Proposed Legislation Requires Tennessee State Agencies & Departments To Show Compliance With DEI Laws

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Tennessee Conservative News Staff –

New legislation has been proposed that would require state agencies and departments to state laws regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

House Bill 2198 (HB2198), sponsored by House Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville-D14), enacts the “DEI Compliance Certification Act.” The Act requires all state agencies and departments “to demonstrate its compliance with §§ 4-1-427 and 8-30-109, and with any other state law or policy prohibiting the adoption, implementation, or enforcement of DEI.”

Agencies and departments must submit a report to the governor and the general assembly by January 31 of each year. This report must detail any steps taken to remove DEI, as well as any complaints that were filed related to violations of those state laws. They are also required to certify that in a sworn statement.

In the text of the legislation, it states that any department or agency that fails to show compliance “risks termination, reorganization, and a loss of funding, and is subject to any other penalty, remedy, or enforcement measure available to the governor and the general assembly.”

HB2198 has been referred to the House State and Local Government Committee and has been assigned to the Departments and Agencies Subcommittee. If passed, the law would go into effect as of July 1, 2026.

The companion Senate Bill 2208 (SB2208), sponsored by State Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin-D27), has been referred to the Senate State and Local Government Committee.