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HB 2185

Election Laws - As introduced, authorizes the electronic portal to be created by the coordinator of elections prior to January 1, 2028, to access data from the systematic alien verification for entitlements (SAVE) program if the United States department of homeland security, United States citizenship and immigration services makes such data available via a secure web service. - Amends TCA Title 2.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by William Lamberth

Tennessee authorizes an elections portal to access federal citizenship data from SAVE program if DHS makes it available, to verify voter eligibility by January 1, 2028.

Transmitted to Governor for his action.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 2185

Legislative bill overview

HB 2185 authorizes Tennessee's election coordinator to create an electronic portal that would access citizenship verification data from the federal SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) program, but only if the Department of Homeland Security makes this data available through a secure web service. The deadline for portal creation is January 1, 2028.

Why is this important

Voter roll accuracy and citizenship verification are central to election administration. This bill would potentially enable Tennessee to cross-reference voter registration data against federal immigration records in real-time or on-demand, which proponents argue strengthens election security by preventing non-citizen voting. However, the actual impact depends entirely on whether DHS makes SAVE data available to states in this manner.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy and data security concerns: Creating new portals that access federal immigration databases raises questions about data protection, breach liability, and scope creep of surveillance systems
  • Cost and feasibility: Building secure infrastructure to access federal systems carries significant expense; the bill provides no funding mechanism or implementation details
  • Effectiveness uncertainty: SAVE was designed for entitlements verification, not voter eligibility; its accuracy for this purpose is unproven, and it may have incomplete or outdated citizenship records
  • Conditional nature: The entire bill's utility hinges on DHS cooperation—without a secure web service, the portal cannot be built, creating implementation ambiguity

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

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