Environment

signed · Tennessee · Senate Mar 16, 2026

SB 1559: Sunset Laws - As enacted, extends the Tennessee soil and water conservation commission to June 30, 2030. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 43, Chapter 14, Part 2.

SB 1559 extends the legal existence of the Tennessee Soil and Water Conservation Commission until June 30, 2030, by amending specific sections of Tennessee law. The bill directly affects the commission itself, ensuring its continued operation to support local soil and water conservation efforts. Key provisions include deleting an outdated reference in the code and adding a new definition to formally recognize the commission. This is a procedural extension to prevent the commission's automatic termination, not a change to its duties or funding.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExtends Tennessee Soil and Water Conservation Commission's operation until 2030, maintaining existing environmental protection efforts without weakening or defunding conservation programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation

in committee · Tennessee · House Feb 2, 2026

HB 1850: Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, enacts the "Climate Resiliency Fund Act." - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 5; Title 9; Title 60; Title 67 and Title 68.

HB 1850 establishes the "Climate Resiliency Fund" to finance climate adaptation projects in Tennessee. It requires fossil fuel businesses (defined as entities owning such operations during 1995-2026) to pay "cost recovery demands" into the fund, which will support projects like flood protections, infrastructure upgrades, and nature-based solutions. The fund prioritizes environmental justice communities - defined as census areas with high poverty, minority populations, or limited English proficiency - to address climate impacts disproportionately affecting these areas. The bill amends multiple Tennessee code sections to create this mechanism and define key terms like "climate change adaptation project."

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates fossil fuel businesses to pay 'cost recovery demands' into a dedicated fund for climate adaptation projects, creating new revenue to finance public infrastructure and environmental justice initiatives.92% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyRequires fossil fuel businesses to fund climate adaptation projects (flood protections, infrastructure) via 'cost recovery demands,' prioritizing environmental justice communities.85% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill establishes Climate Resiliency Fund financed by fossil fuel businesses to fund climate adaptation projects (flood protections, nature-based solutions) prioritizing environmental justice communities, directly advancing environmental protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Climate Change Conservation Environmental Justice

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 1657: Water Pollution - As introduced, requires local approval of a tipping fee for application of sludge from water treatment plants onto agricultural lands, with proceeds earmarked for water treatment facilities, as a condition of such applications continuing in a locality; places a moratorium on certain permits in jurisdictions that do not provide such local approval. - Amends TCA Section 1-3-105; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 13, Chapter 7; Title 43; Title 68 and Title 69.

SB 1657 requires counties, municipalities, and metropolitan governments to approve sludge application from wastewater treatment plants to agricultural land through a two-thirds vote resolution. This approval must establish a fee per ton of sludge collected by the wastewater facility and remitted to the local government, with funds restricted to building and maintaining local wastewater facilities. The bill places a moratorium on new or renewed permits for sludge application in areas without such local approval, effective July 2026. It directly affects wastewater operators, local governments, and agricultural landowners by creating a new local permitting requirement tied to funding for water infrastructure.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires local approval for sludge application with funds earmarked for water treatment facilities, strengthening pollution control measures under water pollution regulations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Water Quality

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in committee · Tennessee · House May 18, 2026

HB 1510: Parks, Natural Areas Preservation - As enacted, designates segments of the Buffalo River, Duck River, and certain other rivers and creeks as Class II pastoral river areas; expands certain public outreach requirements concerning scenic rivers. - Amends TCA Title 11, Chapter 13.

HB 1510 designates specific segments of the Buffalo River, Duck River, and four creeks (Beaverdam, Lick, Piney, and Swan) as Class II pastoral river areas under Tennessee law. This directly affects communities and landowners near these waterways, particularly in Hickman, Williamson, and Dickson counties, by establishing new protections for their natural landscapes. The bill expands existing protections by including the entire Buffalo River (previously excluding some counties), the entire Duck River except the Normandy Reservoir segment, and adding the four new creek segments to the designated areas. It also broadens public outreach requirements to apply to "any river" instead of just the Duck River, requiring more community engagement for scenic river management. These changes aim to preserve the natural character of these waterways through formal legal designation.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates Buffalo/Duck Rivers as protected Class II pastoral areas, expanding natural landscape conservation under Tennessee law per bill text.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Parks & Recreation

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in committee · Tennessee · House May 18, 2026

HB 1632: Hazardous Materials - As enacted, makes various changes to the "Tennessee Drycleaner's Environmental Response Act." - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 217, Part 1.

