attorney general, and public defender, while adding a sworn certification requirement for authorized requests.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support and no recorded opposition in committee, with unanimous votes in both the House Public Service Subcommittee and the House State & Local Government Committee. The bill’s progression suggests broad agreement that the privacy and safety interests involved justify a narrow exception to public disclosure. No committee transcript is available, so the public record here reflects procedural support rather than detailed debate.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the balance between transparency in election-related filings and privacy or safety concerns for candidates whose home addresses appear on nominating petitions. Supporters appear to favor confidentiality for judicial and prosecutorial candidates, likely to reduce unwanted exposure of personal information. Any opposition would likely center on limiting public access to records that are otherwise open under Tennessee’s public records law, but no recorded committee debate or dissent is available in the provided materials.