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HB0735 • 2026

Planning, Public

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 13, Chapter 3; Title 13, Chapter 4 and Title 13, Chapter 7, relative to the vesting period for property development standards.

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Wright, Briggs
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 440
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the exact impact of the law on property development timelines or what happens after litigation ends.

Vesting Period for Property Development Standards

This law specifies that a property development plan or construction permit's vesting period does not expire due to pending litigation and is paused while legal disputes are resolved.

What This Bill Does

  • Specifies that the vesting period established for a construction project or development plan does not end because of ongoing legal challenges against it.
  • Pauses (tolls) the vesting period during any legal disputes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Property developers and builders with plans or permits under review or approval.
  • Local government agencies issuing building permits and approving development plans.

Terms To Know

Vesting period
The time during which a property development plan or construction permit remains valid, even if there are legal challenges against it.
Tolling
Pausing the countdown of a specific period (like a vesting period) until certain conditions are met (such as resolving legal disputes).

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact impact on property development timelines is not specified and may vary based on individual cases.
  • It does not address what happens after the litigation ends or how long the tolling period can last.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0735

Plain English: The amendment extends the vesting period for development plans and building permits to at least three years after all appeals are resolved or appeal periods expire.

  • Adds a definition of 'submission' as the date when an applicant submits a complete application for approval of a development plan or building permit.
  • Extends the vesting period for approved development plans and issued building permits to at least three years after all appeals are resolved or appeal periods expire.
  • The amendment does not specify how existing cases will be affected by this new rule.
Amendment 2-0 to HB0735

Plain English: This amendment changes Tennessee's property development laws to ensure that vesting periods for both development plans and building permits do not expire earlier than three years after all appeals are resolved or appeal periods have ended.

  • Adds a new definition of 'submission' in the context of development plans and building permits, specifying when an application is considered complete.
  • Extends the vesting period for both development plans and building permits to at least three years from either the end of the appeal period or after all appeals are resolved.
  • The amendment text does not specify how existing cases will be affected by these changes.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 440

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 440

  4. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Concurred, Ayes 33, Nays 0 (Amendment 2 - HA0430)

  10. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/21/2025

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 1, PNV 1

  14. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0402)

  15. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA0430)

  16. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  17. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  18. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  19. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025

  23. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  24. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  25. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/31/2025

  26. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025

  27. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  28. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  31. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  34. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  40. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  41. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  42. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  43. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 16, 2025, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 773 FOR HOUSE BILL 735, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 773, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2
clarifies
that the provisions prohibiting vesting periods applicable to development plans and building permits expiring earlier than three years following the later of the date on which the appeal period for challenging such approval or issuance has expired or the date on which all appeals of such approval or issuance have been exhausted are both applicable, not either one only.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 773
By Briggs

HOUSE BILL 735
By Wright

HB0735
002730
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 13,
Chapter 3; Title 13, Chapter 4 and Title 13,
Chapter 7, relative to the vesting period for
property development standards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 13-3-413(d), is amended by adding
the following new subdivision:
(4) A vesting period established pursuant to subsection (c) or this subsection (d)
does not expire because of pending litigation challenging a permit, and the vesting
period is tolled while such litigation is pending.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 13-4-310(d), is amended by adding
the following new subdivision:
(4) A vesting period established pursuant to subsection (c) or this subsection (d)
does not expire because of pending litigation challenging a permit, and the vesting
period is tolled while such litigation is pending.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect on July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.