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Votes at a glance: key bills the Tennessee House passed on April 16, 2026
Summary
Alongside the FY2026–27 budget, the House cleared a set of bills on the calendar, including the bond bill for capital projects, statutory updates to include the Space Force, and measures on health‑record access, opioid abatement funding and community meetings by electronic participation.
The Tennessee House completed votes on several measures on April 16 while moving the annual appropriations bill. Key outcomes from the floor:
- Senate Bill 2690 (FY 2026–27 budget): Passed on third reading by constitutional majority (I 83, N 12). The budget totals $58.3 billion and funds health and social services, education, transportation, and targeted legislative initiatives including hospital buybacks.
- Senate Bill 2692 (bond bill): Passed (I's 95). The bill authorizes bonding for capital projects; this year the primary bond project discussed is the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine building.
- Senate Bill 259 (health records/parental access): The House concurred in Senate Amendment 2 clarifying parental access to minors’ medical, prescription and rehabilitation records and requiring notification in suicidal‑ideation cases. Recorded vote: Ayes 87, Nays 13.
- Senate Bill 1495 (opioid abatement funds): The House approved legislation to accept monetary settlements from opioid manufacturers into the state opioid abatement council (recorded I's 87, 0 nays in the tally announced on the floor).
- Senate Bill 1670 (armed forces statutory updates): Passed to add the U.S. Space Force in Tennessee statutory references so members of that service are treated equivalently in state law (recorded I 77, 11 nays).
- Senate Bill 1944 (community meetings by electronic participation): Passed; allows permissive, noticed community meetings with electronic participation for public viewing, provided no official decisions are made.
What didn’t pass on the floor: Multiple member amendments to the budget (see the budget story) were defeated or tabled, including proposals for a cold‑case unit at TBI, transfers from vouchers to farm grants, and redirections of charter facility funds to summer nutrition or public school facilities.
Procedural note: Several messages and conference committee appointments were announced on the floor. The House recessed and will reconvene Monday, April 20, 2026 for additional calendar business and committee meetings.
Source: Statements and recorded votes on the House floor, April 16, 2026.
