---
type: "Bill"
title: "Private Investigators - As enacted, exempts persons who conduct background investigations solely for employment screening purposes from the licensure requirements for private investigators. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21, Part 4; Title 38; Title 47, Chapter 18, Part 17 and Title 62, Chapter 26."
description: "Private Investigators - As enacted, exempts persons who conduct background investigations solely for employment screening purposes from the licensure requirements for private investigators. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21, Part 4; Title 38; Title 47, Chapter 18, Part 17 and Title 62, Chapter 26."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "110"
identifier: "HB 778"
citation: "Tennessee HB 778 (110)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Private Investigators"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hulsey", "Lundberg"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 40
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2017-02-06"
last_action: "2017-05-23"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3b42fc93-0417-4134-b1b5-1f36e9d600b6"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0778&GA=110"
source_hash: "159b307f125c6170af5c7a82b435adffa5f55ef771ec63c46386f237f290c794"
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 778 (110) — Private Investigators - As enacted, exempts persons who conduct background investigations solely for employment screening purposes from the licensure requirements for private investigators. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21, Part 4; Title 38; Title 47, Chapter 18, Part 17 and Title 62, Chapter 26.

## 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/HB0778.pdf)

## Votes

- BUSINESS AND UTILITIES SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Business and Utilities Committee 3/21/2017 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- BUSINESS AND UTILITIES COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways & Means Committee 3/29/2017 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FINANCE, WAYS & MEANS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways & Means Committee 5/8/2017 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 5/9/2017 5/8/2017 (4) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FINANCE, WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 5/8/2017 (2) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 5/9/2017 Passed (1) — **89–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Hulsey — primary (person)
- Lundberg — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2017-02-06** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-08** Filed for intro. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-02-08** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2017-02-09** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2017-02-09** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
- **2017-02-13** P2C, ref. to Business and Utilities Committee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-14** Assigned to s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-15** Placed on s/c cal Business and Utilities Subcommittee for 3/21/2017
- **2017-03-21** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Business and Utilities Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-22** Placed on cal. Business and Utilities Committee for 3/29/2017
- **2017-03-29** Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways & Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-04-05** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee for 4/12/2017
- **2017-04-05** Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-04-05** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/11/2017
- **2017-04-11** Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/12/2017
- **2017-04-11** Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/12/2017
- **2017-04-12** Placed behind the budget
- **2017-04-12** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2017-04-20** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar calendar for 4/24/2017
- **2017-04-24** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2017-04-24** Passed Senate, Ayes 29, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2017-04-26** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee for 5/2/2017
- **2017-04-26** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2017-05-03** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee for 5/8/2017
- **2017-05-08** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 5/8/2017
- **2017-05-08** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-05-08** Placed on cal. Finance, Ways & Means Committee for 5/8/2017
- **2017-05-08** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways & Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-05-09** Comp. SB subst.
- **2017-05-09** H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 5/9/2017
- **2017-05-09** Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2017-05-09** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2017-05-10** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2017-05-10** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2017-05-10** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2017-05-11** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2017-05-19** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2017-05-23** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 391
- **2017-05-23** Pub. Ch. 391
- **2017-05-23** Effective date(s) 05/18/2017

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3b42fc93-0417-4134-b1b5-1f36e9d600b6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).