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HB0978 • 2026

Utilities, Utility Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69, relative to utilities.

Active

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

Sponsor
Burkhart, Powers
Last action
2025-03-19
Official status
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee of Commerce Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details about customer impacts or the exact date of effectiveness beyond what is stated in the bill text.

Utility Service Discontinuation Policy

This bill requires utilities governed by the Utilities' Cut-Off Procedures Act to post their policies about stopping service for non-payment on their websites.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires utilities governed by the Utilities' Cut-Off Procedures Act to put their policy on discontinuing service due to nonpayment on their website.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Utilities governed by the Utilities' Cut-Off Procedures Act

Terms To Know

Utilities' Cut-Off Procedures Act
A law that sets rules for when and how utilities can stop providing service to customers who do not pay their bills.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a utility fails to post the policy on its website.
  • It is unclear which specific utilities are governed by the Utilities' Cut-Off Procedures Act.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee

  2. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee of Commerce Committee

  3. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  5. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee

  6. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Commerce Committee

  7. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  8. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  10. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  11. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  12. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 952
By Powers

HOUSE BILL 978
By Burkhart

HB0978
002956
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 65; Title 68 and Title
69, relative to utilities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 65-32-104, is amended by
designating the existing language as subsection (a) and adding the following:
(b) The utility shall publish the policy established pursuant to subsection (a) in a
publicly accessible location on the utility's website.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.