Tennessee Senate Bill SB1017

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Engrossed: 3/3/25
• Enrolled: 3/18/25
• Passed: 3/25/25
• Chaptered: 4/8/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 21 and Title 55, Chapter 4, relative to veterans with disabilities.

Summary

SB1017 amends Tennessee law governing benefits for disabled veterans to allow a qualifying veteran to obtain a distinguishing disabled-veteran placard in lieu of the free disabled-veteran license plate already authorized under state law. A veteran who is eligible for the free plate may choose the placard instead, and a veteran who already has the free plate may also obtain the placard by paying the standard placard fee. The placard may be used for parking purposes in the same way as the qualifying license plate when properly displayed. The bill also clarifies that, for purposes of the relevant statute, the term "certificate" includes both the free disabled-veteran registration/license plate and the new distinguishing placard. The act takes effect July 1, 2026, and it amends provisions in Tennessee Code Annotated Title 55 relating to motor vehicle registration, license plates, and parking accommodations for disabled veterans.

Impact

The bill expands the menu of identification options available to disabled veterans under Tennessee motor vehicle law without changing eligibility for the underlying benefit. It affects Tennessee Code Annotated sections in Title 55, Chapter 21 and Title 55, Chapter 4 by authorizing the Department of Revenue or other administering agency to issue disabled-veteran placards and by allowing those placards to substitute for a disabled-veteran plate for parking purposes. The practical impact is on disabled veterans who prefer a placard over a plate, as well as on the state agency responsible for issuing and administering these credentials.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Transportation and Safety Committee unanimously and then cleared both chambers by overwhelming margins, with no recorded opposition in the committee vote or floor votes. The available record suggests a consensus measure aimed at improving convenience for disabled veterans rather than altering substantive eligibility rules or imposing significant new burdens.

Contention

No notable substantive opposition is reflected in the available materials. The only likely implementation issue is administrative: the bill authorizes the department to establish procedures for issuing the new placards, and it requires payment of the regular placard fee for veterans who already have the free plate and want an additional placard. Otherwise, the measure seems to have been treated as a straightforward veterans' benefits and parking-accommodation bill.