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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB0913 • 2026

Election Laws

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 20, Chapter 18, relative to ballot measures.

Elections
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Vaughan, Rose
Last action
2025-04-29
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 249
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on what happens if an amendment is found to be in violation of the Constitution or state law.

Election Laws Amendment

This bill requires that legal challenges to proposed charter amendments and violations of constitutional or state laws be heard by a three-judge panel and prohibits placing unconstitutional or illegal charter amendments on ballots.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires any civil action challenging the constitutionality or compliance with state law of a proposed charter amendment ordinance to be heard by a three-judge panel.
  • Prohibits an amendment to the charter of a home rule municipality from being placed on any ballot if it violates the Constitution or state law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who file legal challenges against proposed charter amendments.
  • Home rule municipalities when considering charter amendments.

Terms To Know

Charter amendment ordinance
A proposal to change the basic governing document of a city or town, which is voted on by residents.
Home rule municipality
A city or town that has been granted certain powers to govern itself without needing approval from the state government.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a charter amendment ordinance is found to be in violation of the Constitution or state law.
  • It's unclear how this change will affect existing legal processes and timelines for handling such cases.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0913

Plain English: This amendment adds a new section to HB0913 that ensures existing court orders and decisions will not be affected by the new law.

  • Adds a new section stating that the bill does not change any judicial orders or decisions made before the bill becomes law.
  • The amendment text is brief and only specifies one addition, so it's unclear what other changes might be in the rest of HB0913.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 249

  2. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

  3. 2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 249

  4. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  11. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 73, Nays 22, PNV 0

  12. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar 4/10/2025

  14. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Objected to on Consent Calendar.

  15. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 4/7/2025

  17. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  18. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 25, Nays 5

  19. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/3/2025

  20. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/3/2025

  21. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  22. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  23. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2025

  25. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee for 3/18/2025

  27. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  28. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee

  29. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  30. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  31. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  33. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 525
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 913
By Vaughan

HB0913
000888
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 20, Chapter 18,
relative to ballot measures.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 20-18-101, is amended by deleting
subsection (a) and substituting instead:
(a)
(1) A civil action in which the complaint meets each of the following
criteria must be heard and determined by a three-judge panel pursuant to this
chapter:
(A) Challenges the constitutionality of:
(i) A state statute, including a statute that apportions or
redistricts state legislative or congressional districts;
(ii) An executive order; or
(iii) An administrative rule or regulation;
(B) Includes a claim for declaratory judgment or injunctive relief;
and
(C) Is brought against the state, a state department or agency, or
a state official acting in their official capacity.
(2) A civil action in which it is alleged that a proposed charter amendment
ordinance that is to be submitted to qualified voters at an election is in violation of
the Constitution or state law must be heard and determined by a three-judge
panel pursuant to this chapter.

- 2 - 000888

SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 6-53-105, is amended by adding the
following new subsection:
(d) An amendment to the charter of a home rule municipality shall not be placed
on any ballot if the amendment is in violation of the Constitution or state law.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.