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HB0618 • 2026

Public Officials

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and Title 8, relative to public office.

Active

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

Sponsor
Wright, Briggs
Last action
2026-03-23
Official status
Effective date(s) 01/01/2027
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text indicates that the effective date is January 1, 2027, which was changed from when it became law.

Law for Public Officials

This bill stops people from holding two elected offices at once in Tennessee but allows those who already have them to finish their terms as of January 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Stops someone from having an elected job in a local government and another state-level elected job at the same time after January 1, 2027.
  • Allows people who are already holding more than one office on January 1, 2027, to keep those jobs until they end.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who hold elected offices in Tennessee
  • Local government officials and state-level office holders

Terms To Know

Elected Office
A job that people vote for to choose the person who will do it.
Local Government
The government of a city, county, or other small area within a state.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law only applies after January 1, 2027.
  • It does not specify what happens if someone stops holding one office and then starts another later.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to SB0624

Plain English: This amendment adds new rules about holding multiple elected offices at the same time for local government officials in Tennessee.

  • Local government officials cannot hold another elected office in Tennessee while they are serving their current position, unless that other office is on a political party's state executive committee.
  • People who were already holding more than one elected office before this law goes into effect can keep doing so and be reelected to those offices.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if someone stops holding multiple offices after the new rules take effect, but it implies they would then follow the new restrictions.
Amendment 2-0 to SB0624

Plain English: The amendment adds rules that prevent local government elected officials from holding another state-level elected position at the same time, with some exceptions.

  • Local government elected officials cannot hold more than one elected office in Tennessee simultaneously starting January 1, 2027.
  • Exceptions are made for those already holding multiple offices on January 1, 2027, allowing them to continue and be reelected until they stop holding both positions.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if someone stops holding one of the multiple offices after January 1, 2027.
  • It is unclear how this will affect current officials who hold multiple positions and plan to continue serving in those roles beyond 2027.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 01/01/2027

  2. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 596

  3. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 596

  4. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. concurred in S. am. no. 2 Ayes 76, Nays 14 PNV 0 HB0618

  10. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Message Calendar for 3/5/2026

  11. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 21, Nays 10

  12. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0473)

  13. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 2 - SA0512)

  14. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  15. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  16. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/26/2026

  17. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  18. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 2/26/2026

  19. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/19/2026

  20. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 1 PNV 1

  21. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/10/2026

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State & Local Gov't. Committee

  23. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  24. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  25. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  26. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 4/1/2025

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2025

  28. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2025

  29. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  30. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/18/2025

  31. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  32. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  33. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  34. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 61, Nays 27, PNV 4

  35. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  36. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 2/27/2025

  37. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  38. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  39. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 2/24/2025

  40. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/20/2025

  41. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  42. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/19/2025

  43. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  44. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  45. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  46. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/12/2025

  47. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  48. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  49. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  50. 2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  51. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON FEBRUARY 26, 2026, THE SENATE SUBSTITUTED HOUSE BILL 618 FOR SENATE BILL 624, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2, AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 618, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 makes the following changes:



Clarifies that individuals holding an elected office of a local government and another elected office in this state on January 1, 2027, may continue holding such offices and may be reelected to such offices. However, if an individual ceases holding more than one office after January 1, 2027, then the individual is subject to the prohibition against an individual holding an elected office of a local government and another elected office in this state at the same time.


Changes the effective date of the bill from effective upon becoming a law to January 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 624
By Briggs

HOUSE BILL 618
By Wright

HB0618
001733
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and
Title 8, relative to public office.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
An individual holding an elected office of a local government shall not hold
another elected office in this state at the same time. Individuals holding more than one
(1) office on the effective date of this act may continue holding such offices until the
terms expire. This prohibition does not apply to an office in a political party's state
executive committee.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.