HB1161 • 2026

County Government

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5, relative to county powers.

Active

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

Sponsor: Stevens, White
Last action: 2025-03-19
Official status: Taken off notice for cal in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how much money this will cost local governments or the exact criteria for determining which counties qualify beyond the population requirement.

County Powers Act

This bill allows certain counties in Tennessee to stop apartment complex development within their borders and those of cities inside them for up to one year at a time.

What This Bill Does

Allows specific counties with over 325,000 people to pass a resolution stopping new apartment buildings from being built.
Requires two-thirds of the county legislative body to agree before this resolution can be put in place.
Limits the stop on building apartments to one year but allows for yearly extensions if needed.

Who It Names or Affects

Counties with a population over 325,000 people
People who want to build apartment complexes

Terms To Know

moratorium: A temporary stop on an activity or process.
county legislative body: The group of people in charge of making decisions for a county.

Limits and Unknowns

It's not clear how much money this will cost local governments.
Counties with a metropolitan form of government are not allowed to use this rule.

Bill History

2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/19/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
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 1098
By White

HOUSE BILL 1161
By Stevens

HB1161
003267
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5,
relative to county powers.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) A county may, by the adoption of a resolution by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the
county legislative body, impose a moratorium on the development of property, including
property within the boundaries of a municipality, for apartment complexes. The
moratorium must be limited to one (1) year in duration, but may be extended for
additional years, not to exceed one (1) year per extension, by the passage of a
resolution by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the county legislative body.
(b) A person with vested property rights under § 13-3-413 or § 13-4-310 is not
subject to a moratorium imposed under subsection (a).
(c) This section applies in a county having a population of not less than three
hundred twenty-five thousand (325,000), according to the 2020 or a subsequent federal
census.
(d) This section does not apply to a county having a metropolitan form of
government.
(e) As used in this section, "apartment complex" means a building or group of
buildings for multi-family use within the same development containing twenty-five (25) or
more individual dwelling units for residents.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.