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2026 · Government · Immigration
Require local governments to verify applicants' citizenship, report noncitizens to state immigration enforcement, and allow the AG to withhold funds.
HB 1710 / SB 1915
Bill description
Require local governments to verify public-benefit applicants' U.S. citizenship or lawful status, report noncitizens monthly, and let the AG enforce.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 1 and Title 4, Chapter 58, relative to public benefits.
Bill sponsors
House co-sponsors · 64
Cameron Sexton R, Jeremy Faison R, Jason Zachary R, William Lamberth R, Pat Marsh R, Johnny Garrett R, Mark Cochran R, Gino Bulso R, Justin Lafferty R, Mark White R, Dan Howell R, Chris Todd R, Gary Hicks R, Kevin Vaughan R, Andrew Farmer R, Debra Moody R, Sabi Kumar R, Rusty Grills R, Tim Rudd R, Rick Scarbrough R, Elaine Davis R, Lowell Russell R, Mary Littleton R, David Hawk R, Scott Cepicky R, Michael Hale R, Michelle Carringer R, Lee Reeves R, Clay Doggett R, Tom Leatherwood R, Monty Fritts R, Tandy Darby R, Jake McCalmon R, Greg Martin R, Jerome Moon R, Rebecca Alexander R, Clark Boyd R, Aron Maberry R, Paul Sherrell R, Renea Jones R, William Slater R, Tim Hicks R, John Crawford R, Dave Wright R, Michael Lankford R, Rick Eldridge R, Ron Gant R, Timothy Hill R, Brock Martin R, Rush Bricken R, Esther Helton-Haynes R, Iris Rudder R, Ed Butler R, Todd Warner R, Fred Atchley R, Tom Stinnett R, Kelly Keisling R, Kevin Raper R, Robert Stevens R, Michele Reneau R, Bryan Terry R, Jay Reedy R, Jody Barrett R, Kip Capley R
Senate co-sponsors · 11
Paul Rose R, Paul Bailey R, Janice Bowling R, Joey Hensley R, John Stevens R, Brent Taylor R, Bo Watson R, Dawn White R, Rusty Crowe R, Todd Gardenhire R, Tom Hatcher R
TLRC statement
HB1710 requires local governments in Tennessee, in addition to state agencies, to verify that each applicant for any public benefit is a United States citizen or is lawfully present in the United States. The bill also authorizes the Attorney General and Reporter to investigate violations of the verification requirement and creates new reporting obligations related to how benefits are verified and granted. In practice this means county and municipal benefit administrators (for things like local assistance programs, housing support administered locally, or county-level social services) will need procedures to collect immigration‑status documentation, train staff, and file periodic reports; the AG gains a compliance and enforcement role that can trigger investigations and referrals.
From a conservative, originalist standpoint HB1710 advances core priorities: it enforces the rule of law, protects taxpayer-funded benefits for lawful residents and citizens, and asserts state authority to guard limited public resources when the federal government does not. The bill is regulatory in scope — it increases administrative duties at the local level — but it does not create a new state agency or an open-ended entitlement; instead it tightens eligibility rules consistent with federal precedent that allows states to limit state‑funded benefits to lawfully present noncitizens. Potential tradeoffs include new administrative costs for counties and cities, the risk of delaying benefits to citizens who lack paperwork, and the possibility that reporting and investigative authorities could expand over time absent sunsets.