Aircraft and Airports

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42, Chapter 5, relative to airports.

Active

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

Sponsor: Sherrell, Bailey
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Clarifying Powers for Joint Airport Boards

This bill clarifies that joint boards created by two municipalities and two counties to operate airports have all the powers of regional airport authorities.

What This Bill Does

Gives a joint board, made up of two cities or towns and two counties working together, full power to run an airport.
Says this board is part of the public system in Tennessee and can act like a nonprofit corporation.
Requires that rules about how the board works must come from agreements between the places involved.

Who It Names or Affects

Joint boards made up of two municipalities and two counties
Airports operated by these joint boards

Terms To Know

joint board: A group formed by different cities, towns, or counties to work together on a project.
interlocal agreement: An official deal between two or more local governments to share resources and responsibilities.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the joint board will be funded.
It is unclear what happens if there are disagreements among the municipalities and counties involved in creating a joint board.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 2/23/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/19/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Refer to Senate Transportation & Safety Committee
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Recalled from Senate Energy, Ag., and Natural Resources Committee
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in Transportation Committee to 2/24/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 2/17/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/10/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Government Operations Committee calendar for 2/11/2026
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Government Operations Committee
2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Notwithstanding another law or a private act to the contrary,
this bill clarifies that
a joint board established by two municipalities and two counties pursuant to an interlocal agreement for the purpose of operating an airport is vested with all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges conferred upon a joint board under
law applicable to municipal and county airports
and all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of a regional airport authority.

This bill further clarifies that s
uch board is a public instrumentality of the creating municipalities and counties and a public body corporate and politic under the laws of this state. Such joint board may file a charter with the secretary of state containing such information as is requ
ired for a public nonprofit corporation to evidence the existence of such joint board as a corporate entity and such other information as may be deemed relevant by the joint board.
However, t
he governance of the joint boa
rd, including the terms of office of the members of the board and the composition of the board, must be set forth in the interlocal agreement creating the joint board and not by any other provision of
law relative to aeronautics
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1611
By Bailey

HOUSE BILL 1691
By Sherrell
HB1691
010376
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42,
Chapter 5, relative to airports.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 42-5-202, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(d) Notwithstanding another law or a private act to the contrary, a joint board
established by two (2) municipalities and two (2) counties pursuant to an interlocal
agreement entered into pursuant to title 12, chapter 9, for the purpose of operating an
airport, is vested with all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges conferred upon a joint
board under this chapter and all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of a regional
airport authority under chapter 3 of this title. Such board is a public instrumentality of the
creating municipalities and counties and a public body corporate and politic under the
laws of this state. Such joint board may file a charter with the secretary of state
containing such information as is required for a public nonprofit corporation to evidence
the existence of such joint board as a corporate entity and such other information as
may be deemed relevant by the joint board. Notwithstanding this part, the governance
of the joint board, including the terms of office of the members of the board and the
composition of the board, must be set forth in the interlocal agreement creating the joint
board and not by any other provision of this title.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.