Legislation in the Tennessee State Senate would allow foreign nationals with authorization from the federal government to work inside the United States to apply for the temporary driver’s license Tennessee offers to lawful residents of the state who are not citizens.
Senate Bill (SB) 1 by State Senator Becky Massey (R-Knoxville) would modify SB 6002, one of the landmark immigration laws passed during a special legislative session last year, which restricts standard driver’s licenses to American citizens, while allowing lawful permanent residents able to prove their status to obtain a temporary license, permit, or photo identification.
While the law passed in 2025 specifically resulted in Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 55-50-331(g) allowing temporary driver’s licenses for lawful permanent residents and individuals “whose presence in the United States has been authorized by the federal government for a specific purpose and for a specified period of authorized stay,” the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) determined that an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), or work permit, “does not establish any immigration status or period of authorized stay,” as required under the law.
Massey’s legislation would specifically amend the law to allow temporary licenses to, “Persons who are authorized by the federal government to work in the United States,” and would declare, “An applicant’s EAD is sufficient proof of authorization by the federal government to work in the United States.”
The interpretation by TDOSHS last month prompted a lawsuit by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), the pro-illegal alien nonprofit that was appropriated $735,000 by Metro Nashville in its current budget at the direction of Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
The Tennessee Star filed a request pursuant to the Tennessee Public Records Act (TPRA) in June, seeking the documents TIRRC is required to submit in order to receive grant funding under Tennessee law. O’Connell’s office declined to respond, citing attorney-client privilege, while the Metro Nashville Clerk provided a series of emails that did not contain the required documents.
According to the Metro Nashville Council, the documents could be among 1,548 emails, which it estimated could be available for release to The Star by Monday.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
