Tennessee House Bill HB2282

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26
• Refer: 2/5/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50, relative to leave for public employees.

Summary

HB2282 creates a new paid leave benefit for certain Tennessee state employees who are foster parents or kinship caregivers. The leave may be used when the employee must appear in court or attend counseling sessions related to the placement of a foster child. The bill provides up to five workdays of paid leave in a 12-month period and specifies that this leave cannot be charged against the employee’s accumulated sick, annual, or other leave balances. The bill also defines which public employees qualify as “eligible employees,” generally limiting the benefit to full-time state employees who have been employed for at least 12 consecutive months in specified state entities. The new leave is treated as part of the leave required to be provided by the state under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and related state law provisions. The act is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Impact

HB2282 would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50, by adding a new section governing special leave for public employees. Its practical effect is to create a narrow paid leave entitlement for qualifying state employees who serve as foster parents or kinship caregivers, while also clarifying that the leave counts toward the state’s obligations under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and Tennessee’s corresponding employment protections. The bill affects state agencies and other covered public employers by requiring them to administer up to five paid days of leave for the specified caregiving-related purposes.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be straightforward and supportive of foster and kinship caregiving responsibilities. The bill’s structure suggests a generally favorable policy approach toward public employees who take on these caregiving roles, with no documented opposition or amendments in the supplied context. The delayed effective date also indicates an implementation period before the new benefit begins.

Contention

No committee transcripts, recorded votes, or other discussion were provided, so no specific points of contention can be identified from the available record. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill’s terms, could include the cost of providing paid leave, the limitation to certain full-time state employees with at least 12 months of service, and whether the five-day cap is sufficient for court and counseling obligations related to foster care placements. However, these concerns are not reflected in the supplied legislative history.