Civil Procedure - As enacted, clarifies that the same immunities from civil liability, adverse action, and disciplinary action, and duties, that apply to this state, state employees, public schools, LEAs, public school s, the official text

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                            PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 1076

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1665

                                               By Rose, Bowling, Haile, Pody

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 1666

                                   By Maberry, McCalmon, Cochran, Todd, Powers

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50; Title 49, Chapter 7, Part 24 and
          Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 51, relative to the use of honorifics.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(a)(3), is amended by deleting
the language "names and pronouns" and substituting instead "names, pronouns, and honorifics".

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated., Section 49-6-5102(b)(1)(B), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (B) Preferred pronoun or honorific of a student, teacher, employee, or contractor of a
          public school or LEA, if the individual's preferred pronoun is not consistent with the
          individual's sex or the individual's preferred honorific is not consistent with the individual's
          sex;

          SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(b)(2)(B), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (B) A pronoun or honorific that is consistent with the sex of the student, teacher,
          employee, or contractor to whom the student, teacher, employee, or contractor is referring,
          even if the pronoun or honorific is not the individual's preferred pronoun or honorific; or

          SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(b)(3)(B), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (B) The preferred pronoun or honorific of a student, teacher, employee, or contractor
          of a public school or LEA, if the individual's preferred pronoun is inconsistent with the
          individual's sex or the individual's preferred honorific is not consistent with the individual's
          sex.

          SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(c)(2), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (2) A pronoun or honorific that is consistent with the sex of the individual to whom the
          student, teacher, employee, or contractor is referring, even if the pronoun or honorific is not
          the individual's preferred pronoun or honorific.

          SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(d)(1 ), is amended by deleting
the language "pronouns" wherever it appears and substituting instead "pronouns or honorifics".

          SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(d), is amended by deleting
subdivisions (2) and (3) and substituting instead:

                    (2) A teacher, employee, or contractor of a public school or LEA shall not knowingly
          address or refer to an unemancipated minor student who is enrolled in the public school or
          LEA by a name other than the student's legal name, or a derivative thereof, by a pronoun or
          title that is inconsistent with the student's sex, or an honorific that is not consistent with the
SB 1665

         individual's sex without first obtaining written consent to do so from the unemancipated minor
         student's parent or legal guardian.

                   (3) A teacher, employee, or contractor of a public school or LEA shall not ask a
         student to refer to the teacher, employee, or contractor using a pronoun that is inconsistent
         with the sex of the teacher, employee, or contractor, or using an honorific that is not
         consistent with the sex of the teacher, employee, or contractor.

          SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-5102(e), is amended by deleting the
language "preferred name or preferred pronoun" wherever it appears in subdivision (1) and
substituting instead "preferred name, pronoun, or honorific" and by deleting the language "pronouns"
wherever it appears in subdivision (2) and substituting instead "pronouns or honorifics".

          SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409(a)(3), is amended by deleting
the language "names or pronouns" and substituting instead "names, pronouns, and honorifics".

          SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409(b)(1)(8), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (B) Preferred pronoun or honorific of a student, faculty member, employee, or
          contractor, if the individual's preferred pronoun is not consistent with the individual's sex or
          the individual's preferred honorific is not consistent with the individual's sex;

          SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409(b)(2)(8), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (8) A pronoun or honorific that is consistent with the sex of the student, faculty
          member, employee, or contractor to whom the student, faculty member, employee, or
          contractor is referring, even if the pronoun or honorific is not the individual's preferred
          pronoun or honorific; or

          SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409(b)(3)(8}, is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (B) Preferred pronoun or honorific of a student, faculty member, employee, or
          contractor, if the individual's preferred pronoun is inconsistent with the individual's sex or the
          individual's preferred ho·norific is not consistent with the individual's sex.

          SECTION 13. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409(c)(2), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting instead:

                (2) A pronoun or honorific that is consistent with the sex of the individual to whom the

          student, faculty member, employee, or contractor is referring, even if the pronoun or honorific
          is not the .individual's preferred pronoun or honorific.

          SECTION 14. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-7-2409(d), is amended by deleting
the language "pronouns" and substituting instead "pronouns or honorifics".

          SECTION 15. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-121 (a)(3), is amended by deleting
tt,e lan. guage. "name. s and pronouns" and substituting instead "names, pronouns, and honorifics".

          SECTION 16. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-121(b)(1)(8), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (8) Preferred pronoun or honorific of a state employee, contractor of the state, or a
          person. \J\lith whom the state employee or contractor of the state is communicating for
          purposes .of, and within the scope of, the employee's state employment or the contractor's
          contract with the state, if the individual's preferred pronoun is not consistent with the
          iridividual's sex or the individual's preferred honorific not consistent with the individual's sex;

        • SECTION •17. Tennessee Code· Annotated, Section 8-50-121 (b)(2)(B), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:

                (B) A pronoun or honorific to refer to a state employee, contractor of the state, or a

          person •With whom the state employee or contractor of the state is· 6ommunicating for
          purposes of; and within the scope of, the employee's state employment or the contractor's
          contract with the state that .is consistent .with the sex of the individual to whom the state
          employee or contractor of the state is referring, even if the pronoun·or honorific is not the
          individual's preferred pronoun or honorific; or

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SB 1665
         SECTION 18. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-121(b)(3)(8), is amended by

deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
                   (8) Preferred pronoun or honorific of a state employee, contractor of the state, or a

         person with whom the state .employee or contractor of the state is communicating for
         purposes of, and within the scope of, the employee's state employment or the contractor's
         contract with the state, if the individual's preferred pronoun is inconsistent with the
         individual's sex or the individual's preferred honorific is not consistent with the individual's
         sex.
         SECTION 19. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-121(c)(2), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting instead:

                   (2) A pronoun or honorific that is consistent with the sex of the individual to whom the
         state employee is referring, even if the pronoun or honorific is not the individual's preferred
          prqnoun or honorific.
          SECTION 20. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-121 (d), is amended by deleting the
language "pronouns" wherever it appears and substituting instead "pronouns or honorifics".
          SECTION 21. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

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         SENATE BILL NO. 1665

PASSED:  April 22, 2026

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                                                  RANDY cNALLY

                            SPEAKER OF Tt,SENATE

                            CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APPROVED this ..1....2...__-_.__ .J._ - day of ~  2026

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                      BILL LEE, GOVERNOR