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HB0217 • 2026

Aircraft and Airports

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42, Chapter 3; Title 42, Chapter 4 and Title 55, relative to airports.

Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Warner, Hensley
Last action
2025-03-18
Official status
Failed in Transportation Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Designating an International Airport as 'Trump International Airport'

This bill designates a specific international airport operated by a metropolitan authority in Davidson County as the 'Trump International Airport' and outlines steps for implementing this change.

What This Bill Does

  • Designates an existing international airport as 'Trump International Airport'.
  • Requires the airport authority to put up signs with the new name.
  • Directs the authority to update all contracts, trademarks, and governing documents to reflect the new name.
  • Allows the authority to continue using old names during a transition period.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The metropolitan airport authority in Davidson County
  • Contractors and businesses working with the airport

Terms To Know

Trademark
A legal protection for unique names, symbols, or logos used to identify goods or services.
Transition period
The time during which the airport authority can use old names while changing everything to reflect the new name.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was stopped in the Transportation Committee.
  • It does not specify how much it will cost or who will pay for the changes.
  • The exact timeline for when all changes must be completed is unclear.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0217

Plain English: This amendment changes the name of Berry Field Nashville Airport to Trump International Airport and requires signs and legal documents to reflect this change.

  • Changes the official name of Berry Field Nashville Airport (BNA) to 'Trump International Airport'.
  • Requires the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority to put up signs designating the airport as 'Trump International Airport'.
  • Directs the authority to update all contracts, trademarks, and legal documents to reflect the new name.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if third parties involved in contracts do not agree to change their agreements.
  • It is unclear how this will affect existing branding and marketing efforts for BNA.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  2. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Failed in Transportation Committee

  3. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  4. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/18/2025

  5. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  6. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  7. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Transportation Committee as am. with a Negative Recommendation

  8. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Naming & Designating Committee for 3/10/2025

  9. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal. in Naming & Designating Committee

  10. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Naming & Designating Committee for 2/24/2025

  11. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  12. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  14. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Naming & Designating Committee - Transportation Committtee

  15. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  16. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  17. 2025-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  18. 2025-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-01-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill provides that the international airport operated by a metropolitan airport authority in Davidson County is hereby
designated the "Trump International Airport." The authority is directed to erect suitable signs or affix suitable markers designati
ng the airport as the "Trump International Airport" and to take other appropriate actions to recognize this designation.

For purposes of facilitating the change of the name of an airport
, this bill requires
the authority, as soon as practicable
, to do th
e following:



If the authority has one or more registered trademarks with the United States patent and trademark office (USPTO) for purposes of operating the airport
,
(i)
p
etition the USPTO to amend each trademarked name relating to the airport to "Trump International Airport"; or

(ii) file a statement with the USPTO surrendering or abandoning each trademarked name and subsequently apply to trademark each name relating to the airport as "Trump International Airport"
.



Upon changing
the
name of the airport
,
(i) revise or amend the name of the airport in all contracts between the airport or the authority and third parties. If the parties to a contract cannot agree to revise or amend the contract, the authority or airport
must
, upon renewal, termination, or cancellation of the contract, renew or enter into a new contract with references to the airport as "Trump International Airport";

(ii)
reflect the name change
upon execution of a new contract between the authority or the airport and a third party; (iii) revise or amend each registered or trademarked name of the airport with all local, state, and federal departments and agencies in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations; and

(iv) revise its by-laws or governing documents consistent
with the name change.

However, this bill authorizes
the authority or airport
to
, during the transition period, conduct the business of operating the airport using any registered or trademarked name of the airport with the designation of "d
oing business as Trump International Airport" or "d/b/a Trump International Airport."

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 265
By Hensley

HOUSE BILL 217
By Warner

HB0217
000759
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42,
Chapter 3; Title 42, Chapter 4 and Title 55, relative
to airports.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42, Chapter 4, is amended by adding
the following new section:
(a) As used in this section:
(1) "Airport" means an international airport operated by the authority that
is operational on the effective date of this act; and
(2) "Authority" means a metropolitan airport authority created under this
chapter in a county having a metropolitan form of government with a population
of more than five hundred thousand (500,000), according to the 2020 federal
census or a subsequent federal census.
(b) The airport operated by the authority is hereby designated the "Trump
International Airport." The authority is directed to erect suitable signs or affix suitable
markers designating the airport as the "Trump International Airport" and to take other
appropriate actions to recognize this designation in accordance with this section.
(c)
(1) For purposes of facilitating the change of the name of an airport
identified under subsection (b), the authority shall, as soon as practicable:
(A) If the authority has one (1) or more registered trademarks with
the United States patent and trademark office (USPTO) for purposes of
operating the airport:

- 2 - 000759

(i) Petition the USPTO to amend each trademarked name
relating to the airport to "Trump International Airport"; or
(ii) File a statement with the USPTO surrendering or
abandoning each trademarked name and subsequently apply to
trademark each name relating to the airport as "Trump
International Airport";
(B) Upon changing each name of the airport in accordance with
subdivision (c)(1)(A):
(i) Revise or amend the name of the airport consistent with
subsection (b) in all contracts between the airport or the authority
and third parties. If the parties to a contract cannot agree to
revise or amend the contract in accordance with subsection (b),
the authority or airport shall, upon renewal, termination, or
cancellation of the contract, renew or enter into a new contract
with references to the airport as "Trump International Airport" in
accordance with subsection (b);
(ii) Comply with subsection (b) upon execution of a new
contract between the authority or the airport and a third party;
(iii) Revise or amend each registered or trademarked
name of the airport with all local, state, and federal departments
and agencies in accordance with applicable local, state, and
federal laws, rules, and regulations; and
(iv) Revise its by-laws or governing documents consistent
with subsection (b).

- 3 - 000759

(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (c)(1), the authority or airport may, during
the transition period specified under subdivision (c)(1), conduct the business of
operating the airport using any registered or trademarked name of the airport
with the designation of "doing business as Trump International Airport" or "d/b/a
Trump International Airport."
SECTION 2. For purposes of amending by-laws or governing documents and carrying
out administrative duties necessary to effectuate this act, this act takes effect upon becoming a
law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect January 1, 2026,
the public welfare requiring it.