Tennessee Senate Bill SB1149

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Chaptered: 4/28/25
• Passed: 4/28/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 5, relative to funeral directors and embalmers.

Summary

SB1149 amends Tennessee law governing licensure of funeral directors and embalmers. The bill changes the apprenticeship requirement for a funeral director license by requiring two years of apprenticeship under the supervision of a licensed funeral director, while allowing an associate degree from an accredited funeral service education program or an approved transcript-based program to substitute for one year of that apprenticeship. The measure is a targeted licensing and education update within Title 62, Chapter 5 of the Tennessee Code. It affects applicants for funeral director licensure, licensed funeral directors who supervise apprentices, and funeral service education programs by clarifying how formal education can reduce the amount of required practical training. The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Impact

The bill revises Tennessee Code Annotated § 62-5-305(b)(7) to modify the qualifications for funeral director licensure. It preserves the apprenticeship model but creates an education-based credit that can shorten the apprenticeship period by one year for applicants with qualifying academic credentials. This changes the licensure pathway for funeral service professionals and may affect how funeral homes, apprentices, and educational institutions structure training and hiring.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests the bill was noncontroversial and received strong support. It passed the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee unanimously, 8-0, with a recommendation for passage and amendment. No committee transcript or recorded debate was provided, and the absence of recorded opposition suggests broad agreement on the licensing adjustment.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The only likely policy question is whether formal education should count toward apprenticeship requirements, balancing workforce flexibility and educational credentials against traditional hands-on training. The committee vote indicates that any concerns were not significant enough to generate recorded opposition.