Senate Bill 1746, also known as House Bill 1473, amends Tennessee law regarding marriage by introducing new provisions that exempt private citizens and organizations from recognizing same-sex marriages. Specifically, it adds a subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-113, stating that private entities are not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment or the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage. Additionally, the bill amends Section 17-5-301 to prevent disciplinary actions against individuals who choose not to celebrate or officiate marriages that do not align with the traditional definition of marriage as outlined in the code.

The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to actions occurring on or after that date. An amendment to the bill proposes the deletion of the phrase "or a purported marriage" from the language in Section 1, which may further clarify the intent of the legislation. Overall, the bill seeks to provide legal protections for individuals and organizations that do not wish to recognize or participate in same-sex marriages.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-3-113, 17-5-301
Amended with HA0561 -- 02/19/2026: 36-3-113, 17-5-301