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HB2220 • 2026

Tennessee Arts Commission

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, relative to the Tennessee arts commission.

Elections
Active

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

Sponsor
Alexander, Jackson
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide detailed information on how the new rules will impact the commission's work and funding.

Tennessee Arts Commission Act

This bill changes how members of the Tennessee arts commission are appointed and sets rules for their terms.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the way members of the Tennessee arts commission are chosen, with the governor appointing one person from each congressional district, and the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house each appointing one member from each grand division.
  • Sets staggered term lengths for initial appointments to ensure that not all terms end at once.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Members of the Tennessee arts commission
  • The governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house

Terms To Know

grand division
A region in Tennessee used for political purposes.
staggered terms
Having different start or end dates to spread out when people's jobs end.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if a member leaves before their term ends.
  • It is unclear how the new rules will affect the commission’s work and funding.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2220

Plain English: The amendment changes how members of the Tennessee Arts Commission are appointed and sets staggered term lengths for new appointees starting in 2026.

  • Members will be appointed based on their residence within specific congressional districts or grand divisions, with each district or division having representation.
  • Initial appointments will have different term lengths ranging from three to five years depending on the district or division, creating a staggered schedule for future elections.
  • After serving a full five-year term, members cannot be reappointed for one year.
  • The amendment does not specify how existing commission members will transition to this new system before July 1, 2026.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2589

Plain English: The amendment changes how members of the Tennessee Arts Commission are appointed and sets staggered term lengths for new appointees.

  • Members will be appointed based on their residence in one of nine U.S. congressional districts or from each of the three grand divisions of Tennessee by specific officials.
  • Initial appointments will have different term lengths ranging from three to five years, depending on the district or division they represent.
  • After initial terms expire, all subsequent appointments will be for a fixed period of five years.
  • The amendment does not specify how members who continue beyond their term expiration are treated in the one-year reappointment prohibition.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on cal. for 4/16/2026

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/8/2026

  4. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on cal. for 4/8/2026

  5. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  6. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/30/2026

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee

  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. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  16. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  17. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0530)

  18. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/5/2026

  21. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 3/3/2026

  22. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  23. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Government Operations Committee calendar for 2/25/2026

  24. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee to 3/3/2026

  25. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Departments & Agencies Subcommittee for 2/17/2026

  26. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Departments & Agencies Subcommittee

  27. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee - Government Operations for Review

  28. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Government Operations Committee

  29. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  30. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  31. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law establishes the Tennessee arts commission as a 15-member body all of whom are gubernatorial appointees with at least one but not more than two members from each United States congressional district in Tennessee.

Effective June 30, 2026, this bill vacates and reconstitutes the commission to include 15 members to be appointed as follows
:

(1) The governor appoints one person from each congressional district;

(2) The speaker of the senate appoints one member from each grand division; and

(3) The speaker of the house of representatives appoints one member from each grand division.

The full text of this bill provides for staggered terms of initial appointees to the reconstituted commission and specifies various administrative and organizational requirements for the reconstituted commission that are substantially similar to present
law.

ON MARCH 5, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2589, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:



R
equires the prohibition on successive five-year terms to begin at the end of the full five-year term, regardless of whether a member continues to serve as a member of the commission until their vacancy has been filled.



Clarifies that a
ll administrative rules promulgated by the commission and in effect on June 30, 2026, continue to be in effect on and after July 1, 2026, until otherwise amended or repealed.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SENATE BILL 2589
By Jackson

HOUSE BILL 2220
By Alexander
HB2220
011073
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
relative to the Tennessee arts commission.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-20-101, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
(a) There is created a state commission to be known as the Tennessee arts
commission, which consists of fifteen (15) members who are broadly representative of
all fields of the performing, visual, and literary arts. The members must be citizens of
this state who have demonstrated a vital interest in the performing, visual, or literary arts.
(b) The Tennessee arts commission as comprised on June 30, 2026, is vacated
on July 1, 2026, and new members are appointed as follows:
(1) The governor shall appoint one (1) person from each of the nine (9)
United States congressional districts in this state. The members' residency is
determined by the congressional district in which such members are registered to
vote;
(2) The speaker of the senate shall appoint one (1) member from each of
the three (3) grand divisions of this state; and
(3) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one (1)
member from each of the three (3) grand divisions of this state.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-20-102, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
(a) To stagger the terms of the newly appointed commission members, initial
appointments must be made as follows:

- 2 - 011073

(1) The governor shall appoint:
(A) Members from the first, second, and third United States
congressional districts for initial terms of three (3) years, which expire on
June 30, 2029;
(B) Members from the fourth, fifth, and sixth United States
congressional districts for initial terms of four (4) years, which expire on
June 30, 2030; and
(C) Members from the seventh, eighth, and ninth United States
congressional districts for initial terms of five (5) years, which expire on
June 30, 2031; and
(2) The speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of
representatives shall each appoint:
(A) One (1) member from the eastern grand division for an initial
term of three (3) years, which expires on June 30, 2029;
(B) One (1) member from the middle grand division for an initial
term of four (4) years, which expires on June 30, 2030; and
(C) One (1) member from the western grand division for an initial
term of five (5) years, which expires on June 30, 2031.
(b) All subsequent appointments to the commission are for five (5) years, and
must be made by June 15, begin on July 1, and expire on June 30.
(c) No member of the commission who serves a full five-year term is eligible for
reappointment during a one-year period following the expiration of such member's term.
(d) All vacancies must be filled for the balance of the unexpired term in the same
manner as the original appointments.

- 3 - 011073

(e) Upon the expiration of a member's term of office, the member shall continue
to serve until a successor is appointed.
(f)
(1) The members of the commission receive no compensation for their
services but must be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
the performance of their duties as members of the commission.
(2) All reimbursement for travel expenses must be in accordance with the
comprehensive travel regulations as promulgated by the department of finance
and administration and approved by the attorney general and reporter.
(g) The commission shall elect a chair and other officers annually.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.