HB1797 • 2026

Open Meetings

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-110, relative to public meetings.

Education

Active

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

Sponsor: Lynn, Gardenhire
Last action: 2026-03-30
Official status: Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about which private nonprofit community organizations are excluded.

Public Meeting Agendas

This bill amends Tennessee's laws by adding local education agency governing bodies and other local governing bodies with decision-making power or control over funds to the list of groups that must make their meeting agendas available to the public in advance.

What This Bill Does

Adds the governing body of a local education agency to the list of groups required to make meeting agendas available to the public before meetings happen.
Includes other local governing bodies of public entities on the same list if they have decision-making power or control over funds.

Who It Names or Affects

Local education agency governing bodies
Other local governing bodies that have decision-making power or control over funds

Terms To Know

governing body: The group of people who make decisions for an organization, like a school board.
public meetings: Meetings that are open to the public and where important decisions can be made.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear what specific private nonprofit community organizations will no longer need to share their meeting agendas.
The bill does not specify when or how these changes will take effect after it becomes law.

Amendments

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

HA0885

Amendment 1-0 to HB1797

Plain English: The amendment changes part of Tennessee law about which local groups must hold public meetings by excluding certain nonprofit organizations that can receive specific federal grants from having to do so.

Removes the requirement for private nonprofit community organizations eligible to receive funds through the Community Services Block Grant Program under federal law (42 U.S.C. §§ 9901 — 9926) to hold public meetings.

The amendment text does not specify all details about how this exclusion will be implemented or enforced, which may leave some questions unanswered.

SA0554

Amendment 1-0 to SB1775

Plain English: The amendment changes part of Tennessee law about which local government groups must hold public meetings by excluding certain private nonprofit organizations.

Removes the requirement for specific private nonprofit community organizations that can receive funds from the federal Community Services Block Grant Program to hold public meetings.

The amendment text does not specify all details about how this change will affect current practices or which exact nonprofits are excluded.
It is unclear what criteria these nonprofits must meet to be eligible for exclusion under this amendment.

Bill History

2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0885)
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026
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 32, Nays 0
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0554)
2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/3/2026
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/3/2026
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 2/18/2026
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/11/2026
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Govenrment Committee
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1775, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 excludes a private nonprofit community organization that is eligible to receive funds from the community services grant block program, from the list of governing bodies that are required to make meeting agendas available to the public in adv
ance of such meetings.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 1775
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 1797
By Lynn
HB1797
011627
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-
44-110, relative to public meetings.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-110(e), is amended by deleting
"and" at the end of subdivision (8), by deleting the period at the end of subdivision (9) and
substituting ";", and by adding the following as new subdivisions:
(10) The governing body of a local education agency (LEA); and
(11) Any other local governing body of a public body as defined in § 8-44-
102(b)(1)(A) that has the authority to make binding decisions or the ability to appropriate
funds.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.