Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
An immigration related bill that was introduced last year is making headway in the Tennessee House.
Sponsored by Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64), House Bill 1194 (HB1194) as amended is scheduled for a vote on the House floor on March 5th, 2026.
According to Cepicky, the legislation does away with existing exemptions in state law for private employers with less than six employees, lowering from six to one, the number of paid employees an individual must have to be considered a private employer for the purposes of the Tennessee Lawful Employment Act.
All private employers would be required to submit certain evidence of work authorization status of employees and non-employees to the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Should a private employer fail to submit this evidence, the commissioner would be charged with requesting an order of summary action leading to the suspension of the private employer’s business license for failure to comply.
For a first or second violation the business license would only be temporarily suspended until the violation is remedied but for a third and all subsequent violations employers would lose their licenses permanently.
In the Senate, the legislation (SB0990) is being sponsored by Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-District 28) where it has yet to have any forward traction this legislative session.
To find the contact information for your state Representative before the House votes on this bill on March 5th, use the “Find my Legislator” tool HERE.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
