County Government

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5, relative to county legislative bodies.

Budget Elections

Active

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

Sponsor: Butler, Yager
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Comp. SB subst.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not specify the exact consequences if a county fails to amend its charter by the deadline.

Changes to County Legislative Body Districts

This bill prohibits county legislative bodies in Tennessee from having districts that cover the entire county after redistricting following the 2030 federal census and also bans at-large elections for commissioners.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits a county from having a district that covers the whole county after redistricting following the 2030 federal census.
Does not allow commissioners to be elected for an at-large district covering the entire county.
Requires counties with charters to include rules about how members of the legislative body cannot represent districts that cover the whole county.

Who It Names or Affects

County legislative bodies in Tennessee
Residents who vote for members of county legislative bodies

Terms To Know

At-large district: A voting area that includes the entire county, allowing one person to represent all voters.
Redistricting: The process of changing or creating new electoral districts based on population changes.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what happens if a county does not change its charter by the deadline.
Does not provide details about how counties will enforce these rules.

Amendments

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

HA1033

Amendment 1-0 to HB2160

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain counties can terminate their directors and directors of accounts and budgets by requiring approval from the county legislative body.

In counties with populations between 38,600 and 38,700 based on any federal census, the director cannot be fired without permission from the county legislative body.
For counties with populations between 22,500 and 22,600 according to the 2020 or later censuses, the director of accounts and budgets also needs approval from the county legislative body to avoid termination.

The amendment specifies exact population ranges for each requirement but does not provide details on how these changes will be implemented beyond requiring a two-thirds vote in one case.

SA0741

Amendment 1-0 to SB2276

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain counties can terminate their directors and directors of accounts and budgets by requiring approval from the county legislative body.

In counties with populations between 38,600 and 38,700 based on any federal census, the director cannot be fired without permission from the county legislative body.
For counties with populations between 22,500 and 22,600 according to the 2020 or later censuses, the director of accounts and budgets also needs approval from the county legislative body to avoid termination.

The amendment does not specify what happens if a county's population changes after it has already been affected by this law.
It is unclear how this change will be implemented or enforced in practice.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 2
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA1033)
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0741)
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Taken off notice for cal in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee of State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026
2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 2/24/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/17/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires a county legislative body to change the boundaries of districts, or redistrict a county entirely, at least every 10 years to apportion the county legislative body so that the members represent substantially equal populations. Furthe
r, present law requires districts to be reasonably compact and contiguous, and prohibits districts from overlapping.

This bill prohibits a county from having a district that encompasses the entire county after the redistricting following the 2030 federal census. Further, a commissioner is prohibited from being elected to represent an at-large district.

COUNTY CHARTER

Present law authorizes each county in this state to adopt a charter form of government and provides requirements for what must be included in a proposed county charter. A county charter must provide for the size, method of election, qualification for ho
lding office, method of removal, and procedures of the county legislative body with such other provisions with respect to such body as are normally related to the organization, powers, and duties of governing bodies in counties, among other things.

This bill requires a county charter to also provide that a member of the county legislative body is prohibited from representing a district that encompasses the entire county. Further, this bill clarifies that this provision is a remedial measure and re
quires any county having an at-large district on its effective date to amend the county charter to comply with this provision no later than the 2030 federal census.

ON APRIL 2, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2276, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, prohibit the director of accounts and budgets for Overton County from being terminated or discharged without the approval of the county legislative body. However, this provision only becomes effective upon app
roval by a 2/3 vote of the Overton County legislative body.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2276
By Yager

HOUSE BILL 2160
By Butler
HB2160
011693
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5,
relative to county legislative bodies.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 5-1-111(e), is amended by
designating the existing language as subdivision (e)(1) and adding the following as a new
subdivision (e)(2):
(2) After the redistricting following the 2030 federal census, a county shall not
have a district that encompasses the entire county, and a commissioner shall not be
elected for an at-large district.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 5-1-210(4), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting instead:
(4)
(A) For the size, method of election, qualification for holding office,
method of removal, and procedures of the county legislative body with such other
provisions with respect to such body as are normally related to the organization,
powers, and duties of governing bodies in counties;
(B) Notwithstanding subdivision (4)(A), a member of the county
legislative body shall not represent a district that encompasses the entire county.
This subdivision (4)(B) is remedial in nature, and any county having an at-large
district on the effective date of this act shall amend the charter to comply with this
subdivision (4)(B) no later than the 2030 federal census.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.