---
type: "Bill"
title: "Unemployment Compensation - As enacted, removes a requirement that work be deemed suitable for a claimant if certain criteria are met and a claimant's gross weekly wages equal or exceed certain threshold percentages of the claimant's weekly wage for insured work for the quarter of the base period when the claimant's wages were greatest. - Amends TCA Section 50-7-303."
description: "Unemployment Compensation - As enacted, removes a requirement that work be deemed suitable for a claimant if certain criteria are met and a claimant's gross weekly wages equal or exceed certain threshold percentages of the claimant's weekly wage for insured work for the quarter of the base period when the claimant's wages were greatest. - Amends TCA Section 50-7-303."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "HB 2542"
citation: "Tennessee HB 2542 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Unemployment Compensation"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Lamberth"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 26
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2026-02-03"
last_action: "2026-05-27"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/88eb2823-3425-43fa-bb93-c5967e5a2bab"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB2542&ga=114"
source_hash: "127e52cf743d35df11cf71f48275e737509b3e9c693ca01415c2957cc9c9cacb"
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 2542 (114) — Unemployment Compensation - As enacted, removes a requirement that work be deemed suitable for a claimant if certain criteria are met and a claimant's gross weekly wages equal or exceed certain threshold percentages of the claimant's weekly wage for insured work for the quarter of the base period when the claimant's wages were greatest. - Amends TCA Section 50-7-303.

## Version chain

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

1. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB2542.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/12/2026 Passed (1) — **70–15** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/9/2026 3/5/2026 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/4/2026 Passed (3) — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE BANKING AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee 2/18/2026 Passed (4) — **5–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/21/2026 Passed (1) — **27–6** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Lamberth — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-02-03** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-02-04** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-02-04** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2026-02-05** Assigned to s/c Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-05** P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-11** Placed on s/c cal Banking & Consumer Affairs 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. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/5/2026
- **2026-03-04** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-05** H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/9/2026
- **2026-03-09** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/12/2026
- **2026-03-09** Objected to on Consent Calendar.
- **2026-03-12** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. `receipt`
- **2026-03-12** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2026-03-12** Passed H., Ayes 70, Nays 15, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2026-03-16** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2026-04-21** Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 6 `passage`
- **2026-04-21** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. `substitution`
- **2026-04-27** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. `enrolled`
- **2026-04-30** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2026-05-05** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2026-05-11** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-21** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-27** Effective date(s) 05/21/2026
- **2026-05-27** Pub. Ch. 1043

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/88eb2823-3425-43fa-bb93-c5967e5a2bab`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).