HB1676 • 2026

Regional Authorities and Special Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 56, Part 2 and Title 64, Chapter 2, relative to railroad authorities.

Labor

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Eldridge, Seal
Last action: 2026-04-06
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 650
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide detailed financial impacts or specific future plans for the authority, leaving these areas uncertain.

Expanding North East Tennessee Railroad Authority

This bill adds Claiborne, Union, and Grainger counties to the North East Tennessee railroad authority if their governing bodies vote in favor of joining with a two-thirds majority.

What This Bill Does

Adds Claiborne, Union, and Grainger counties to the North East Tennessee railroad authority if their respective governing bodies authorize it by a two-thirds vote.
Requires these new members to provide funds for supporting the administration of the authority.
Ensures that all contracts over $25,000 must be publicly advertised before being signed unless it's an emergency situation.

Who It Names or Affects

The North East Tennessee railroad authority in Anderson, Campbell, Scott, Claiborne, Union, and Grainger counties.
Governing bodies of the affected counties.

Terms To Know

Railroad Authority: A group created to manage and support railroad services in specific areas.
Public Advertising: The process of informing the public about a contract or purchase opportunity so that multiple companies can bid on it.

Limits and Unknowns

It's not clear how this bill will affect the finances of the member counties.
There is no specific information provided about future plans for the authority.

Amendments

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

HA0630

Amendment 1-0 to HB1676

Plain English: The amendment creates and defines rules for the North East Tennessee railroad authority, including conditions under which additional counties can join.

Creates the North East Tennessee railroad authority in Anderson, Campbell, and Scott counties with provisions for Claiborne, Union, and Grainger to join if certain requirements are met.
Specifies that Claiborne, Union, and Grainger must be authorized by a two-thirds vote of their governing bodies, evidence of which is certified to the secretary of state.
Requires all three counties to show willingness to fund the authority's administration before joining.

The amendment text does not specify when or how the initial requirements for Claiborne, Union, and Grainger were satisfied.

Bill History

2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 650
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 04/01/2026
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 650
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Concurred, Ayes 27, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0630)
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 3/19/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0630)
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
2026-03-11 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
2026-03-04 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
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 3/4/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 2/19/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 2/10/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 2/11/2026
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee
2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/3/2026
2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Meeting Canceled
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 1/27/2026
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law creates the North East Tennessee railroad authority in Anderson, Campbell,
and Scott counties, which is tasked with securing economic benefits to those counties by providing for the continuation of railroad service in those counties. This bill expands the authority by adding Claiborne, Union, and Grainger counties.

This bill requires all contracts of the authority to be entered into and executed in accordance with present law, regulations, and procedures governing contracting by county governments. Specifically, this bill prohibits any contracts or acquisitions of
the authority over $25,000 from being made until after it has been publicly advertised for bids. However, advertisement is not required when an emergency arises and requires immediate delivery of the supplies or performance of the service.

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 1739 FOR HOUSE BILL 1676, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1739, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 c
onditions inclusion of Claiborne, Union, and Grainger in
the North East Tennessee railroad authority
upon all three of those counties
:

(1)
A
uthoriz
ing
, by a
2/3
vote of their respective governing bodies, to become members of the authority;

(2) Evidence of such authorization is proclaimed and countersigned by the presiding officer of each ratifying county certified by that presiding officer to the secretary of state; and

(3) The governing bodies of all three counties have indicated their willingness to appropriate sufficient funds to support the administration of the authority along with the existing county members of the authority.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1739
By Seal

HOUSE BILL 1676
By Eldridge
HB1676
010164
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7,
Chapter 56, Part 2 and Title 64, Chapter 2, relative
to railroad authorities.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 64-2-101, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead:
(a) There is created the North East Tennessee railroad authority in the counties
of Anderson, Campbell, Scott, Claiborne, Union, and Grainger.
(b) This authority is intended to secure economic benefits to the counties of
Anderson, Campbell, Scott, Claiborne, Union, and Grainger by providing for the
continuation of railroad service in Anderson, Campbell, Scott, Claiborne, Union, and
Grainger counties.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 64-2-102, is amended by deleting
subdivision (1) and substituting instead:
(1) Four (4) or more of the counties of Anderson, Campbell, Scott, Claiborne,
Union, and Grainger are authorized, by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of their respective
governing bodies, to become members of the authority;
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 64-2-110, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead:
All contracts of the authority must be entered into and executed in such manner
as may be prescribed by statutes, regulations, and procedures governing contracting by
county governments; provided, that a contract or acquisition by purchase of equipment,
apparatus, materials, or supplies involving more than the applicable maximum threshold

- 2 - 010164

over which public advertising and sealed competitive bids or proposals are required for
nonemergency, nonproprietary purchases as established pursuant to § 12-3-1212, or for
construction, installation, repair, or improvement of the property or facilities involving
more than such applicable maximum threshold must not be made until after the contract
has been advertised for bids. Purchases of like items must be aggregated for the
purposes of the bid threshold. Advertisement is not required when an emergency arises
and requires immediate delivery of the supplies or performance of the service.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.