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HB0919 • 2026

Boards and Commissions

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, to revise appointing authority for statutorily created entities.

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Cepicky, Rose
Last action
2025-05-15
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 452
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official summary does not provide specific details on qualifications and appointment processes, leaving some aspects unclear.

Changes to Appointing Authority for Higher Education Boards

This bill changes how members are appointed to boards that govern Tennessee's public higher education institutions, altering the number and appointing authority of board members.

What This Bill Does

  • Increases the membership of the Board of Regents from 19 to 21 members.
  • Reduces the number of gubernatorial appointees on the Board of Regents from 12 to 10, with two new appointments made by each chamber's speaker.
  • Expands the requirement for at least eight board members to be Tennessee residents or nonresidents who have significantly contributed to the state university or local community.
  • Increases the membership of independent state university boards and University of Tennessee Board of Trustees from 10 and 12 members respectively, with similar changes in appointing authority as the Board of Regents.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Boards governing public higher education institutions in Tennessee
  • Speakers of each chamber of the general assembly who will now appoint board members

Terms To Know

Board of Regents
The governing body for Tennessee's system of public higher education.
Gubernatorial appointees
Members appointed to a board by the governor.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how non-residents who are not Tennessee residents can qualify for board membership.
  • The bill does not provide details on how the new appointments will be made or what qualifications they must meet.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0919

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of members on certain boards from nineteen to twenty-one and alters how these members are appointed by different officials.

  • Increases the number of public members on statutorily created entities' boards from nineteen (19) to twenty-one (21).
  • Modifies the appointment process for public members, giving more authority to the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house of representatives.
  • Adjusts term lengths for newly appointed board members, setting initial terms and subsequent appointments at six-year intervals.
  • The amendment text is extensive and technical, making it challenging to summarize all changes without missing important details.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0933

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of members on certain boards from nineteen to twenty-one and alters how these members are appointed by different officials.

  • Increases the number of members on statutorily created entities' boards from nineteen (19) to twenty-one (21).
  • Modifies the appointment process for public members, giving more authority to the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house to appoint specific numbers of at-large members.
  • Adjusts initial term lengths for newly appointed board members and sets a standard six-year term length for future appointments.
  • The amendment text is detailed but does not provide context on why these changes are being made or their potential impacts.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 452

  2. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/09/2025

  3. 2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 452

  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. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 75, Nays 17, PNV 0

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0237)

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  13. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025

  14. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/17/2025

  17. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  18. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/16/2025

  19. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  20. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  21. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/14/2025

  22. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee

  24. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  25. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  26. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 23, Nays 5

  27. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/31/2025

  28. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 3/31/2025

  29. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0175)

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/1/2025

  31. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 4/1/2025

  32. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025

  33. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/25/2025

  34. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  35. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/25/2025

  36. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  37. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2025

  38. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  39. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  40. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Education Committee

  41. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recalled from Senate Commerce & Labor Committee

  42. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  43. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee

  44. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Education Committee - Government Operations for Review

  45. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  46. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  47. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  48. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  49. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  50. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

O
N MARCH 27, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND RESET SENATE BILL 933, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites this bill to make various revisions to the governing boards of public higher education institutions.

BOARD OF REGENTS

This amendment increas
es from 19 to 21 members the membership of the board of regents. This amendment reduces from 12 to 10 the number of gubernatorial appointees to the board and requires the speaker of each chamber of the general assembly to appoint two board members. Begi
n
ning on the day that this bill becomes a law, the speaker of each chamber of the general assembly will be required to appoint one board member. Additionally, the first of the three at-large board members appointed by the governor whose term expires after

the day that this bill becomes a law will be succeeded by an appointee of the speaker of the senate and the second of the three at-large board members appointed by the governor whose term expires after the day that this bill becomes a law will be succeede
d
by an appointee of the speaker of the house of representatives. The speakers' appointees serve six-year terms.

This amendment clarifies that non-residents may be appointed to the board and do not forfeit their seat if not domiciled in Tennessee.

INDEP
ENDENT STATE UNIVERSITY BOARDS

This amendment increases from 10 to 12 members the membership of the state university boards. This amendment reduces from eight to six the number of gubernatorial appointees to the board and requires the speaker of each ch
amber of the general assembly to appoint two board members. Beginning on the day that this bill becomes a law, the speaker of each chamber of the general assembly will be required to appoint one board member. Additionally, the first of the voting board
m
embers appointed by the governor whose term expires after the day that this bill becomes a law will be succeeded by an appointee of the speaker of the senate and the second of the voting board members appointed by the governor whose term expires after the

day that this bill becomes a law will be succeeded by an appointee of the speaker of the house of representatives. The speakers' appointees serve six-year terms.

This amendment replaces the requirement that
at least
six board
members
are Tennessee
resid
ents
with a requirement that
at least
eight

board
members
are Tennessee r
esidents or nonresidents who have significantly contributed their time and support to ensure the success and continued growth of the state university or the local community served by
the state university.

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

This amendment increases from 12 to 14 members the membership of the University of Tennessee board of trustees. This amendment reduces from 10 to eight the number of gubernatorial appointe
es to the board and requires the speaker of each chamber of the general assembly to appoint two board members. Beginning on the day that this bill becomes a law, the speaker of each chamber of the general assembly will be required to appoint one board me
m
ber. Additionally, the first of the voting board members appointed by the governor whose term expires June 30, 2026, will be succeeded by an appointee of the speaker of the senate and the second of the voting board members appointed by the governor whose

term expires June 30, 2026, will be succeeded by an appointee of the speaker of the house of representatives. The speakers' initial appointees serve until June 30, 2030, and their subsequent appointments serve six-year terms.

This amendment reduces from
five to four the number of gubernatorial appointees who must be University of Tennessee alumni. This amendment also reduces from seven to six the number of gubernatorial appointees who must be Tennessee residents.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 933
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 919
By Cepicky

HB0919
002839
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, to revise
appointing authority for statutorily created entities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 50-6-121(a)(1)(C), is amended by
deleting the language:
At least one (1) employee representative shall be from organized labor.
and substituting instead the language:
The employee representative appointed by the governor must be from an entity
representing organized labor.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
and shall apply to appointments made on or after the effective date of this act.