---
type: "Bill"
title: "Professions and Occupations - As enacted, specifies in various provisions that for a person to be eligible for a particular license, certificate, permit, or authorization, the person must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 20; Title 23; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 49; Title 52; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 62; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70; Title 71 and Chapter 463 of the Public Acts of 2025."
description: "Professions and Occupations - As enacted, specifies in various provisions that for a person to be eligible for a particular license, certificate, permit, or authorization, the person must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 20; Title 23; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 49; Title 52; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 62; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70; Title 71 and Chapter 463 of the Public Acts of 2025."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "HB 1709"
citation: "Tennessee HB 1709 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Professions and Occupations"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cochran"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 34
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-15"
last_action: "2026-05-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c45097a6-b887-406a-a035-95b70d1aed95"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB1709&ga=114"
source_hash: "840f35d75e7716e62f0f43a0ff9f7bb14e875711c13d709586df2e64c52a9374"
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 1709 (114) — Professions and Occupations - As enacted, specifies in various provisions that for a person to be eligible for a particular license, certificate, permit, or authorization, the person must be a citizen of the United States or a qualified alien. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 20; Title 23; Title 33; Title 37; Title 39; Title 42; Title 43; Title 44; Title 45; Title 46; Title 47; Title 49; Title 52; Title 53; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 59; Title 60; Title 62; Title 63; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70; Title 71 and Chapter 463 of the Public Acts of 2025.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0730** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0730.pdf)
2. **Amendment HA0844** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0844.pdf)
3. **Amendment HA1245** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1245.pdf)
4. **Amendment SA1020** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA1020.pdf)
5. **Amendment SA1033** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA1033.pdf)
6. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB1709.pdf)

## Votes

- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026 4/14/2026 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE BUSINESS AND UTILITIES SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee 2/18/2026 Passed — **7–2** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2026 Passed (1) — **70–20** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/21/2026 Passed (1) — **26–6** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/18/2026 Passed — **17–4** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: MESSAGE CALENDAR CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT # 2 4/22/2026 Passed — **70–21** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Cochran — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-15** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-01-21** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-01-21** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2026-01-22** Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-22** P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-11** Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
- **2026-02-18** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-02-25** Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/4/2026
- **2026-03-04** Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/11/2026
- **2026-03-04** Action def. in Commerce Committee to 3/11/2026
- **2026-03-11** Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/18/2026
- **2026-03-11** Action def. in Commerce Committee to 3/18/2026
- **2026-03-18** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-14** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026
- **2026-04-14** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/14/2026
- **2026-04-21** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 6 `passage`
- **2026-04-21** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA1033)
- **2026-04-21** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA1020)
- **2026-04-21** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. `substitution`
- **2026-04-21** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2026-04-21** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. `receipt`
- **2026-04-21** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-04-21** Passed H., as am., Ayes 70, Nays 20, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2026-04-21** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 3 - HA1245) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2026-04-21** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - HA0844) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2026-04-21** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0730) `amendment-passage`
- **2026-04-22** H. concurred in S. am. no. 2 Ayes 70, Nays 21 PNV 0
- **2026-04-28** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. `enrolled`
- **2026-04-30** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2026-05-05** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2026-05-06** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-07** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-18** Effective date(s) 07/01/2026, 05/07/2026
- **2026-05-18** Pub. Ch. 955

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c45097a6-b887-406a-a035-95b70d1aed95`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).