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HB1321 • 2026

Tourist Development, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 22, relative to tourism.

Budget Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Lamberth, Johnson
Last action
2025-05-27
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/21/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not explicitly require the commissioner to use highway user taxes but rather allows for the transfer of such taxes.

Tourism Department Changes

This bill establishes a marketing division and a welcome centers division within Tennessee's Tourism Development Department and allows for highway user taxes to be used for maintaining welcome center facilities.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new marketing division within the Tourism Development Department.
  • Establishes a welcome centers division inside the Tourism Development Department.
  • Allows the commissioner of finance and administration to transfer highway user taxes allocated to the highway fund to support the annual appropriation for implementation and administration of all welcome centers in Tennessee.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee Tourism Development Department
  • Tourism businesses in Tennessee
  • Visitors using Tennessee's welcome centers

Terms To Know

Highway User Taxes
Money collected from people who use roads and highways, used to maintain these facilities.
Welcome Centers
Informational stations along highways that provide travelers with maps, brochures, and other useful information about local attractions.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact amount of highway user taxes to be transferred for welcome center maintenance.
  • It is unclear if there will be additional costs beyond the reallocation of funds mentioned in the summary.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/21/2025

  2. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 523

  3. 2025-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 523

  4. 2025-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-05-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  10. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  11. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  12. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  13. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 86, Nays 0, PNV 1

  14. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  15. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 4/21/2025

  17. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  19. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  20. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2025

  21. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/8/2025

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  24. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/26/2025

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 3/26/2025

  31. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  32. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  33. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/19/2025

  34. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/12/2025

  35. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/4/2025

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  39. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  40. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  41. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  42. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  43. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1306
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 1321
By Lamberth

HB1321
000565
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 3, Part 22, relative to tourism.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-3-2204(a)(1)(A), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
There is created in the department of tourist development a marketing division to
be under the direction of the commissioner of tourist development. The commissioner
may appoint a person to head the division, and such person shall perform all duties
regarding the division as prescribed by the commissioner.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-3-2204(a)(1)(B), is amended by
deleting "director" and substituting "division head".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-3-2204(b), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
The division shall:
(1) Promote new investment in the tourism industry;
(2) Provide comprehensive services to existing tourism enterprises;
(3) Promote Tennessee attractions in other states; and
(4) Distribute Tennessee informational publications.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-3-2209, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
(a) The department of tourist development is responsible for administering and
maintaining the state's welcome centers. The department of transportation shall assist

- 2 - 000565

with maintenance of welcome center facilities as may be agreed upon by the department
of tourist development and the department of transportation.
(b)
(1) There is created in the department of tourist development a welcome
centers division to be under the direction of the commissioner of tourist
development. The commissioner may appoint a person to head the division, and
such person shall perform all duties regarding the division as prescribed by the
commissioner.
(2) The head of the welcome centers division shall oversee the welcome
centers in the state, with responsibilities that include:
(A) Promoting this state's unique heritage and attractions for
guests, through mediums such as photographs, posters, maps, music,
and books;
(B) Training staff on aspects of this state's history and area
attractions;
(C) Staffing welcome centers in accordance with department
guidelines;
(D) Maintaining welcome center facilities and grounds, including
landscaping, to provide a positive experience for guests; and
(E) Performing housekeeping activities necessary for a safe,
clean, and operable environment at such welcome center facilities.
(3) The commissioner of finance and administration shall transfer from
highway user taxes allocated to the highway fund an amount sufficient to support
the annual appropriation for implementation and administration of all welcome
centers in this state.

- 3 - 000565

SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming law, the public welfare requiring it.