HB 2402 requires Tennessee local government chief executives (like mayors or county commissioners) to order all flags at public buildings to fly at half-mast for at least one day whenever a first responder from their local emergency management agency dies in the line of duty. This bill amends Tennessee law to establish this mandatory flag protocol for such deaths, directly affecting all local governments with emergency management agencies. The key provision specifies that the half-mast display must occur for a minimum of one full day following the death of a qualifying first responder. The bill focuses solely on this ceremonial recognition, with no other policy changes or funding provisions.
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Emergency Management
Public Safety
This bill is a non-binding resolution expressing the Tennessee General Assembly's support for the state's bid to host a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus from the U.S. Department of Energy. It urges Governor Bill Lee to submit a comprehensive response to the federal request by April 1, 2026, and declares legislative intent to take necessary actions to position Tennessee as the host. The resolution highlights Tennessee's existing nuclear infrastructure, including its history with the Manhattan Project, current nuclear facilities, and recent investments in nuclear energy development. As a statement of position rather than a law, it does not create new legal obligations but serves to publicly affirm the state's commitment to pursuing this federal opportunity.
HB 2463, the "Bring Your Own Generation Act," targets large data centers in Tennessee with a peak demand of 100 megawatts or more. It requires these facilities to source 50% of their electricity from new onsite carbon-free energy (like solar or wind) and imposes a 100% surcharge on them to fund clean energy grid upgrades. The surcharge revenue funds the Tennessee Environmental Protection Fund, while prohibiting fossil fuel power contracts from qualifying for state economic incentives. This bill directly affects major data center operators and aims to accelerate clean energy integration without shifting costs to residential customers.
HB 2535 amends Tennessee's oil and gas regulations (TCA Titles 59, 60, and 68) by updating definitions and operational requirements for drilling and production. Key changes include reducing the required buffer zone around streams from 0.5 miles to 0.25 miles for well sites, clarifying that "operator" includes those managing well operations, and strengthening permit conditions requiring compliance plans before drilling. The bill also revises terminology (e.g., replacing "crude petroleum" with "oil") and specifies that failure to follow approved plans may result in permit suspension or penalties. These adjustments directly affect oil and gas operators, regulators, and landowners near drilling sites.
SB 2560, the "Tennessee Energy Freedom Act," protects fossil fuel industry activities within Tennessee by limiting legal liability for emissions. It defines "covered activities" as exploration, production, and use of coal, oil, and natural gas, and restricts lawsuits about emissions to cases involving products actually shipped *into* Tennessee ("in-jurisdiction products"). The bill prohibits courts or governments from imposing liability for emissions unless federal environmental laws (like the Clean Air Act) are violated, and allows companies to seek court rulings to establish their emissions calculations. This directly affects fossil fuel companies operating in Tennessee and could shield them from out-of-state lawsuits alleging emissions harm. The bill is currently pending before the Senate Energy Committee.
SB 2228 modifies Tennessee's education laws by ending the Dyslexia Advisory Council and directing the existing Advisory Council for Students with Disabilities to handle dyslexia-related matters. It also terminates the Energy Efficient Schools Council and creates a new Office of Energy Efficient Schools within the Department of Education. The bill expands eligibility for individualized education accounts, which allow families to use public funds for approved educational services. These changes affect students with dyslexia or disabilities, families using education accounts, and the Department of Education's administrative structure, while amending multiple education-related statutes.
SB 2565 requires Tennessee electric utilities and large transformer owners (public or private) to assess their high-voltage transformers (100kV+ and 25MVA+) for vulnerability to geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) caused by solar storms. By January 2027, these entities must complete technical assessments using specific industry standards and submit detailed reports by July 2027 to state officials. Reports must include transformer specifications, risk analysis, protection solutions, costs, and a priority list, while redacting sensitive location and operational details as "Critical Energy Infrastructure Information." The bill explicitly prohibits relying solely on operational fixes like load shedding for GIC protection.
SB 2641 requires local retirement programs (including city, county, and school district pensions not in Tennessee's main TCRS system) to make investment decisions based **solely on financial factors**, excluding environmental, social, or governance (ESG) considerations. It mandates that fiduciaries (like fund managers) conducting an economic analysis to justify voting against a company's board recommendation on shareholder proposals. The bill creates a presumption that voting with a board’s recommendation is financially motivated, while banning votes prioritizing ESG interests unless proven financially beneficial through documented analysis. This applies to all local government retirement programs managing assets for employees’ benefits.
SB 2502, the "Electric Grid Resilience, Transparency, and Planning Act," requires local electric systems serving 10,000+ customers in Tennessee to publicly share detailed plans and reports. Key provisions include annual reliability reports identifying outage patterns, annual vegetation management plans, and a ten-year grid resilience plan outlining hardening strategies (like undergrounding) and prioritization criteria. It also mandates after-action reports following major outages and minimum emergency communication standards during severe weather events. The bill focuses on transparency and proactive planning for grid resilience, not new infrastructure construction, and applies to municipal and county utilities.
SB 2681, the "Bring Your Own Generation Act" (BYOG), requires large data centers and AI facilities in Tennessee with peak demand over 100 megawatts to generate 50% of their electricity from new onsite clean energy sources. It imposes a 100% surcharge on these facilities to fund grid upgrades for clean energy, with the revenue deposited into the Tennessee Environmental Protection Fund. The bill also prohibits using fossil fuel power purchase agreements for state economic incentives or state-subsidized fossil fuels for primary power at qualified data centers. This bill directly affects major data center operators and aims to accelerate clean energy integration without shifting costs to other utility customers. The bill is pending in the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee as of March 2026.
