---
type: "Bill"
title: "Local Government, General - As enacted, prohibits local governments dismissing, disciplining, fining, or penalizing a first responder employed by a local government, or denying employment to a person applying to be a first responder, based on where the first responder or applicant resides; exempts Hamilton County from prohibition. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 50; Title 8, Chapter 8; Title 38, Chapter 8; Title 68, Chapter 140 and Title 68, Chapter 102."
description: "Local Government, General - As enacted, prohibits local governments dismissing, disciplining, fining, or penalizing a first responder employed by a local government, or denying employment to a person applying to be a first responder, based on where the first responder or applicant resides; exempts Hamilton County from prohibition. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 50; Title 8, Chapter 8; Title 38, Chapter 8; Title 68, Chapter 140 and Title 68, Chapter 102."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "SB 29"
citation: "Tennessee SB 29 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["General", "Local Government"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Faison", "Kelsey"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 61
vote_count: 9
first_action: "2021-01-06"
last_action: "2022-04-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d99f7ce0-be23-4668-8e92-a20456acbaf8"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0029&GA=112"
source_hash: "bb596641b8857f057c3b20a50f2401f5fa4c6df7133d5dda14fe0e52d43ded97"
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 SB 29 (112) — Local Government, General - As enacted, prohibits local governments dismissing, disciplining, fining, or penalizing a first responder employed by a local government, or denying employment to a person applying to be a first responder, based on where the first responder or applicant resides; exempts Hamilton County from prohibition. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 50; Title 8, Chapter 8; Title 38, Chapter 8; Title 68, Chapter 140 and Title 68, Chapter 102.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0510** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0510.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA0537** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0537.pdf)
3. **Amendment HA0538** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0538.pdf)
4. **Amendment HA0539** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0539.pdf)
5. **Amendment HA0549** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0549.pdf)
6. **Amendment SA0015** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0015.pdf)
7. **Amendment SA0022** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0022.pdf)
8. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/SB0029.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT # 5 BY CHISM PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 2/24/2022 Failed — **20–63** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/14/2022 Passed — **75–17** (pass) · lower
- SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0 2/23/2021 Passed — **7–2** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 2/24/2022 Passed — **56–19** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Motion to Amend Amend# 2 by Gardenhire 3/4/2021 Passed — **30–2** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/4/2021 Passed — **26–6** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/24/2022 2/17/2022 — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE CITIES SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Local Government Committee 2/8/2022 — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 2/15/2022 — **0–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Faison — primary (person)
- Kelsey — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-06** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-01-07** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-01-07** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-01-12** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-01-12** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-01-12** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-01-13** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
- **2021-01-13** Ref. to Local Government Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-13** P2C held on desk.
- **2021-01-20** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-01-27** Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-03** Refer to Senate State & Local Government Committee
- **2021-02-03** Recalled from Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
- **2021-02-12** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/16/2021
- **2021-02-17** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/23/2021
- **2021-02-22** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-02-23** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/25/2021
- **2021-02-23** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0
- **2021-02-24** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-02-25** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-02-25** Senate Reset on calendar for 3/4/2021
- **2021-03-02** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/4/2021
- **2021-03-04** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2021-03-04** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 6 `passage`
- **2021-03-04** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0022)
- **2021-03-04** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0015)
- **2021-03-08** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2021-03-10** Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/16/2021
- **2021-03-16** Def. to Summer Study in Cities & Counties Subcommittee
- **2022-01-12** Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
- **2022-01-12** Sponsor change.
- **2022-02-02** Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/8/2022
- **2022-02-08** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Local Government Committee `referral-committee`
- **2022-02-09** Placed on cal. Local Government Committee for 2/15/2022
- **2022-02-15** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2022-02-16** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/17/2022
- **2022-02-17** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/24/2022
- **2022-02-24** Passed H., as am., Ayes 56, Nays 19, PNV 5 `passage`
- **2022-02-24** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0510) `amendment-passage`
- **2022-02-24** Failed to adopt Am. (Amendment 5 - HA0549), Ayes 20, Nays 63, PNV 0
- **2022-02-24** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 4 - HA0539) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2022-02-24** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 3 - HA0538) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2022-02-24** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - HA0537) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2022-02-24** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2022-02-24** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2022-02-24** Comp. SB subst.
- **2022-03-03** Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 3/7/2022
- **2022-03-07** Senate refused to concur in amendment `amendment-failure`
- **2022-03-10** H. Placed on Message Calendar
- **2022-03-14** Passed H., Ayes 75 Nays 17, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2022-03-14** Am. reconsidered, withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0510)
- **2022-03-14** Motion to reconsider adopted.
- **2022-03-14** Motion to lift from table adopted.
- **2022-03-15** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2022-03-16** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2022-03-16** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2022-03-16** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2022-03-24** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2022-04-04** Effective date(s) 03/24/2022
- **2022-04-04** Pub. Ch. 720
- **2022-04-04** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 720

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d99f7ce0-be23-4668-8e92-a20456acbaf8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).