Discriminatory Bills Moving to Full Committee | Tennessee Legislative Update February 20
- AMAC
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 43 minutes ago
State bills to watch
Many of the bills that were shared last week have been passed by their respective subcommittees and will move on to full committee hearings in the next few weeks. In particular, all four bills AMAC has been tracking closely- including HB2279, HB1708/SB1889, HB1446, and HB1711 that are highlighted in yellow– have been passed by their subcommittees with exceptions and amendments.
Here we will provide you with an update on some of the discussion around these bills and advice on how to get involved.
Community: Immigration, Surveillance, Islamophobia, and Anti-Palestine Rhetoric
OPPOSE Crush Transnational Repression in TN Act ( HB2279): Passed the subcommittee with amendments, will move on to the Judiciary Committee
As a recap, this bill seeks to:
Creates certain criminal offenses and penalties in relation to people who follow the laws of “adversarial foreign governments.”
Empowers the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to create training programs and public campaigns that associate religious practices with “foreign influences" and “terrorism:
It specifically singles out “Sharia law” by name. While it mentions other laws, it’s the only religious legal system explicitly named.
We are opposing this bill because it opens the door to profiling and Islamophobia. During the subcommittee hearing, the bill sponsors refused to meet with us and the use of the term “Sharia law” was not taken out of the amendments.
OPPOSE Restricted Driver’s Licenses and English Only Tests HB1708/SB1889: Passed the House subcommittee with amendments, will move on to the House Transportation Committee. The Senate version is on the Senate Transportation Committee calendar for 2/25/2026 at 9:00am.
As a recap this bill seeks to:
Strip driver licenses from Non-native English speakers
If an applicant can’t pass the written test in English, they’d only get a one-year restricted license.
After that, they must retake it in English only; no interpreters or dictionaries allowed.
Demands proof of citizenship for mobility
We are opposing this bill because it directly targets immigrant communities, many of whom English is not a first language, and failing could mean losing the ability to work. During the subcommittee hearing, there were people who testified against it and the various questions that were posed in opposition to the bill were from AMAC’s talking points. Exceptions were added to the bill.
OPPOSE Erasure of the West Bank (HB1446): Passed subcommittee with amendments, will move on to the State and Local Government Committee
As a recap this bill seeks to:
Prohibit state agencies from using the term “West Bank,” replacing it with “Judea and Samaria,” effectively attempting to erase Palestinian identity and history from official government records.
Although this will be a difficult bill to stop, we are opposing because it is a direct attempt to de-legitimize the rights of Palestinians to their own land and normalizes the expulsion of Palestinians. Members of the Israel Caucus were present, as well as a Christian Zionist pastor who testified in support of the bill.
OPPOSE Immigration Reporting for Recipients of Social Services (HB1711)- Passed the subcommittee with amendments, will move on to the State and Local Governments Committee
As a recap this bill seeks to:
Requires public schools. colleges, prisons, hospitals and social service agencies to collect the name and immigration status of every person they come in contact with
We are opposing this bill because it is a targeted attack to scare our community, forcing people to show their papers when signing up for school, going to the hospital, etc, as well as the fact it will be an administrative burden on all our public resources. There was opposition to this bill during the subcommittee hearing, as a public school teacher and a public health professional testified against it. Exceptions were made, although the reporting requirements are still extensive.
OPPOSE HB1704: Action deferred (delayed) in Judiciary Committee to next available calendar
As introduced, creates the Class A misdemeanor of intentionally failing or refusing to depart when a final order of removal is outstanding; creates the Class A misdemeanor of intentionally entering, attempting to enter, or being found in this state after being denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed from the United States.
OPPOSE HB1710: Assigned to the State and Local Governments Committee
As introduced, requires local governments to verify that each applicant for public benefits is a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States; authorizes the attorney general and reporter to investigate violations of requirements for verification of citizenship or presence for public benefits; requires certain reporting related to such verification for benefits.
OPPOSE HB1706: Assigned to the Transportation Committee
As introduced, creates a Class A misdemeanor for a person who is unlawfully present in the United States to operate a commercial motor vehicle in this state; requires the law enforcement agency of an officer who arrests a person who is unlawfully present in the United States to operate a commercial motor vehicle in this state to ensure that federal immigration authorities are notified
For Students and Families
Neutral HB1491: Action deferred (delayed) in Judiciary Committee to next available calendar
As introduced, this bill enacts the “Protecting Religious Liberty and Expression in Public Schools Act,” which requires public schools to use the Bible within their instruction and to provide for a period of prayer and reading of religious texts. Although this bill calls for Bible instruction for students, it may open the door for school sanctioned prayer spaces for Muslim students.
Neutral SB1041: Placed on Senate Education Hearing for 2/25/2026 at Cordell Hull Building
As introduced, authorizes a local board of education and public charter school governing body to employ or accept as a volunteer a school chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students, school staff, and students' parents. There is discussion of whether this bill will open the door for other religious clerics, including Imams, to be able to provide such support services for students as well.
For Working Professionals
OPPOSE HB1705: Assigned to Commerce Committee
As introduced, beginning July 1, 2026, requires all state and local governmental employers to verify the work authorization status of each prospective employee through the federal E-Verify program prior to employment.
What This Means for Our Community
Because budget hearings have been scheduled for next week, regular committee calendars are canceled from 2/23-2/27 in the House. Therefore, only SB1041 has been scheduled on the calendar to be discussed on 2/25/26.
However, we only have until the first week of March to make a difference and call our legislators to kill these bills. By clicking on the links above for each of the respective committees, you can find the phone numbers of the representatives responsible for passing these bills. Remember that because these bills are still in committees, you may reach out to any member, regardless of whether you live in their districts.
This Monday February 23, 2026, we need you to take 10 to 15 minutes to call House State and Local Government committee members to oppose this erasure. You can call anytime Monday, but if you want to gather together, AMAC is hosting a virtual phone bank between 1 pm - 4 pm Central.
RSVP on Zoom here.
Our team will closely track bills, committee action, hearing schedules, and will provide timely updates on our Broadcast Channels. Please join and share with your friends, family, and neighbors as a key resource in today’s political battleground. We will share alerts and advocacy opportunities as the session progresses and key actions approach.
Tennessee Legislative Update 2/20
Tennessee Legislative Update 2/20
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