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HB1118 • 2026

Emergency Communications Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 9, Part 4, relative to lighting.

Active

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

Sponsor
Vital, Watson
Last action
2025-04-04
Official status
Effective date(s) 03/28/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on how this change will affect other existing lighting rules or specify consequences for misuse.

Emergency Communications District Lighting Rules

This bill allows emergency communications district vehicles marked as mobile command or communication vehicles to use flashing red and white lights.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows emergency communications district vehicles that are marked as mobile command or communication vehicles to display flashing red, white, or a combination of both colors.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Emergency communications districts that operate mobile command and communication vehicles.

Terms To Know

emergency communications district
A group responsible for providing emergency communication services, such as dispatching calls to police or fire departments.
mobile command vehicle
A specially equipped vehicle used by emergency responders to manage and coordinate activities at an incident scene.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if these vehicles are misused or abused.
  • It is unclear how this change will affect other existing lighting rules for emergency vehicles in Tennessee.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/28/2025

  2. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 106

  3. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 106

  4. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  10. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  11. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  12. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  13. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 1

  14. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  16. 2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/17/2025

  17. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/17/2025

  18. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/13/2025

  19. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  20. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  21. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/11/2025

  22. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/12/2025

  23. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee

  24. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/4/2025

  25. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  26. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  27. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  28. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 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 1374
By Watson

HOUSE BILL 1118
By Vital

HB1118
003303
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55,
Chapter 9, Part 4, relative to lighting.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-9-402(d)(1), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:
(H) A motor vehicle operated by an emergency communications district that is
marked as a mobile command vehicle or mobile communications vehicle may display
flashing red or white lights or a combination of flashing red and white lights.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.