Ethics

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so there are no effective dates or further details on enforcement mechanisms.

Ethics Rules for Tennessee

This bill clarifies what counts as an indirect gift in ethics rules and requires certain officials to disclose travel expenses paid by people with interests in state policies if the trip is meant to inform or advise about public policy issues.

What This Bill Does

• Clarifies that gifts from entities related to a lobbyist's employer are considered indirect gifts for candidates, legislative branch officials, executive branch officials, and their immediate family members.
• Requires the governor and officers of the governor’s cabinet to report travel expenses paid by people with interests in state policies if the trip is meant to inform or advise about public policy issues.

Who It Names or Affects

• Candidates and family members running for public office
• Legislative branch officials and their families
• Executive branch officials and their families
• The governor and officers in the governor’s cabinet

Terms To Know

Indirect gift

A gift that is given through another person or entity, rather than directly from a lobbyist's employer.

Lobbyist

Someone who tries to influence decisions made by government officials.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass and was stopped in the State & Local Government Committee.
• It does not specify what happens if someone breaks these new rules.

Official Summary Text

Present law prohibits a candidate for public
office, an official
in the legislative branch, or an official in the executive branch, or the immediate family of such candidate or official,
from
solicit
ing
or accept
ing
, directly or indirectly, a gift from an employer of a lobbyist or a lobbyist.
This
bill clarifies that an indirect
gift includes, but is not limited to, a gift provided by an entity that is related to, and its business or political activities intertwined with, the employer of a lobbyist.

This bill requires disclosure to be made of, by
the governor
or an officer of the governor's cabinet, the amount and source, by name, of any travel expenses, including any expenses incidental to such travel, paid on behalf of the governor or officer by a person with an interest in a public policy of thi
s state if the travel was for the purpose of informing or advising the governor or officer with respect to the public policy. Travel expenses do not include expenses for travel, if such expenses are paid for or reimbursed by a governmental entity or an e
s
tablished and recognized organization of elected or appointed state government officials, staff of state government officials, or both officials and staff, or any other established and recognized organization that is an umbrella organization for such offi
c
ials, staff, or both officials and staff
.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 548
By Briggs

HOUSE BILL 564
By Hemmer

HB0564
001492
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3,
Chapter 6 and Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 5, relative
to ethics.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 3-6-305(a)(2), is amended by adding
the following new sentence at the end of the subdivision:
An indirect gift includes, but is not limited to, a gift provided by an entity that is
related to, and its business or political activities intertwined with, the employer of
a lobbyist.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-502(5), is amended by
redesignating the subdivision as subdivision (5)(A) and adding the following new subdivision
(5)(B):
(B) By the governor or an officer of the governor's cabinet, the amount and
source, by name, of any travel expenses, including any expenses incidental to such
travel, paid on behalf of the governor or officer by a person with an interest in a public
policy of this state if the travel was for the purpose of informing or advising the governor
or officer with respect to the public policy. Travel expenses do not include expenses for
travel, if such expenses are paid for or reimbursed by a governmental entity or an
established and recognized organization of elected or appointed state government
officials, staff of state government officials, or both officials and staff, or any other
established and recognized organization that is an umbrella organization for such
officials, staff, or both officials and staff;
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.