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HB0701 • 2026

Utilities, Utility Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 65, Chapter 1 and Title 65, Chapter 5, relative to utilities.

Active

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

Sponsor
Marsh, Southerland
Last action
2026-02-05
Official status
Sponsor change.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how other utility laws might be affected or what impact this change will have on telecom companies and consumers.

Changes to Utility Reports

This bill removes the requirement for Tennessee's Public Utility Commission to send an annual report about telecommunications competition to the state legislature.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes a rule that requires the Tennessee Public Utility Commission to give yearly reports on how competitive the telecom market is in Tennessee.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee Public Utility Commission
  • State legislators who receive reports from the Tennessee Public Utility Commission

Terms To Know

Telecommunications market
The area where companies provide phone, internet, and other communication services.
Public Utility Commission
A government agency that oversees public utilities like electricity, water, and telecommunications to make sure they are fair and safe for everyone.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the change will affect other parts of Tennessee's utility laws.
  • It is unclear what impact this change might have on telecom companies or consumers in Tennessee.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  2. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  3. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  4. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  5. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  6. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  7. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 983
By Southerland

HOUSE BILL 701
By Marsh
HB0701
002097
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 65,
Chapter 1 and Title 65, Chapter 5, relative to
utilities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 65-5-109, is amended by deleting
subsection (q).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.