HB1515 • 2026

Comptroller, State

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 66 and Title 67, relative to state assessed properties.

Taxes

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Marsh, Johnson
Last action: 2026-04-06
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 649
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific criteria for motor bus and truck companies that are subject to taxation.

State Property Tax for Motor Bus and Truck Companies

This bill amends Tennessee's tax laws by adding motor bus and truck companies to the list of businesses required to pay property taxes to the state, excluding towing companies.

What This Bill Does

Adds motor bus and truck companies that meet certain criteria to the list of businesses required to pay property taxes to the state.
Excludes towing companies from being taxed under this new rule.
Requires subsurface passenger transit companies to provide detailed information about their properties and operations for tax purposes.

Who It Names or Affects

Motor bus and truck companies operating in Tennessee that meet certain criteria.
Subsurface passenger transit companies that operate vehicles through tunnels or below-ground systems.
The state comptroller of the treasury who will assess taxes and manage exceptions to these assessments.

Terms To Know

Comptroller: A government official responsible for managing financial records, including tax collection.
Subsurface passenger transit companies: Companies that operate vehicles through tunnels or below-ground systems to transport passengers.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify the exact criteria for determining which motor bus and truck companies are subject to taxation.
It is unclear how this change will affect existing tax laws and regulations for other businesses in Tennessee.

Amendments

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

HA0629

Amendment 1-0 to HB1515

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain transportation companies are taxed by updating the list of companies subject to state property taxes and adding new reporting requirements for subsurface passenger transit companies.

Updates Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-5-1301(a) to include motor bus and truck companies that operate under federal registrations and meet specific criteria, such as being domiciled in the state or owning property there.
Adds new reporting requirements for subsurface passenger transit companies operating through tunnels or below-ground systems, including details about their vehicles, tunnel ownership, operational costs, and other information requested by the comptroller.

The amendment text does not specify all potential impacts on existing tax laws or regulations.
It is unclear how this change will affect companies that do not fit the new criteria but were previously taxed under different rules.

SA0550

Amendment 1-0 to SB1673

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain transportation companies are defined for tax purposes and adds new reporting requirements for subsurface passenger transit companies.

Modifies the definition of motor bus and/or truck companies to include those with specific federal registrations, owner operators under their authority, and companies that own or lease property in Tennessee.
Adds a new category of 'subsurface passenger transit companies' which must meet certain criteria such as owning tunnels and vehicles used for transporting passengers underground.
Requires subsurface passenger transit companies to provide additional information when submitting tax schedules and statements.

The amendment text does not specify the exact impact on current taxation or compliance requirements, only what new definitions and reporting standards will apply.

Bill History

2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 649
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 04/01/2026
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 649
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 1
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0629)
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 4, PNV 2
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0550)
2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 2 PNV 0
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/3/2026
2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1673, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, add to the list of companies for which the comptroller of the treasury may
assess for taxation,
and
for state, county, and municipal purposes, all of the properties within the state owned
,
and all personal property used or leased
,

m
otor bus or truck companies,
excluding
towing companies,
that
are
either
:



Companies that operate commercial motor vehicles exclusively authorized for hire holding United States department of transportation registrations issued by this state through the performance and registration information systems management (PRISM) or the federal motor carrier safety administration (FMCSA), including those owner operators who operate under the motor bus and/or truck company's motor carrier authority, and that (i)
a
re domiciled in this state
or
(ii)
o
wn or lease real or personal property located in this state
, or both
.


Subsurface passenger transit companies that

(i)
o
perate vehicles primarily through subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems
,
(ii)
o
wn and operate the subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems that are used for passenger transit
,
(iii)
o
wn, use, or lease the vehicles that are used for transporting passengers through the subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems
,
and (iv)
a
re engaged in the business of transporting passengers through subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems.

In addition to the information
required to be annually filed with the comptroller of the treasury pursuant to present law
,
this amendment requires
the schedules and statements submitted by subsurface passenger transit companies
to
include
all of the following:



A listing of all tangible personal property that the company owns, uses, or leases in the operation of its business
.


A description, including the location and the length in miles, of all conduit tunnels and stations owned by the company
.


The total direct and indirect costs associated with making the company operational
.


Any other information that the comptroller of the treasury may reasonably require.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1673
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 1515
By Marsh
HB1515
011010
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 8; Title 9; Title 66 and Title 67, relative to
state assessed properties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 67-5-1327(c), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(c) On or before the first Monday in September, the comptroller of the treasury
shall file with the board of equalization the assessments made by the comptroller,
together with such records as may be deemed necessary. The comptroller of the
treasury shall send notice to any person or entity filing an exception to the action taken
on the exception, and persons or entities affected by the comptroller of the treasury's
action on the exceptions may file further exceptions with the state board of equalization,
for review pursuant to § 67-5-1328. All persons or entities authorized to file an exception
under this section but failing to do so on or before twenty-five (25) days from the first
Monday in September are deemed to have waived any objection they may otherwise
have raised with regard to the assessments.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.