Tennessee Senate Bill SB0936

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 1; Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 8, relative to biological sex.

Summary

SB0936 declares as a matter of Tennessee state policy that there are only two sexes: a biological male and a biological female. The bill is brief and does not create a detailed regulatory scheme; instead, it adds a new section to Title 8 stating this policy and makes the act effective immediately upon becoming law. Although the bill text is narrow, its caption indicates it would amend multiple titles of the Tennessee Code Annotated, including Titles 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, all of which cover broad areas of state law and government administration. In practical terms, the measure is intended to establish a statutory definition or policy baseline for how sex is understood in Tennessee law, which could affect interpretation of state programs, records, and policies that distinguish between male and female categories.

Impact

The bill would add a new statutory policy statement to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 1, affirming that the state recognizes only two sexes, defined as biological male and biological female. Because the caption references multiple titles, the measure may influence how state agencies and courts interpret sex-based distinctions across government, education, public records, and other areas of state law, even though the text itself does not specify implementation details or enforcement provisions.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill had meaningful support in committee, passing the Senate Judiciary Committee 7-1 with an amendment and referral to the Senate Calendar Committee. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded debate to indicate detailed arguments, but the strong committee vote suggests the measure was generally favored by most members present.

Contention

The main point of contention is the bill’s categorical statement that there are only two sexes, which may be viewed by supporters as a clarification of biological sex in state law and by opponents as overly rigid or exclusionary in relation to sex, gender identity, and intersex conditions. The lone dissenting vote in committee indicates at least some disagreement, likely over the policy implications of codifying a binary sex definition and its potential effects on individuals and state programs.