Tennessee enacted HB1271, requiring state and local governments to define sex by birth anatomy over gender identity

On May 7, 2026, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed HB1271, enacted as Public Chapter 938, amending Titles 1 through 8 of the Tennessee Code relative to "biological sex." The statute directs every governmental entity in Tennessee — state agencies and local governments alike — to revise any ordinance, resolution, rule, policy, or procedure that references sex or gender so that those terms are defined as "the immutable characteristics of the person's reproductive system that identify the person as male or female, as determined by anatomy and genetics testing at the time of birth." The effect is to override local recognition of gender identity in official records and policies statewide.

The measure was sponsored in the House by Rep. Mark Cochran and passed the House 72-16 on March 30, 2026, and the Senate 24-6 on April 22, 2026, before the governor signed it into law effective immediately. LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations had urged Governor Lee to veto the bill, describing it as part of a broader 2026 slate of Tennessee legislation restricting transgender residents' recognition and rights.