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HB0421 • 2026

Utilities, Utility Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 34 and Title 7, Chapter 82, relative to continuing education for members of utility district boards.

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Marsh, Walley
Last action
2025-04-30
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 166
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on the number of times a commissioner can file for reinstatement or consequences if they fail to meet new requirements after being reinstated.

Utility District Commissioner Reinstatement Process

This bill establishes a process for reinstating utility district commissioners who become ineligible due to training requirements and reduces continuing education hours from twelve to six after initial training.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a utility district commissioner who becomes ineligible because they did not meet training requirements to petition the Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation for reinstatement after their term ends.
  • Requires the board to hold an informal hearing on such petitions and set conditions, including completing twelve hours of training within one year from the order date.
  • Reduces continuing education hours from twelve to six after initial training.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Utility district commissioners in Tennessee who need to meet training requirements.
  • The Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation which will handle petitions and hearings for reinstatement.

Terms To Know

Petition
A formal request made by a utility district commissioner asking for reinstatement after becoming ineligible due to training requirements.
Informal Hearing
A meeting where the Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation discusses and decides on a petition for reinstatement without following strict legal procedures.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many times a commissioner can file a petition for reinstatement.
  • It is unclear what happens if a commissioner fails to meet the new training requirements after being reinstated.
  • The exact fiscal impact of reducing training hours cannot be determined.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0421

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of required continuing education hours for members of utility district boards from twelve to six.

  • Reduces the required number of continuing education hours for utility district board members from twelve to six.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how this reduction will affect existing regulations or requirements beyond changing the specific number of hours.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0380

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of required continuing education hours for members of utility district boards from twelve to six.

  • Reduces the required number of continuing education hours for utility district board members from twelve to six.
  • The exact impact and reasoning behind reducing the number of required hours is not provided in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 166

  2. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/11/2025

  3. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 166

  4. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 2, PNV 1

  11. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0048)

  12. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025

  14. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025

  15. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/18/2025

  17. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  18. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  19. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  20. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  21. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  22. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/5/2025

  23. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee

  24. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  25. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  26. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0010)

  27. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/24/2025

  28. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  29. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  30. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee to 2/26/2025

  31. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  32. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/18/2025

  33. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 2/12/2025

  35. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee

  36. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee

  37. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

PETITION FOR REINSTATEMENT

This bill authorizes a person who becomes ineligible to serve as a utility district commissioner for failing
to timely meet the training and continuing education requirements set forth under existing law to file a petition for reinstatement of the person's eligibility to serve as a utility district commissioner with the Tennessee board of utility regulation. Ho
w
ever, such a person may not file a petition for reinstatement until after the completion of the term of office for which the person has failed to meet the required training and continuing education requirements that caused the person's ineligibility to se
r
ve.

This bill requires the board to conduct an informal hearing on the petition and authorizes the board to issue an order establishing the terms and conditions for the reinstatement of eligibility. Under this bill, an order (i) must require the petitio
ner to obtain 12 hours of training and continuing education within one year of the date of the order, (ii) must include an effective date for eligibility reinstatement, and (iii) may include any other terms and conditions for reinstatement deemed appropri
a
te by the board.

REDUCTION IN HOURLY TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

Present law requires all members of a municipal utility board of commissioners to, within one year of initial appointment or election to such board or within one year of
reappointment or reelection to such board, attend a minimum of 12 hours of training and continuing education in one or more of the subjects listed under existing law. This bill lowers the minimum number of hours from 12 to six. Similarly, pesent law req
u
ires a utility district commissioner to attend a minimum of 12 hours of training and continuing education in one or more of the subjects listed under existing law. This bill, likewise, lowers the minimum number of hours from 12 to six.

ON FEBRUARY 24, 2
025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 380, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 removes the provisions lowering the minimum number of hours of initial training and continuing education from 12 to six and, instead, lowers the minimum number of h
ours of such training from 12 to six in each continuing education period following
the initial
12 hours of initial
training and continuing education
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 380
By Walley

HOUSE BILL 421
By Marsh

HB0421
000821
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7,
Chapter 34 and Title 7, Chapter 82, relative to
continuing education for members of utility district
boards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-82-307(b)(5)(A), is amended by
designating the existing language as subdivision (i) and adding the following as a new
subdivision (ii):
(ii) If a person becomes ineligible to serve as a utility district commissioner under
subdivision (b)(5)(A)(i) for failing to timely meet the training and continuing education
requirements set forth in § 7-82-308, the person may file a petition for reinstatement of
the person's eligibility to serve as a utility district commissioner with the Tennessee
board of utility regulation. The person shall not file a petition for reinstatement until after
the completion of the term of office for which the person has failed to meet the required
training and continuing education requirements that caused the person's ineligibility to
serve. The board shall conduct an informal hearing on the petition and may issue an
order establishing the terms and conditions for the reinstatement of eligibility. The order
must require the petitioner to obtain twelve (12) hours of training and continuing
education within one (1) year of the date of the order, must include an effective date for
eligibility reinstatement, and may include any other terms and conditions for
reinstatement deemed appropriate by the board.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-82-702(b)(1), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:

- 2 - 000821

( ) Petitions for reinstatement of a person's eligibility to serve as a utility district
commissioner pursuant to § 7-82-307(b)(5)(A)(ii).
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-34-115(j)(2), is amended by
deleting the language "twelve (12)" and substituting instead "six (6)".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-82-308(f)(2), is amended by
deleting the language "twelve (12)" and substituting instead "six (6)".
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.