Tennessee Senate Bill SB2506

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26
• Failed: 3/10/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 21 and Title 66, relative to housing discrimination.

Summary

SB2506, titled the Tennessee Fair Chance Housing Act, would add a new set of fair-housing protections in Tennessee law for people with criminal histories. The bill makes it a discriminatory practice for a housing provider to refuse housing, change terms, advertise limitations, ask about arrests that did not lead to conviction, or consider non-conviction information when evaluating an applicant. It also limits when landlords and other housing providers may consider convictions: misdemeanor convictions only within a three-year look-back period and felony convictions only within a ten-year look-back period, measured from conviction or release/completion of sentence, whichever is later. The bill requires an individualized assessment before a denial based on criminal history can be made within the applicable look-back period, and it places the burden on the housing provider to show a direct relationship between the conviction and a demonstrable risk to residents or property. Sex offense convictions are treated differently and may be considered without regard to the general look-back periods if the provider conducts the required assessment, the denial is tied to safety or legal housing restrictions, and written notice is given. The bill also bars blanket automatic disqualification policies based solely on criminal convictions.

Impact

SB2506 would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 4, Chapter 21 by creating new statutory protections against housing discrimination based on criminal history and by establishing notice, documentation, and enforcement requirements. It would also require the Department of Correction to create education and outreach programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, including pre-release training, written materials, a hotline, an online portal, and annual reporting to the General Assembly. The Tennessee Human Rights Commission would gain authority to investigate and adjudicate complaints, and aggrieved individuals could bring civil actions under existing remedies. The bill expressly preserves stronger local protections and does not override federal or state restrictions, including sex-offender housing restrictions near protected locations.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available context. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be framed as a reentry and fair-housing reform intended to expand access to housing for people with criminal records while preserving safety-based exceptions. The structure of the bill suggests a policy approach focused on limiting categorical exclusions and requiring case-by-case review.

Contention

The main likely point of contention is the balance between housing access for people with criminal histories and housing providers’ concerns about tenant and community safety. Supporters would likely emphasize rehabilitation, reentry, and the unfairness of blanket bans or reliance on arrests that did not result in conviction. Opponents or cautious stakeholders may focus on the administrative burden of individualized assessments, notice and recordkeeping requirements, and the limits on landlord discretion, especially regarding felony and sex offense convictions. Sex-offender-related housing restrictions and the bill’s interaction with existing safety laws are also likely to be sensitive issues.