Senate Bill 1901 and House Bill 1709 propose amendments to the Tennessee Code Annotated that focus on establishing uniform eligibility requirements for obtaining professional licenses across various fields. A significant change introduced by the bill is the requirement that all applicants must be either a United States citizen or a qualified alien, as defined in Section 4-58-102. This new requirement is added to multiple sections concerning professional licenses in areas such as healthcare, education, and law. Additionally, the bill deletes several subdivisions from existing law that previously outlined eligibility criteria, thereby streamlining the application process and reinforcing the new citizenship or qualified alien requirement.

The bill also includes provisions for verifying the citizenship or qualified alien status of applicants, particularly when accepting licenses from other states. It mandates that licensing agencies confirm the eligibility of applicants and outlines the process for revoking licenses if individuals do not meet the established requirements. Furthermore, the bill specifies that applicants must be at least eighteen years of age and of good moral character, while also detailing requirements for practical training and experience for certain professions. The changes aim to standardize licensing criteria across Tennessee, with the bill set to take effect upon becoming law, and certain provisions scheduled to begin on July 1, 2026, contingent upon the passage of related legislation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 4-58-103(a)(2), 4-58-103, 20-9-609(a), 20-9-609, 37-5-127, 42-2-210, 44-10-203, 44-15-111, 44-16-201, 44-17-104, 45-1-130, 47-18-5504, 47-18-5512, 47-18-5803, 47-26-804(a)(1), 47-26-804, 47-26-1004, 49-5-101, 49-5-106, 49-5-109, 52-2-406, 53-1-204, 53-7-216, 53-14-105(b), 53-14-105, 55-17-302, 56-6-103, 62-26-206(a)(2), 62-26-206, 62-26-207(a)(2), 62-26-207, 62-27-107(a), 62-27-107, 62-35-106(2), 62-35-106, 62-35-117(2), 62-35-117, 63-1-104(c), 63-1-104, 63-5-110(a)(2), 63-5-110, 63-6-207(a)(1), 63-6-207, 63-6-207(a)(2), 63-11-207(a)(3)(B), 63-11-207, 63-11-207(b)(2)(B), 63-11-207(c)(4)(B), 63-12-112(b)(4), 63-12-112, 63-14-103(a)(1), 63-14-103, 63-16-104(a)(1)(B), 63-16-104, 63-20-102(1)(A), 63-20-102, 68-24-602, 68-104-102, 68-135-103, 68-140-306, 68-221-904, 71-1-134
Amended with HA0730, SA1033 -- 04/21/2026: 4-58-103(a)(2), 4-58-103, 20-9-609(a), 20-9-609, 37-5-127, 42-2-210, 44-10-203, 44-15-111, 44-16-201, 44-17-104, 45-1-130, 47-18-5504, 47-18-5512, 47-18-5803, 47-26-804(a)(1), 47-26-804, 47-26-1004, 49-5-101, 49-5-106, 49-5-109, 52-2-406, 53-1-204, 53-7-216, 53-14-105(b), 53-14-105, 55-17-302, 56-6-103, 62-26-206(a)(2), 62-26-206, 62-26-207(a)(2), 62-26-207, 62-27-107(a), 62-27-107, 62-35-106(2), 62-35-106, 62-35-117(2), 62-35-117, 63-1-104(c), 63-1-104, 63-5-110(a)(2), 63-5-110, 63-6-207(a)(1), 63-6-207, 63-6-207(a)(2), 63-11-207(a)(3)(B), 63-11-207, 63-11-207(b)(2)(B), 63-11-207(c)(4)(B), 63-12-112(b)(4), 63-12-112, 63-14-103(a)(1), 63-14-103, 63-16-104(a)(1)(B), 63-16-104, 63-20-102(1)(A), 63-20-102, 68-24-602, 68-104-102, 68-135-103, 68-140-306, 68-221-904, 71-1-134, 63-6-207(a)(1)(E), 63-6-207(a)(2)(E), 63-5-114(a), 63-5-114