Tennessee Senate Bill SB1872

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/26
• Engrossed: 2/23/26
• Enrolled: 3/11/26
• Passed: 3/25/26
• Chaptered: 4/6/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-5-118 and Section 36-5-119, relative to child support.

Summary

SB1872 revises Tennessee’s child support disbursement law. The bill designates the Department of Human Services as the state disbursement unit and requires the department to establish, advertise, and maintain a customer service unit specifically to receive and respond to citizen inquiries and complaints about child support collections and disbursements. If the department uses a contractor to carry out these duties, the contractor must provide the same customer service function. The bill also deletes Tennessee Code Annotated Section 36-5-119 in its entirety, removing that statutory provision from the child support framework. The measure takes effect immediately upon becoming law, reflecting the legislature’s determination that it serves the public welfare.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 36-5-118 and 36-5-119 and directly affects the administration of child support payments in Tennessee. It centralizes responsibility for child support disbursement with the Department of Human Services and imposes a customer-service requirement on the department or any contractor it hires, which may affect how parents, custodial parties, and obligors resolve payment and disbursement issues. By repealing Section 36-5-119, the bill removes existing statutory language from state law and replaces it with the new framework in Section 36-5-118.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support for the bill. The Senate Judiciary Committee recommended passage unanimously, and the floor motion to adopt also passed unanimously, indicating broad bipartisan agreement and little visible opposition in the recorded proceedings. No committee transcript is available, but the votes suggest the bill was viewed as a straightforward administrative update to child support operations.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record, as both recorded votes were unanimous. Any potential concerns would likely center on the administrative burden of requiring a dedicated customer service unit and the implications of shifting or reaffirming responsibilities for child support collections and disbursements, especially if a private contractor is used. However, no specific objections, amendments, or opposing arguments appear in the provided materials.