HB2402 • 2026

Local Government, General

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 58, relative to workers responding to emergency declarations.

Crime Labor

Active

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

Sponsor: Reeves, Johnson
Last action: 2026-04-16
Official status: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on how the bill affects employers beyond civil immunity limitations.

Emergency Utility Worker Protections

This bill amends Tennessee laws to provide protections and immunities for emergency utility workers during declared emergencies.

What This Bill Does

Defines an 'emergency utility worker' as someone who maintains or repairs utilities like electricity, water, or communications during a state of emergency declared by the governor based on a natural emergency.
Allows these workers to travel on public roads and enter restricted areas when needed for their work during emergencies.
Requires law enforcement to allow access to emergency utility workers with proper credentials unless there is an immediate threat to public safety unrelated to emergency utilities restoration activities.
Adds emergency utility workers to the definition of 'first responder' for assault penalties, making assaulting them a serious crime.
Provides civil immunity to emergency utility workers and their employers when acting in good faith during emergencies, but excludes willful misconduct, gross negligence, or conduct unrelated to emergency utilities restoration.

Who It Names or Affects

Emergency utility workers
Law enforcement agencies

Terms To Know

emergency utility worker: A person who maintains or repairs utilities during a declared state of emergency based on a natural emergency.
state of emergency: A situation officially declared by the governor where special rules apply to help manage an urgent crisis.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if an employer is negligent.
It's unclear how this will affect private property access for emergency utility workers.
The exact penalties and protections are detailed in other parts of Tennessee law that this bill amends.

Amendments

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

HA0926

Amendment 1-0 to HB2402

Plain English: House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.

House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.
1 to HB2402 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2658* House Bill No.
2402 HA0926 016584 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

HA1105

Amendment 2-0 to HB2402

Plain English: House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.

House Judiciary 1 Amendment No.
2 to HB2402 Farmer Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2658* House Bill No.
2402 HA1105 017554 - 1 - by deleting subsection (c) in § 58-2-112 in Section 2 and substituting instead: (c) This section does not limit the authority of state and local law enforcement to prohibit access for a valid law enforcement purpose.

SA0896

Amendment 1-0 to SB2658

Plain English: Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.

Senate State and Local Government 1 Amendment No.
1 to SB2658 Briggs Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2658* House Bill No.
2402 SA0896 016584 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

SA0985

Amendment 2-0 to SB2658

Plain English: Amendment No.

Amendment No.
2 to SB2658 Yarbro Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2658* House Bill No.
2402 SA0985 017427 - 1 - by deleting from 29-34-216(a) in SECTION 4 the language "An emergency utility worker as defined in SECTION 1, and the emergency utility worker's employer, are immune" and substituting the language "An emergency utility worker as defined in SECTION 1 is immune"

SA0991

Amendment 3-0 to SB2658

Plain English: Amendment No.

Amendment No.
3 to SB2658 Johnson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2658* House Bill No.
2402 SA0991 017473 - 1 - by adding the following subsection to § 29-34-216 in Section 4: (d) Subsection (a) does not provide immunity from civil liability to an employer of an emergency utility worker for negligent acts or omissions of the employer, even if those acts and omissions occur during emergency utilities restoration activities.

SA1001

Amendment 4-0 to SB2658

Plain English: Amendment No.

Amendment No.
4 to SB2658 Johnson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2658* House Bill No.
2402 SA1001 017757 - 1 - by deleting the language "resulting from an act or omission committed in good faith" in § 29-34- 216(a) in Section 4 and substituting instead "resulting from an act or omission of the emergency utility worker committed in good faith".

Bill History

2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/16/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for adopt by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed behind the budget
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA0985)
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 4 - SA1001)
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 3 - SA0991)
2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0896)
2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate Reset on calendar for 4/13/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/9/2026
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate Reset on calendar for 4/9/2026
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate Reset on calendar for 4/6/2026
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026
2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Judiciary 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
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026
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
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026
2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
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
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Approved by Delayed Bills Committee
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/4/2026
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 - Judiciary Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Refer to Senate Delayed Bills Committee
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 13, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #4 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2658, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
ewrites this bill to make certain additions to present law for emergency utility workers.

For purposes of this amendment, an

"
e
mergency utility worker"
is
an individual who:

(
1
) Is employed by, or acting as an authorized contractor for, a privately, publicly, or cooperatively owned facility or system used to transmit or distribute communications, electricity, gas, liquids, steam, sewerage, or other materials to the public; and

(
2
) Is engaged in the installation, maintenance, repair, or restoration of such facilities or systems during a state of emergency declared
by the governor tha
t is based on a natural emergency.

During a state of emergency declared
by the governor,

this amendment authorizes
an emergency utility worker
to
travel upon public roads and enter areas subject to curfew or restricted access orders when such access is necessary to perform emergency utilities restoration activities.
This amendment requires s
tate and local law enforcement agencies
to
allow reasonable access upon presentation of employer or contractor credentials by the emergency utility worker
; provided, that
law enforcement
may
address an
immediate threat to public safety unrelated to emergency utilities restoration.

Under present law, it is a Class A misdemeanor offense, punishable by a mandatory fine of $5,000 and a minimum 30 days incarceration, for a person to assault a first responder who is discharging or attempting to discharge the first responder's duties. Th
e offense is enhanced to aggravated assault against a first responder, which carries a mandatory fine of $15,000 and a minimum 90 days incarceration, if the assault results in serious bodily injury or death of the first responder, or involved a deadly wea
p
on or strangulation. This amendment adds emergency utility workers to the definition of "first responder" for purposes of such offenses.

This amendment provides civil immunity to a
n emergency utility worker and the emergency utility worker's employer
for
an act or omission committed in good faith while engaged in emergency utilities restoration activities during a state of emergency declared
by the governor t
hat is based on a natural emergency.

The immunity provided by this
amendment
does not apply to acts or omissions that constitute:

(1) Willful misconduct;

(2) Gross negligence; or

(3) Conduct unrelated to emergency utilities restoration activities.

This
amendment specifies that the grant of civil immunity to emergency utility workers and their employers
does not:

(1) Create a duty to act;

(2) Affect liability for the operation of a motor vehicle, except as otherwise provided by law; or

(3)
Create a private right of action.

AMENDMENT #4
clarifies that the civil immunity
created for
an emergency utility worker and the emergency utility worker's employer extends only to damage resulting from an act or omission of the emergency utility worker
,
committed in good faith
,
while engaged in emergency utilities restoration activities during a state of emergency declared by the governor that is based on a natural emergency. This amendment does not provide an employer of an emergency utility worker immunity from civil liabili
ty for the
negligent acts or omissions of the employer or of the emergency utility worker.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2658
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 2402
By Reeves
HB2402
012777
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 29; Title 39 and Title 58, relative to workers
responding to emergency declarations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 58-2-126, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(d) If a first responder from a local emergency management agency is killed in
the line of duty, the chief executive officer of the local government that employed the first
responder shall order all flags at public buildings in the jurisdiction to be flown at half-
mast for at least one (1) day.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.