HB 2583 creates the "Tennessee Outdoor Stewardship Trust Fund" in the state treasury, which will provide grants and loans to counties, municipalities, state agencies, and qualifying nonprofits focused on conservation. The fund finances specific projects like improving state park trails, restoring agricultural lands for wildlife habitat, enhancing public access to waterways, and protecting wetlands or critical areas for clean water and recreation. Monies must be used for conservation-related purposes as defined in the bill, with unspent funds over $20 million reverting to the general fund annually. This bill establishes the fund’s structure, spending rules, and eligibility criteria without specifying budget amounts or future outcomes.
HB 2205 requires Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to prioritize water system projects in rural counties (defined as those with under 57,000 residents based on the 2020 or later census) for loans from the water system revolving loan fund. This directly affects smaller counties struggling to fund water infrastructure improvements. The bill amends existing law to add these rural counties to the priority list, ensuring their projects are considered first for available loan funding. It does not create new money but changes how existing loan funds are allocated.
HB 2375 creates the "Greenbelt Initiative Fund Transfer (GIFT) Act," establishing a $210 million annual rural revenue equity fund within Tennessee's state general fund. It directs the commissioner of economic and community development to distribute funds to rural counties based on a scoring system weighing greenbelt land acreage (25% weight), agricultural sales (20%), greenbelt land percentage (15%), lack of development tax authority (15%), livestock farm output (10%), population (8%), and property tax history (7%). Rural counties can use funds for capital projects, infrastructure, law enforcement, emergency services, or property tax stabilization. The bill aims to address rural economic disparities by prioritizing counties with higher agricultural land classifications and lower tax burdens.
SB 2609 redirects all state sales tax revenue from sales of recreational vessels (including sailboats and non-motorized boats), recreational vessel accessories (like trailers and life jackets), and wildlife-related outdoor goods (such as fishing rods, hunting gear, and ammunition) to the wildlife resources fund starting July 1, 2026. This revenue will specifically fund the operational expenses of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The bill explicitly excludes existing tax allocations for education (under 1992 law) and the 2002 tax rate increase from this redirection, maintaining those funds as currently designated.
HB 2190, titled the "Climate Resilient Tennessee Act," creates a new Office of Resilience within the governor's office to coordinate climate resilience efforts across state agencies and local governments. The bill requires the office to develop a statewide resilience plan, provide technical guidance to departments, track progress on climate goals, and seek funding for projects addressing threats like flooding and extreme heat. It establishes a Governor-appointed Chief Resilience Officer to lead these efforts, ensuring state and local coordination on climate adaptation and risk mitigation.
HB 2202 extends the deadline for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation commissioner to finalize boundaries of scenic river areas. It changes the timeframe from 24 months to 27 months after adding a river segment to the state scenic rivers system. The bill amends specific sections of Tennessee Code (Title 11, Chapter 13 and Title 68, Chapter 211) to implement this timeline adjustment. This change directly affects the commissioner's process for designating scenic river boundaries under state environmental law.
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.
SB 2551 requires Tennessee counties and municipalities to obtain a written "host community agreement" from the local government where a landfill is located before disposing of solid waste outside their own boundaries. This applies to all new waste disposal contracts entered after July 1, 2026, and mandates agreements include details like duration, fees, environmental protections, and truck routes. Existing contracts in place before July 2026 are exempt until their expiration. The law aims to ensure local communities consent to accepting waste from other jurisdictions, with the state department verifying agreements before issuing disposal permits.
SB 2552, the Tennessee Secondary Aluminum Waste Management Act, regulates how secondary aluminum waste (like smelting byproducts and recycling dust) must be disposed of in landfills. It prohibits commingling this waste with municipal trash and requires dedicated landfill units (such as separate cells or monofills) for its disposal. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation must create rules for permitting these units, including standards for liners, groundwater protection, and monitoring. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, affecting landfill operators and secondary aluminum smelting facilities.
HB 2138 requires Tennessee to allocate 10% of payments received from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in lieu of taxes to the state's wildlife resources fund. This funding must be used specifically for boating and wildlife conservation programs under existing wildlife resource laws. The bill amends Tennessee Code sections related to state finance (Title 11), wildlife resources (Title 69), and the wildlife fund (Title 70). It takes effect on July 1, 2026, and directly affects the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, which will manage these dedicated funds.
