Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee HB2147: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 49, relative to unmanned aircraft over schools.
Status: Chaptered, May 4, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary ON APRIL 2, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2434, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that the bill only applies to knowingly using an unmanned aircraft over the grounds of a public school that serves students in any of the grades K-12 with the intent to conduct surveillance of the school grounds without permission of a school administrator, the director of schools, or the director's designee. It also does not apply to a law enforcement officer acting within the scope of the law enforcement officer's lawful duties. ON APRIL 7, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 2434 FOR HOUSE BILL 2147, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2434, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 clarifies that the bill also does not apply to the operator of an unmanned aircraft that is being used for a commercial purpose if the operator is authorized by the federal aviation administration to conduct operations in that airspace. ON APRIL 13, 2026, THE SENATE CONCURRED IN HOUSE AMENDMENT #1.
What the bill says
From the amended text:
House Judiciary 1 Amendment No. 1 to HB2147 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 2434 House Bill No. 2147* by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-903(a)(6), is amended by deleting "subdivision (a)(6)" in subdivisions (a)(6)(B) and (a)(6)(C) and substituting "subdivision (a)(7)". SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-903(a), is amended by adding the following as a new subdivision (5) and renumbering the subsequent subdivisions: (5) Knowingly uses an unmanned aircraft over the grounds of a public school that serves students in any of the grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12) with the intent to conduct surveillance of the school grounds without permission of a school administrator, the director of schools, or the director's designee. This subdivision (a)(5) does not apply to: (A) A law enforcement officer acting within the scope of the law enforcement officer's lawful duties; or (B) The operator of an unmanned aircraft that is being used for a commercial purpose if the operator is authorized by the federal aviation administration to conduct operations in that airspace; SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-903, is amended by deleting subsection (b) and substituting: (b) (1) An offense under subdivisions (a)(1)-(6) is a Class C misdemeanor. (2) An offense under subdivision (a)(7) is a Class E …