The 2026 Tennessee legislative session brought several important issues affecting architects, the built environment, and the communities we serve.
Throughout the session, AIA Tennessee remained actively engaged tracking legislation, meeting with policymakers, working with state agencies and allied organizations, and advocating for policies that protect the health, safety, and welfare of Tennesseans.
Our advocacy priorities remained focused on protecting Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), maintaining architects’ leadership in health, safety and welfare, supporting performance-based approaches to school safety, encouraging thoughtful procurement reform, and preserving the integrity of professional licensure.
Bringing the Session Directly to Our Members
On Friday, May 29, AIA Tennessee hosted an online Legislative Briefing to give members an opportunity to hear directly from our Government Relations team about what happened during the 2026 session, the legislation we tracked, and what the outcomes could mean for architects and firms across Tennessee.
The briefing also reinforced an important part of our advocacy strategy: keeping members informed and engaged even after the General Assembly adjourns. Legislative advocacy doesn’t end with the session implementation, rulemaking, agency engagement, and local issues continue throughout the year.
Alternative Delivery & Protecting QBS
One of the most significant issues we followed was SB2334, legislation expanding alternative project delivery authority for certain Tennessee local governments and qualified projects exceeding $5 million. As originally filed, the legislation raised concerns because of its broad scope, lack of procurement guardrails, and potential implications for Qualifications-Based Selection.
AIA Tennessee worked extensively during negotiations to help narrow eligibility and advocate for transparent procurement procedures, qualifications-focused evaluation, selection committee accountability, and meaningful architect participation. The final amendment established higher eligibility thresholds, Comptroller oversight for certain entities, and competitive proposal requirements.
The legislation ultimately passed as amended, reflecting an important compromise between providing qualified local governments greater flexibility and maintaining appropriate guardrails around public procurement.
Architects at the Table for Safe School Design
AIA Tennessee also supported legislation that ultimately created the Safe School Design Advisory Board.
The final amendment to SB2207/HB2275 shifted the conversation away from rigid, prescriptive statutory requirements and toward an ongoing, expert-informed approach to school safety. The new advisory board is charged with developing recommended safe school design guidelines for new construction and renovations of K–12 facilities.
Importantly, the legislation specifically includes an AIA Tennessee member who is a licensed architect with experience designing K–12 educational facilities. This ensures architectural expertise has a formal place at the table as Tennessee considers issues including building security, fire and life safety, emergency preparedness, access control, student well-being, resilient design, and coordination with first responders.
This was a significant advocacy win and reinforces an important principle: school safety is also a design issue.
Fire Sprinklers, Housing & Life Safety
AIA Tennessee opposed SB2236/HB2551, an Administration-backed proposal related to building code authority and fire sprinkler requirements for certain multifamily residential buildings.
While the legislation was connected to broader efforts to address attainable housing and construction costs, AIA Tennessee’s concerns centered on maintaining appropriate life-safety standards, ensuring technical experts remain involved in code policy, and balancing housing goals with the responsibility to protect occupants. The legislation did not pass.
Supporting Attainable & Workforce Housing
Housing affordability also emerged as an important statewide issue. AIA Tennessee supported SB2410/HB2509, which established the Community Workforce Housing Innovation Pilot Program through the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
The program is intended to encourage new workforce housing, rehabilitation, public-private partnerships, and innovative housing solutions for middle-income and essential-service workers.
For architects, these conversations create opportunities to contribute design expertise around workforce housing, adaptive reuse, mixed-use development, innovative housing typologies, infill, and community resilience.
Professional Licensure
AIA Tennessee also closely monitored SB2224/HB2530, which originally proposed significant restructuring affecting professional licensing boards and registered interior designers.
The original legislation would have repealed the Interior Designers Title Registration Act, eliminated state registration for interior designers, and removed their seat from the licensing board. The final amendment instead preserved interior design registration and representation while restructuring and expanding the board. AIA Tennessee moved from opposition to the original proposal to a neutral position following the amendments.
Advocacy Doesn’t End When the Legislature Adjourns
One of the biggest takeaways from the 2026 session is that relationships and early engagement matter.
Our work continues throughout the summer and fall as we monitor implementation of legislation, participate in rulemaking and public policy discussions, engage with the Safe School Design Advisory Board process, continue procurement education efforts, and begin developing our priorities for the 2027 legislative session.
Looking ahead, issues including QBS protections, school security standards, grassroots advocacy, and educating newly elected state leaders will remain important areas of focus.
Your Voice Matters
Our ability to advocate effectively depends on the involvement and expertise of our members.
Whether you participate in Day on the Hill, join a Government Relations call, respond when we need subject-matter expertise, serve on an advisory group, build relationships with your local elected officials, or simply alert us when an issue affecting architecture arises in your community, you are helping strengthen the profession’s voice.
Thank you to our Government Relations Committee, legislative team, leadership, volunteers, and members who contributed their time and expertise throughout the 2026 session.
Together, we are working to ensure architects aren’t simply responding to public policy—we are helping shape the conversations that affect Tennessee’s communities and built environment.
If you are an AIA TN member and missed the online briefing and would like a copy of the presentation, please call the AIA TN office at v615-255-3860 for more information.