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Committee hears emotional testimony on biometric testing bill; sponsor seeks two weeks to negotiate with testing provider
Summary
Representative Renault described House Bill 846, which would require informed consent and an opt‑out for biometric scans used by testing contractors; the committee heard public testimony from Josh Love and debated implications for professional licensure and interstate reciprocity. The sponsor requested a two‑week roll to work with the testing vendor and licensing boards.
Representative Renault told the committee HB 846 grew out of a constituent case in which a UTC graduate could not take a licensing exam because the test center required a palm scan. Renault said the bill would require informed consent for biometric collection and an opt‑out alternative: "I just want to be clear that this does not ban biometrics," the sponsor said, adding the bill would "ensure that no Tennessean is forced to surrender immutable biological data to a private entity without informed consent or a meaningful, alternative."
The committee heard public comment from Josh Love of Signal Mountain, who said he earned his degree at age 40 and objected to palm scans on privacy grounds: "I just object to, you know, doing palm scans and stuff…my privacy...it's really hard in 2026 to have a small digital footprint," he said. Members debated technical and legal questions: whether fingerprint data and palm scans are materially different, whether national testing providers and interstate compacts would be affected, and whether the state would unintentionally disrupt reciprocity for professional licenses. Sponsor Renault said she had contacted Pearson and lobbyists and preferred a negotiated solution but advanced the bill to the next calendar to continue talks.
Why it matters: HB 846 touches on privacy, data security and professional licensure; it pits individual privacy concerns against practical issues around national testing vendors and interstate licensing compacts.
Provenance: the discussion and public comment are recorded from bill introduction through the roll request (topicintro: SEG 383; topfinish: SEG 743).
