House Bill 1473, also known as Senate Bill 1746, amends Tennessee law regarding marriage by introducing new provisions that provide exemptions for private citizens and organizations from recognizing same-sex marriages. Specifically, the bill adds a subsection to Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-3-113, stating that private citizens and organizations are not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment or the Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage. This means that they are not required to acknowledge marriages between individuals of the same sex.

Additionally, the bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 17-5-301, to prevent the board from disciplining or threatening to discipline any individual who chooses not to celebrate or officiate at a marriage or commitment ceremony that does not align with the traditional definition of marriage as outlined in the code. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to actions occurring on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 36-3-113, 17-5-301