---
type: "Bill"
title: "State Symbols - As enacted, adds \"Amazing Grace\" by John Newton as an official state song. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 3."
description: "State Symbols - As enacted, adds \"Amazing Grace\" by John Newton as an official state song. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 3."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "HB 938"
citation: "Tennessee HB 938 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["State Symbols"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Akbari", "Sparks"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 37
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2021-02-10"
last_action: "2021-05-18"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8251388d-eb55-4a68-8459-af8926c56889"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0938&GA=112"
source_hash: "06beaa83dfc8365638435fcdfe477c31ed830e7f73d52252f90248ca5e08b98b"
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 938 (112) — State Symbols - As enacted, adds "Amazing Grace" by John Newton as an official state song. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 1, Part 3.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0113** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0113.pdf)
2. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB0938.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/14/2021 Passed (1) — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- HOUSE NAMING AND DESIGNATING COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/23/2021 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/5/2021 Passed (1) — **91–1** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/29/2021 3/25/2021 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 3/9/2021 Passed (2) — **8–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Akbari — primary (person)
- Sparks — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-02-10** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-11** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-02-11** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-02-11** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-22** P2C, ref. to Naming & Designating `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-22** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
- **2021-02-25** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-02** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/9/2021
- **2021-03-08** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-09** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2021-03-17** Placed on cal. Naming & Designating for 3/23/2021
- **2021-03-17** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-23** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-23** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-24** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/25/2021
- **2021-03-25** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/29/2021
- **2021-03-29** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/5/21
- **2021-03-29** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-29** Reset on cal. for 4/5/2021
- **2021-04-05** Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 1, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-05** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0113) `amendment-passage`
- **2021-04-05** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-06** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
- **2021-04-07** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-04-12** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2021
- **2021-04-14** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
- **2021-04-14** Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-14** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
- **2021-04-14** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-14** Companion House Bill substituted
- **2021-04-15** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2021-04-20** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-20** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2021-04-30** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-18** Effective date(s) 04/30/2021
- **2021-05-18** Pub. Ch. 296
- **2021-05-18** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 296

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8251388d-eb55-4a68-8459-af8926c56889`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).