Tennessee Senate Bill SB2320

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26
• Engrossed: 3/9/26
• Enrolled: 4/30/26
• Passed: 5/22/26
• Chaptered: 5/27/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 10, relative to security.

Summary

SB2320 amends Tennessee campaign finance law to allow officeholders to use campaign funds for certain security-related expenses at their personal residences without those expenditures being treated as personal use. The bill specifically authorizes spending on home security consultation, equipment, monitoring services, safe rooms, and security guards at the residence for non-campaign purposes, with a cap of $12,000 per calendar year. It also requires the spending to be disclosed as “residential security.” The bill defines “home security equipment” broadly to include items such as security software, sensors, cameras, video doorbells, locks, security fencing, security doors, and related devices. Officeholders must keep documentation supporting the expenditures under existing recordkeeping rules, and information obtained by the registry in an audit or investigation is confidential and not open to public inspection. The bill also clarifies that it does not limit campaign spending on non-residential security tied to a candidate’s election or official duties.

Impact

This bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 10, specifically Section 2-10-114(b), by creating a new exception to the general prohibition on campaign funds being used for personal benefit. It changes how campaign finance law treats residential security expenses for officeholders, establishes a disclosure category for those expenses, and adds confidentiality protections for related audit or investigative records. The practical effect is to permit limited campaign-funded home security spending by candidates and officeholders while preserving documentation and reporting requirements.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the measure. It advanced out of the Senate State & Local Government Committee and passed subsequent floor votes with large majorities, including unanimous final adoption in the House on the conference committee report. The pattern of votes indicates the bill was generally viewed favorably and as a targeted campaign finance/security measure rather than a controversial overhaul.

Contention

The main policy issue is the use of campaign funds for a personal residence, which can raise concerns about the boundary between campaign-related and personal expenditures. The bill addresses that concern by limiting the spending to security-related items, capping the amount at $12,000 per year, requiring disclosure, and making audit/investigation information confidential. Any opposition appears to have been limited, as reflected by the small number of dissenting votes in earlier stages and the absence of recorded committee debate in the provided materials.