---
type: "Bill"
title: "Professions and Occupations - As enacted, enacts the \"Freedom to Prosper Act\" to limit the circumstances under which local government entities may regulate certain occupations. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 3; Title 62 and Title 63."
description: "Professions and Occupations - As enacted, enacts the \"Freedom to Prosper Act\" to limit the circumstances under which local government entities may regulate certain occupations. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 3; Title 62 and Title 63."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "110"
identifier: "HB 979"
citation: "Tennessee HB 979 (110)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Professions and Occupations"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Calfee", "Roberts"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 56
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2017-02-07"
last_action: "2017-05-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/e62767b8-e9eb-4d07-8caa-b241423131c7"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0979&GA=110"
source_hash: "fd47b852ccf3ccdee3939593ab662515e7b5ddc038098af70c3c53ac08449ffa"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee HB 979 (110) — Professions and Occupations - As enacted, enacts the "Freedom to Prosper Act" to limit the circumstances under which local government entities may regulate certain occupations. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 56, Chapter 1, Part 3; Title 62 and Title 63.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Bill/HB0979.pdf)

## Votes

- CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 5/1/2017 4/27/2017 (1) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FINANCE, WAYS & MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways & Means Committee 4/12/2017 (3) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- BUSINESS AND UTILITIES SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Business and Utilities Committee 3/7/2017 (5) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FINANCE, WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 4/18/2017 (2) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- BUSINESS AND UTILITIES COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways & Means Committee 3/22/2017 (4) — **0–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Calfee — primary (person)
- Roberts — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-02-07** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-08** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2017-02-09** Intro. `introduction`
- **2017-02-09** Filed for intro. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-09** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
- **2017-02-13** P1C.
- **2017-02-15** Assigned to s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-15** P2C, ref. to Business and Utilities Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-01** Placed on s/c cal Business and Utilities Subcommittee for 3/7/2017
- **2017-03-01** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/7/2017
- **2017-03-07** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Business and Utilities Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-07** Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/14/2017
- **2017-03-08** Placed on cal. Business and Utilities Committee for 3/15/2017
- **2017-03-08** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/14/2017
- **2017-03-14** Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/21/2017
- **2017-03-15** Placed on cal. Business and Utilities Committee for 3/22/2017
- **2017-03-15** Meeting Cancelled. Action def. in Business and Utilities Committee to 3/22/17
- **2017-03-15** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/21/2017
- **2017-03-21** Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/28/2017
- **2017-03-22** Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-22** Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways & Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-22** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/28/2017
- **2017-03-28** Failed in Senate Commerce & Labor Committee
- **2017-03-29** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee for 4/5/2017
- **2017-03-30** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 4/3/2017
- **2017-03-30** Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in S. C&L Comm. 4-3-17
- **2017-04-03** Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 4/4/2017
- **2017-04-03** Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 4/4/2017
- **2017-04-04** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1
- **2017-04-05** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee for 4/12/2017
- **2017-04-05** Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee to 4/12/2017
- **2017-04-12** Placed on cal. Finance, Ways & Means Committee for 4/18/2017
- **2017-04-12** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways & Means Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-04-13** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar calendar for 4/19/2017
- **2017-04-18** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-04-19** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2017-04-19** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 2 `passage`
- **2017-04-19** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0225)
- **2017-04-19** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0301)
- **2017-04-20** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2017-04-24** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-04-26** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/27/2017
- **2017-04-27** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 5/1/2017
- **2017-05-01** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-05-01** Comp. SB subst.
- **2017-05-01** Passed H., Ayes 69, Nays 17, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2017-05-01** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0484) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2017-05-01** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2017-05-02** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2017-05-02** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2017-05-03** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2017-05-03** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2017-05-09** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2017-05-19** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 332
- **2017-05-19** Pub. Ch. 332
- **2017-05-19** Effective date(s) 07/01/2017

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/e62767b8-e9eb-4d07-8caa-b241423131c7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).