Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources

This bill creates the Southern Cumberland Plateau Regional Water and Wastewater Authority, a new public entity designed to manage water and wastewater systems in Grundy County and surrounding areas. The Authority will have the power to plan, build, operate, and maintain facilities for water supply, sewage treatment, and recycling, while also selling water and providing environmental services. Governance of the Authority is structured to include representatives from Grundy County, the towns of Monteagle and Tracy City, and two specific utility districts, ensuring local input on decisions. The legislation allows the Authority to issue bonds to fund these projects and includes provisions for adding new member municipalities in the future.

SB 2213 requires public utilities to submit written requests to the Tennessee Public Utility Commission when seeking cost recovery for innovative natural gas infrastructure projects. This amendment directly affects utilities that build or upgrade natural gas systems, changing the process from oral requests to formal written submissions. The bill modifies specific sections of Tennessee law (TCA Title 65, Section 65-5-114(c)) to mandate this written requirement. It is a procedural change focused on administrative clarity, not a substantive policy shift for consumers or infrastructure development.

SB 2173 requires the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's executive director to post a list of off-highway vehicle (OHV) areas on the Tennessee Fish & Wildlife Commission's website. The list must include each area's acreage and estimated trail length. This bill directly affects OHV users and the agency by making location and trail information publicly accessible online. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 70, Chapter 9, to standardize this disclosure without changing OHV usage rules. The bill is pending in the Senate Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee.

SB 2528 expands the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund's allowed uses to include tourism promotion, infrastructure upgrades, and other board-approved expenses. It replaces the park manager position on the fund's board with the director of the division of state parks, effective July 1, 2026. The bill also reduces the maximum number of commercial permits for river operations from 24 to 12 after July 1, 2026, and restricts permit transfers to immediate family or business purchasers only. These changes directly affect commercial operators, local tourism efforts, and the governance of the Ocoee River management zone.

SB 1793 requires Tennessee's Department of General Services and Department of Environment and Conservation to submit annual reports on their recycling activities to the state legislature by December 31 each year. The bill amends Tennessee law (specifically Titles 4, 5, 6, 7, and 68) to establish this reporting requirement for these two state departments. It does not change recycling practices or set new environmental standards, only mandating annual transparency on existing recycling efforts. The bill is procedural and focuses solely on reporting obligations, with no new policy changes for the public or businesses.