Tennessee House Bill HB2196

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26
• Refer: 2/5/26
• Refer: 2/18/26
• Refer: 4/8/26
• Refer: 4/14/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 26, relative to sober living homes.

Summary

HB2196 amends Tennessee’s sober living homes law by redefining the term “local government” in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 26. The bill narrows that definition to a county and an incorporated city or town within that county that fall within very specific 2020-or-later census population ranges. In practical effect, the bill appears to target a small number of jurisdictions rather than applying statewide. Because the bill is framed as a population-based definition change, it likely affects which local governments are covered by or can act under the sober living homes provisions in the existing statute. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law, citing the public welfare, which suggests lawmakers intended the change to be implemented without delay.

Impact

The bill amends the statutory definition of “local government” in Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 26, which governs sober living homes. By replacing the prior definition with a population-specific one, it changes the set of counties and municipalities that fall within the law’s scope and may alter which local governments have authority or obligations under the sober living homes framework. The bill does not create a new regulatory scheme, but it does modify the reach of existing law for the affected jurisdictions.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It received favorable recommendations at each committee stage, including unanimous or near-unanimous votes, with no recorded opposition in most committees and only one nay in the House State & Local Government Committee. There is no committee transcript available, so the public rationale and debate are not detailed in the record provided, but the vote pattern indicates the measure was generally noncontroversial among committee members.

Contention

The main point of contention, to the extent one is visible from the record, is the use of a highly specific population bracket to define “local government.” That kind of drafting can raise questions about whether the bill is tailored to particular jurisdictions rather than applying uniformly across the state. However, the committee votes show little overt resistance, and no transcript is available to identify any substantive objections from legislators, local officials, or stakeholders.