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HB0901 • 2026

Agriculture

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, relative to century farms.

Agriculture Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Todd, Reeves
Last action
2025-04-28
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/11/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Act for Century Farms Recognition

This bill creates the Tennessee Century Farms Act which recognizes and honors family farms that have been in continuous operation for over 100 years.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a program to recognize century farms, defined as those operating continuously for more than 100 years.
  • Requires the agriculture commissioner to set up criteria for qualifying century farms.
  • Designates a historic preservation center to manage and promote awareness of these farms.
  • Provides free commemorative signs to owners of century farms, with additional signs available at cost.
  • Maintains a database of century farms and promotes their historical significance.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Farmers who have operated family farms for over 100 years in Tennessee.
  • The Department of Agriculture and the Historic Preservation Center.

Terms To Know

Century farm
A farm that has been continuously owned by a founder's family for more than 100 years, with at least 10 acres and $1,000 in annual revenue.
Commissioner
The commissioner of the Department of Agriculture who oversees the century farms program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the program will be funded beyond existing resources.
  • Does not detail the exact design or cost of additional commemorative signs.
  • Effective date is set for April 11, 2025.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0901

Plain English: The amendment adds a requirement for the Department of Agriculture to work with Middle Tennessee State University's Center for Historic Preservation to create signs recognizing century farms owned by African Americans.

  • Adds new section in Title 43, Chapter 25 of Tennessee Code Annotated directing the Department of Agriculture and the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University to create signage designating century farms owned by African Americans.
  • The amendment text does not specify how these signs will be funded or what criteria must be met for a farm to qualify as a 'century farm'.
Amendment 2-0 to HB0901

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain terms are defined in a bill about century farms and adds new requirements for studying these farms.

  • Changes the definition scope from 'this section' to 'this chapter'.
  • Adds a requirement for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to conduct a study on century farms, including their financial impact, viability under current conditions, and long-term projections.
  • Specifies that the study must also examine barriers faced by century farm families and propose solutions.
  • The exact section number where the new requirements are inserted is not specified in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/11/2025

  2. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 200

  3. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 200

  4. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  10. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  11. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  13. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  16. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  17. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 3/26/2025

  18. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  19. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 3/19/2025

  21. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  22. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  23. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 86, Nays 0, PNV 6

  24. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  25. 2025-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/12/2025

  26. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/6/2025

  28. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  29. 2025-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  30. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/3/2025

  31. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/27/2025

  32. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  33. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 2/25/2025

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  39. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  40. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  41. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  42. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  43. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  44. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  45. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  46. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill enacts the "Tennessee Century Farms Act," which requires the commissioner of agriculture to establish
a century farms program to recognize cent
ury farms in continuous operation for more than

100 years in this state for purposes of promoting awareness of century farms and the interests of agriculture in this state.
The commissioner must take all of the following actions:



Operate the program within the existing resources of the department of agriculture.



Establish the criteria for qualification as a century farm under the program.



Designate a qualified
historic preservation center to administer the program
.



Design
and provide a specialty commemorative sign in recognition of a century farm to be provided to the owner of the farm at no cost to the owner. Commemorative signs may be designed and provided to owners of century farms to recognize each add
itional
50 years that a farm remains in continuous operation and qualifies for participation in the program. Additional signs may be purchased by a qualified owner at a cost specified by the commissioner. The commissioner may collaborate with the Tennessee historical commission and the historic preservation center administering the program for purposes of designing
such
signs.

In administering the program, this bill requires the historic preservation center to (i) maintain a database of
century farms and serve as a clearing house with respect to inf
ormation on century farms and the program
, (ii) collaborate with
the department of agriculture and the Tennessee historical commission for purposes of administering the program
, and (iii) educate
the public and promote awareness with respect to
the
histori
c century farms in this state as well as their contribution to agriculture in this state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 874
By Reeves

HOUSE BILL 901
By Todd

HB0901
000956
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43,
relative to century farms.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 25, is amended by adding
the following new section:
(a) This act is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Century Farms Act."
(b) It is the intent of the general assembly to recognize the historical significance
of family farms that have been in operation in this state for over one hundred (100) years
and to highlight their contribution to agriculture in and the economy of this state.
(c) As used in this section:
(1) "Century farm" means a farm that:
(A) Is composed of ten (10) or more acres of the original farm
owned by a founder of the farm;
(B) Produces at least one thousand dollars ($1,000) in annual
revenue;
(C) Has remained in the founder's family continuously for at least
one hundred (100) years; and
(D) Is owned in whole or in part by at least one (1) resident of this
state; and
(2) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the department of
agriculture.

- 2 - 000956

(d) The commissioner shall establish a century farms program to recognize
century farms in continuous operation for more than one hundred (100) years in this
state for purposes of promoting awareness of century farms and the interests of
agriculture in this state.
(e) The commissioner shall:
(1) Operate the program within the existing resources of the department
of agriculture;
(2) Establish the criteria for qualification as a century farm under the
program;
(3) Designate a qualified historic preservation center to administer the
program; and
(4) Design and provide a specialty commemorative sign in recognition of
a century farm to be provided to the owner of the farm at no cost to the owner.
Commemorative signs may also be designed and provided to owners of century
farms to recognize each additional fifty (50) years that a farm remains in
continuous operation and qualifies for participation in the program. Additional
signs may be purchased by a qualified owner at a cost specified by the
commissioner. The commissioner may collaborate with the Tennessee historical
commission and the historic preservation center administering the program for
purposes of designing signs in accordance with this subdivision (e)(4).
(f) In administering the program, the historic preservation center designated
pursuant to subdivision (e)(3) shall:
(1) Maintain a database of century farms and serve as a clearing house
with respect to information on century farms and the program;

- 3 - 000956

(2) Collaborate with the department of agriculture and the Tennessee
historical commission for purposes of administering the program; and
(3) Educate the public and promote awareness with respect to
Tennessee's historic century farms in this state as well as their contribution to
agriculture in this state.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.