House Bill 321, also known as Senate Bill 329, aims to modernize the legal framework in Tennessee regarding the acceptance and definition of electronic transmissions. The bill mandates that all executive branch departments, agencies, and offices must accept electronic submissions of documents that were previously allowed to be submitted via fax. It introduces a new definition of "electronic transmission," which encompasses various forms of digital communication, excluding fax or facsimile. Additionally, the bill encourages courts to develop procedures for the electronic filing of documents, thereby promoting efficiency and reducing costs associated with traditional paper submissions.

The bill also includes numerous amendments across various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated, replacing references to "fax," "facsimile," and "email" with "electronic transmission." This change reflects a shift towards a more unified and modern approach to document submission and communication within state government and legal processes. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, ensuring that all relevant parties are prepared for the transition to electronic communications.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 1-3-105(a), 1-3-105, 2-5-204(b)(2)(B), 2-5-204, 10-7-503(a)(7)(A)(i), 10-7-503, 16-1-113, 16-3-408, 47-18-2404(b), 47-18-2404, 56-5-123(a), 56-5-123, 63-1-160(e), 63-1-160, 67-5-1412(b)(2), 67-5-1412, 71-5-2404(c)(1)(B), 71-5-2404, 2-2-113(b), 2-2-113, 2-2-129(a)(1)(A), 2-2-129, 2-6-202(a)(3), 2-6-202, 2-6-202(b), 2-6-206(1), 2-6-206, 2-6-206(3), 2-10-105(h)(1), 2-10-105, 3-1-114, 4-3-1405(j)(1), 4-3-1405, 9-4-408(h), 9-4-408, 22-2-315(a)(2), 22-2-315, 22-2-317(a), 22-2-317, 24-7-116(f), 24-7-116, 24-7-121(a)(1)(B), 24-7-121, 24-7-121(b)(1), 31-4-106(g)(2), 31-4-106, 33-6-624(f)(4), 33-6-624, 36-3-609(b)(1), 36-3-609, 36-5-115(c)(1)(A), 36-5-115, 36-5-115(c)(1)(B), 36-5-501(m), 36-5-501, 36-5-807(b), 36-5-807, 36-5-907, 36-5-1002(c)(3), 36-5-1002, 38-1-402(b), 38-1-402, 40-6-109(e)(2)(C), 40-6-109, 40-27-110(c)(2), 40-27-110, 40-28-102(5), 40-28-102, 43-38-103(25), 43-38-103, 43-38-108(b), 43-38-108, 45-1-129, 47-18-2108(e), 47-18-2108, 48-11-308, 49-7-2105(a)(1)(C), 49-7-2105, 50-6-204(d)(4), 50-6-204, 54-1-505(b), 54-1-505, 62-76-104(b)(2), 62-76-104, 63-1-130(b)(2), 63-1-130, 67-3-704(c), 67-3-704, 67-3-801(d), 67-3-801, 67-3-808(b), 67-3-808, 67-5-1513(c), 67-5-1513, 67-5-1805(c)(4)(B)(i), 67-5-1805, 71-5-117(f), 71-5-117