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HB1773 • 2026

Open Meetings

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 86, Part 3 and Title 8, Chapter 44, Part 1, relative to emergency communications district boards of directors.

Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Leatherwood, Taylor
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on when the changes take effect, only that it is intended to be immediate upon becoming law.

Emergency Communications District Meetings

This bill allows emergency communications district boards to hold meetings with members joining by electronic means while still counting as physically present for voting and establishing a quorum.

What This Bill Does

  • Clarifies that 'governing body' includes emergency communications district boards of directors.
  • Allows board members to join meetings electronically, which counts as being there in person for voting purposes.
  • Requires at least one meeting per year must have all members physically present.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Emergency communications district boards of directors
  • Board members who can now join meetings electronically

Terms To Know

Governing body
The group that makes decisions for a board, agency, or commission.
Quorum
The minimum number of members who must be present to conduct official business in a meeting.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It's not clear how much money this will save on travel expenses for board members.
  • The bill does not specify when the changes take effect, but it says they should start as soon as possible.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to Next Calendar

  3. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  4. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026

  7. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  10. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  12. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026

  13. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  14. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026

  15. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  16. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  17. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/9/2026

  18. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  21. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  22. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  23. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/3/2026

  24. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  25. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  26. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  27. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  28. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes a governing body to allow participation by electronic means of communication for any meeting authorized by law for the benefit of the public or the governing body. Present law requires that a governing body must meet with a quorum
physically present at least once per calendar year. However, a member of a governing body participating in a meeting by electronic means of communication is considered physically present at the meeting for purposes of voting and establishing a quorum.

Present law defines a "governing body" as the governing body of a board, agency, or commission of state government. This bill clarifies that a "governing body" includes emergency communications district boards of directors assisted by the emergency comm
unications board.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SENATE BILL 1826
By Taylor

HOUSE BILL 1773
By Leatherwood
HB1773
011578
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7,
Chapter 86, Part 3 and Title 8, Chapter 44, Part 1,
relative to emergency communications district
boards of directors.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-108(a)(2), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(2) "Governing body" means the governing body of a board, agency, or
commission of state government and includes emergency communications district
boards of directors assisted by the emergency communications board, created by § 7-
86-302; and
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.