A Quick Recap of the 2025 Legislative Session

This year’s legislative session has come to a close. This session brought a number of tough losses, but we also had some wins and will continue to educate our legislators on issues of homelessness while we build power across the state for change. Here’s an overview of what we did during this session:

• We attended 12 committee meetings.

• We organized 7 testimonies during committee meetings from service providers across the state, 2 of whom had lived experience of homelessness.

• We educated dozens of Tennessee state legislators about homelessness through our Day on the Hill in February, our testimonies in committee meetings, and our petition against the campsite removal bill that brought 41 organizations together who represented 28 counties across the state.

We followed multiple bills that impact housing, tenants’ rights, and homelessness this legislative session, and we wanted to highlight three instances where our advocacy work with the Housing For All Tennessee coalition made a tangible impact.

Free ID Bill

Rep. Bob Freeman sponsored HB0788/SB1136, the “Free ID bill,” which would have provided free IDs for everyone who needed them.

Even though this bill was pulled for this session because of its fiscal note, this bill allowed us to obtain important information through the Department of Safety that we had been trying to find. We knew there was a “free voter photo ID” available in Tennessee, but through this process, we were able to confirm that the ID given is the same as a TN state ID. This program is only available at full service DMVs and is widely unknown (only three people across the state utilized it in 2024). We hope to improve utilization rates this year and expand availability for this vital program. We also learned so much from helping with our first piece of proactive legislation!

Felony Obstruction Bill

Two Day on the Hill participants testified in opposition of HB729/SB672, the “Felony Obstruction bill,” which would have made it a Class E or D felony to obstruct sidewalks and other passageways in Tennessee. Because of our testimony and advocacy, the sponsor amended the bill, removing sidewalks and other passageways that would impact people experiencing homelessness.

Campsite Removal Bill

We also organized three advocates (one of whom has experienced an encampment clearing), to testify in opposition of HB197/SB217, the “Campsite Removal bill,” which authorizes TDOT to clear homeless encampments on TDOT property within 30 days of a citizen issued complaint and only requires 10 days of notice to the residents before their belongings were “disposed of.” Rep. Justin Pearson also introduced amendments on the bill that would have reduced the bill’s harm, but ultimately, legislators passed this bill. While the outcome wasn’t what we wanted, the relationships we built will inform our legislative work in 2026 and we know that our advocacy efforts were impactful and educated legislators about issues of homelessness in Tennessee.

We know that the fight for affordable, dignified housing continues all year long. At the end of the day, it’s up to us to take care of each other, to stand in solidarity with those most impacted by harmful legislation, and to advocate and organize for housing justice in Tennessee and beyond. If you’re interested in learning more about advocacy work related to housing, homelessness, and tenants’ rights, make sure you subscribe to Housing For All Tennessee’s newsletter.