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HB0731 • 2026

Open Meetings

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 5; Title 8, Chapter 44; Title 43, Chapter 1; Title 58; Title 68, Chapter 1 and Title 70, relative to public meetings.

Active

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

Sponsor
Hulsey, Harshbarger
Last action
2025-04-28
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/24/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's effective date is set for April 24, 2025, but this information was not included in the candidate explanation and does not affect the summary provided.

Making Tennessee One Health Committee Meetings Public

This bill makes meetings of the Tennessee One Health Committee open to the public.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds the Tennessee One Health Committee as a governing body under the state's open meetings law.
  • Requires that all meetings of the Tennessee One Health Committee be open and accessible to the public.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee One Health Committee
  • Members of the public who want to attend or watch committee meetings

Terms To Know

governing body
A group that makes decisions for an organization, like a board or committee.
open meetings law
A rule that says certain groups must hold their meetings in public so anyone can attend and see what is discussed.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill only affects the Tennessee One Health Committee, not other similar committees unless they are specifically named.
  • It does not say how often or where these meetings will be held.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0731

Plain English: The amendment adds new language to Tennessee Code Annotated to include meetings of Tennessee One Health in the definition of 'public meeting'.

  • Adds a new subdivision (F) under Section 8-44-102(b)(1) that defines Tennessee One Health and its purpose.
  • Modifies Section 8-44-102(b)(2) to include meetings of the governing body described in subdivision (b)(1)(F) as part of the definition of 'meeting'.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how Tennessee One Health will operate or what specific actions it can take.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0908

Plain English: The amendment adds new language to Tennessee Code Annotated to include meetings of Tennessee One Health in the definition of 'public meeting'.

  • Adds a new subdivision (F) under Section 8-44-102(b)(1) that describes Tennessee One Health and its purpose.
  • Modifies Section 8-44-102(b)(2) to include meetings of the governing body described in subdivision (b)(1)(F) as part of the definition of 'meeting'.
  • The amendment does not provide details on how Tennessee One Health operates or its specific responsibilities.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

  2. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 286

  3. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 286

  4. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  10. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0342)

  11. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  14. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/10/2025

  15. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  20. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  21. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 87, Nays 5, PNV 1

  22. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0086)

  23. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/17/2025

  25. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/13/2025

  26. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  27. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/12/2025

  28. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  30. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 3/5/2025

  31. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  32. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  33. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  36. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  37. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law generally
requires that meetings of governing bodies be open to the public. This bill expands the definition of "governing body" to include a body composed of representatives from several state government agencies that seeks to promote and support the health of h
u
mans, animals, and the environment through cooperation and collaboration across disciplines, including local, state, and federal agencies, academic institutions, and outside partners, and specifies that the convening of such a governing body is a meeting
f
or purposes of the open meetings law.

ON MARCH 17, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 731, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 revises the provision requiring a body
composed of representatives from several state government agencies that s
eeks to promote and support the health of humans, animals, and the environment through cooperation and collaboration across disciplines
to be open to the public to, instead, place such requirement on the governing body of Tennessee One Health.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 908
By Harshbarger

HOUSE BILL 731
By Hulsey

HB0731
002673
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 3, Part 5; Title 8, Chapter 44; Title 43,
Chapter 1; Title 58; Title 68, Chapter 1 and Title
70, relative to public meetings.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-102(b)(1), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
(F) A body composed of representatives from several state government
agencies that seeks to promote and support the health of humans, animals, and the
environment through cooperation and collaboration across disciplines, including local,
state, and federal agencies, academic institutions, and outside partners.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-102(b)(2), is amended by
designating the existing language as subdivision (b)(2)(A) and adding the following as a new
subdivision (b)(2)(B):
(B) "Meeting" also means the convening of a governing body described under
subdivision (b)(1)(F).
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.