Tennessee Senate Bill SB0738

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 20; Title 29; Title 36; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 49; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to unborn children.

Summary

SB0738 is a very short measure that amends Tennessee Code Annotated section 4-8-305(d)(6) to assign ongoing responsibility for a monument to the State Capitol Commission. The added language states that after the monument is placed, the commission must handle its upkeep and maintenance using funds appropriated to it. Although the bill caption references multiple titles and says it is "relative to unborn children," the operative text provided only changes the maintenance responsibility for a monument. Based on the text supplied, the bill does not create a new criminal offense, regulatory program, or benefit; it simply clarifies which state entity is responsible for preserving the monument after installation.

Impact

The bill would make a narrow change to Tennessee law by amending Title 4, specifically section 4-8-305(d)(6), to place maintenance duties for a monument with the State Capitol Commission and authorize use of appropriated funds for that purpose. It affects state administrative responsibilities and appropriations for monument upkeep, but the text provided does not show changes to the substantive law in the other titles listed in the caption.

Sentiment

There is no committee transcript or recorded vote history provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the materials supplied. From the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and noncontroversial, though the caption's broad reference to "unborn children" suggests the bill may be associated with a politically sensitive subject matter beyond the narrow operative amendment.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the mismatch between the caption and the operative text. The caption suggests a broader bill concerning unborn children across multiple titles of the Tennessee Code, while the actual amendment provided only addresses monument maintenance in Title 4. Without transcripts, it is not possible to identify specific objections or supporters, but any disagreement would likely center on whether the bill's title accurately reflects its substance and on the symbolic or political implications of the monument it references.