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HB0031 • 2026

County Government

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 1-3-120; Title 5; Title 8, Chapter 44 and Title 10, Chapter 7, relative to public notices.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Zachary
Last action
2025-02-06
Official status
Withdrawn.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on the criteria for determining if a website notice meets legal requirements.

County Public Notices on Websites

This bill allows Tennessee counties to post required public notices on their websites instead of newspapers if they meet all other requirements for newspaper publication.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows county governments to publish public notices online if they comply with all existing legal requirements, including the period and format for publication.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County governments in Tennessee
  • People who read public notices

Terms To Know

public notice
A legal announcement made by a government to inform the public about important decisions or actions.
newspaper of general circulation
A newspaper that is widely read and covers news for an entire community.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how counties should determine if a website notice meets the requirements.
  • It's unclear what happens if people do not see notices online as they would in newspapers.

Bill History

  1. Date Tennessee General Assembly

  2. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Withdrawn.

  3. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  4. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  5. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  6. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  7. 2024-12-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
<BillNo> <Sponsor>

HOUSE BILL 31
By Zachary

HB0031
000658
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 1-
3-120; Title 5; Title 8, Chapter 44 and Title 10,
Chapter 7, relative to public notices.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 1-3-120, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(g) If a county government is required by law to publish a notice for any purpose
in a newspaper of general circulation, the publication requirement has been met if the
county government posts the notice on a website operated and managed by the county
government for that purpose; provided, that the notice otherwise complies with the
publication requirements, including the period for publication.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.