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SB 1235

Boards and Commissions - As enacted, prohibits the exclusion of persons from membership on state regulatory and health-related boards on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, and national origin; prohibits such boards from establishing or operating under race-based policies pertaining to their composition; removes requirement that appointing authorities strive to ensure certain boards and commissions are represented by members of racial minorities. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 21; Title 9; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 68.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Paul Rose

Tennessee law now prohibits state regulatory and health boards from excluding people based on race and removes requirements to ensure racial minority representation in board appointments.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 294
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Bill Summary · SB 1235

Legislative bill overview

SB 1235 prohibits Tennessee state regulatory and health-related boards from excluding individuals based on race, color, ethnicity, or national origin, and bars these boards from operating under race-based composition policies. The bill removes existing statutory requirements that appointing authorities actively work to ensure racial minority representation on specified boards and commissions.

Why is this important

Board composition affects regulatory decisions in healthcare, occupational licensing, and other sectors that directly impact public services and professional access. This legislation reshapes how diversity considerations factor into state board appointments—a change that will influence the demographic makeup and representativeness of regulatory bodies across multiple industries in Tennessee.

Potential points of contention

  • Interpretation of "race-based policies": Unclear whether this prohibits explicit diversity goals, implicit consideration of diversity, or both—creating potential implementation ambiguity for appointing authorities
  • Removal of active representation language: Eliminating the requirement to "strive to ensure" minority representation may reduce deliberate efforts toward diverse boards without explicitly preventing such consideration
  • Scope of affected boards: The amendments to five title codes affect numerous boards across healthcare, regulatory, and administrative sectors, with varying original composition requirements and purposes

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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