HB0857 • 2026

Public Records

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 4, Part 6, relative to the office of open records counsel.

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Leatherwood, Briggs
Last action: 2025-05-13
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 370
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary text does not provide details on how often meetings must be held or what happens if no written request is made to the office of open records counsel.

Rules for Advisory Committee Meetings

This bill requires the office of open records counsel to facilitate meetings of the advisory committee on open government by selecting meeting dates and providing other support.

What This Bill Does

Requires the office of open records counsel to select a date for the required annual meeting if the advisory committee has not elected co-chairs and a majority of members request it in writing.
Reserves a room at the comptroller's offices for meetings.
Posts notices, minutes, and agendas on the comptroller’s website.
Provides an electronic method for remote participation.

Who It Names or Affects

The advisory committee on open government
The office of open records counsel

Terms To Know

Advisory Committee on Open Government: A group that gives advice and recommendations about public record laws.
Office of Open Records Counsel: An office responsible for helping with the rules related to open records in Tennessee.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how often or when meetings must be held.
It is unclear what happens if the advisory committee fails to make a written request to the office of open records counsel.

Amendments

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

HA0405

Amendment 1-0 to HB0857

Plain English: The amendment adds new responsibilities for the office of open records counsel regarding meetings of the advisory committee on open government.

The office of open records counsel must select a date for an annual meeting if the advisory committee fails to elect co-chairs and a majority of members request it in writing.
The office is required to reserve a room for the advisory committee's meetings at the comptroller’s treasury offices.
The office must post notices, minutes, and agendas on the comptroller’s website for advisory committee meetings.

The amendment includes technical details that may be hard to understand without additional context about current practices.

SA0224

Amendment 1-0 to SB0623

Plain English: The amendment adds new responsibilities for the office of open records counsel regarding meetings of the advisory committee on open government.

The office of open records counsel must select a date for an annual meeting if the advisory committee fails to elect co-chairs and a majority of its members request it in writing.
The office is required to reserve a room for the advisory committee's meetings at the comptroller’s treasury offices.
The office must post notices, minutes, and agendas of the advisory committee's meetings on the comptroller's website.

The amendment specifies new duties but does not provide details about how these responsibilities will be funded or staffed.

Bill History

2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 370
2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 05/05/2025
2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 370
2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 1, PNV 0
2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0405)
2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025
2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025
2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass if am; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/9/2025
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/9/2025
2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0
2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0224)
2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/31/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/2/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025
2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/26/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2025
2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/19/2025
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/18/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 31, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 623, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 adds to this bill by requiring the
office of open records counsel
do the following, in order to
facilitate the
convening of meetings of the advisory committee on open government:

(
1
) Select a date for the required annual meeting if
t
he advisory committee has failed to elect co-chairs and
a
majority of the members of the advisory committee make a written request
to the office of open records counsel to select a date for the required annual meeting;

(
2
) Reserv
e
a room for the advisory committee to meet in the offices of the comptroller of the treasury;

(
3
) Post
notice of meetings, minutes of meetings, and meet
ing agendas
on the comptroller's website; and

(
4
) Provid
e
an electronic method by which the committee may allow participation by electronic means.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 623
By Briggs

HOUSE BILL 857
By Leatherwood

HB0857
002638
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 4, Part 6, relative to the office of open
records counsel.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-4-603(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(4) The office of open records counsel shall facilitate the convening of meetings
of the advisory committee on open government, including selecting a date for the
required annual meeting in the absence of co-chairs.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.