HB 1632 amends Tennessee's Drycleaner's Environmental Response Act to clarify program definitions and expand cleanup coverage. It adds "soil gas vapor" (including sub-slab vapor and indoor air) to the types of contamination the drycleaner environmental response fund addresses, and updates definitions for "recently abandoned" facilities, "registered facilities," and "wholesale distribution." The bill also revises registration requirements, requiring drycleaning facilities and wholesale distributors to register annually to access the fund, with non-compliance risking removal. These changes primarily affect drycleaning businesses, wholesale solvent distributors, and the state environmental agency managing the fund.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands environmental response fund coverage to include soil gas vapor contamination, strengthening cleanup requirements for hazardous materials under the drycleaner act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hazardous Materials

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failed · Tennessee · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 1461: Computers and Electronic Processing - As introduced, requires high performance computing (HPC) facility operators to devote 50 percent of the computing and data processing output of the facility for a public benefit; requires HPC facility operators to produce an annual report of the facility's energy consumption and carbon footprint; requires such operators to conduct an annual internal compliance audit and submit to an audit upon request by certain governmental entities. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 8 and Title 68.

HB 1461 requires operators of high-performance computing (HPC) facilities in Tennessee - defined as facilities using over 50 megawatts monthly - to dedicate at least 50% of their computing power to public benefits like education, environmental projects, or community services. It mandates annual reports on energy use, carbon emissions, and how public benefits were achieved, plus internal compliance audits. Noncompliance could lead to license suspension until corrected. The bill directly affects HPC facility operators, including data centers and AI-focused facilities, but excludes government-owned operations.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentRequires HPC facilities to report carbon footprint, dedicate 50% computing power to environmental projects, and conduct compliance audits, directly advancing climate accountability and emissions tracking.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Climate Change

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died · Tennessee · Senate Feb 10, 2025

SB 665: Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, requires the department to submit an annual report regarding the number of applications filed pursuant to the Water Quality Control Act; requires the department to include information on the mechanism of compensatory mitigation provided for in permits that are required to have a provision for adequate compensatory mitigation; requires additional information when the mechanism of compensatory mitigation is an in-lieu fee program or mitigation banking. - Amends TCA Title 69.

SB 665 requires Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to submit annual reports starting July 2025 on water quality permit applications and the compensatory mitigation methods used in those permits. The report must track the number of permit applications and detail how developers offset environmental impacts - such as through wetland restoration projects, in-lieu fee programs, or mitigation banking - including specific financial details like fees collected or credits sold. This affects the department (which must prepare the reports), permit applicants (whose mitigation methods are tracked), and state officials (who receive the reports). The bill aims to increase transparency around how environmental damage from development is compensated, without changing existing permit requirements.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates detailed annual reporting on compensatory mitigation methods (wetland restoration, fee programs) for water quality permits, ensuring environmental impacts are properly tracked and offset per regulations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Water Quality

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 18, 2026

HB 600: Solid Waste Disposal - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act," which requires producers of goods to participate in a responsibility organization for recycling, reuse, and composting of certain packaging material. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2 and Title 68, Chapter 211.

HB 600, the "Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act," requires companies that produce packaging materials to join a new organization responsible for funding recycling, reuse, and composting systems for covered packaging. It directly affects packaging producers (like those making food containers or product wrappers), mandating they help finance local recycling infrastructure instead of relying solely on government programs. The bill covers most packaging types but excludes medical products, beverage containers under future deposit systems, and long-term storage packaging. Its key goal is to divert recyclable waste from landfills, create jobs in recycling, and recover materials that would otherwise be discarded.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates packaging producers to fund recycling/reuse systems, reducing landfill waste and strengthening environmental infrastructure per bill's core purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Recycling Waste Management

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in committee · Tennessee · House Feb 3, 2025

HB 205: Parks, Natural Areas Preservation - As introduced, designates certain portions of the Duck River and certain portions of various creeks as Class II pastoral river areas. - Amends TCA Title 11, Chapter 13.

HB 205 designates specific segments of five waterways - including Beaverdam Creek, the Duck River in Hickman County, Lick Creek, Piney River, and Swan Creek - as Class II pastoral river areas under Tennessee law. This adds these defined stretches to the state’s protected natural areas, preserving their scenic and recreational value. The bill amends existing law to include these segments in the Class II classification, replacing a specific reference to the Duck River with broader language covering any river segment. It directly affects the designated river portions and communities along them, focusing on conservation without new regulations or funding. The legislation aims to maintain these areas' natural character as part of Tennessee’s scenic river system.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates waterways as protected Class II pastoral areas, preserving scenic/recreational value under natural areas preservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Parks & Recreation

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failed · Tennessee · Senate Mar 26, 2025

SB 1033: Air Pollution - As introduced, designates the intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight, or supplying or otherwise providing the chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus required for the conduct, as a Class A misdemeanor; makes other changes related to investigations and enforcement related to weather modification. - Amends TCA Title 58, Chapter 2 and Title 68, Chapter 201.

SB 1033 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to intentionally inject, release, or disperse chemicals into Tennessee's atmosphere with the purpose of altering weather, temperature, or sunlight intensity. It also prohibits supplying materials used for such weather modification activities. Violators face up to 11 months in jail and a $100,000 fine per violation. The bill explicitly targets intentional weather manipulation, affecting anyone conducting such actions within Tennessee, and amends state codes to include weather modification under relevant agency responsibilities and enforcement provisions.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill prohibits intentional chemical release for weather modification, preventing atmospheric pollution and aligning with air pollution regulations under TCA.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Air Quality

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