Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee SB7001: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, relative to the 2026 congressional elections.
Status: Chaptered, July 27, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary In order to qualify as a candidate in a primary election for congress, present law requires, among other things, that the person resided in the county or district for one year immediately preceding the elections. This amendment creates an exception to such present law requirement for the 2026 primary election for the office of United States representative. ON MAY 7, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 7001, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 adds the following if the general assembly revises the composition of one or more congressional districts in this state after March 10, 2026, for the 2026 primary or general election: (1) Requires the coordinator of elections to provide notice of the revised congressional districts and the special qualifying deadline prescribed by this amendment to the qualified candidates and county election commissions, and publish notice of the revisions to the composition of congressional districts, the qualified candidates, and the special qualifying deadline on the secretary of state's official website; (2) Requires each county election commission in which all or any portion of a redrawn congressional district is located to publish notice on the county election commission's official website, if one exists. Such publication satisfies all statutory notice requirements; (3) Grandfathers candidates who qualified for election in a redrawn district designated by the same district number. A candidate who previously qualified but now wishes to run in a different district after districts are redrawn will be required to notify the coordinator of elections no later than 12:00 noon on May 15, 2026. A candidate who previously qualified may withdraw by notifying the coordinator of elections by 12:00 noon on May 15, 2026; (4) Establi
What the bill says
From the amended text:
Amendment No. 37 to HB7001 Pearson Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 7001 House Bill No. 7001* by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 16, is amended by adding the following as a new section: (a) As used in this section: (1) "Disability" has the same meaning as is used in the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12102; (2) "Election policy or practice" means any qualification to be a voter, prerequisite to voting, method of election, or any other law, statute, ordinance, resolution, charter or code provision, regulation, rule, policy, practice, procedure, standard, or any other action with respect to voting, electoral or jurisdictional boundaries, or the administration or schedule of elections; (3) "Governing body" means the entity with official authority to make or enforce decisions, policies, and laws for a political subdivision; (4) "Limited English proficient individuals" or "LEP individuals" means individuals who self-report speaking, reading, or understanding the English language less than "very well," according to the United States census bureau data or data of comparable quality collected by a governmental entity, including as self-reported by such persons to a governmental entity; (5) "Method of election" means the manner or mechanism by which the 2026 congressional candidates are elected, and includes …