HB2536 • 2026

Public Employees

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-27-201; Section 8-27-301 and Section 8-27-701, relative to membership of group insurance committees.

Education Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Lamberth, Johnson
Last action: 2026-04-07
Official status: Transmitted to Governor for his action.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included a reference to local education workers which is not supported by the provided official summary text. The bill focuses on changes for state employees and local government workers.

Changes to Group Insurance Committees for Public Employees

This bill changes how members are chosen for group insurance committees that cover state employees and local government workers in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

Replaces the member of the state insurance committee appointed by the Tennessee State Employees Association with a preferred service employee.
Changes who selects the representative of local school boards on the local education insurance committee from the Tennessee School Boards Association to the commissioner of finance and administration.
Modifies how members are chosen for the local government insurance committee, removing appointments made by the Tennessee Municipal League and Tennessee County Services Association in favor of direct selection by the commissioner of finance and administration.

Who It Names or Affects

State employees who participate in group insurance plans.
Local school board representatives involved with education insurance committees.
Employees or officials from municipalities and county governments participating in local government insurance plans.

Terms To Know

Preferred Service Employee: An employee of the state who is part of a special group within the Tennessee State Employees Association.
Local Government Insurance Committee: A committee that oversees insurance plans for employees in local government positions such as city and county workers.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how the new selection procedures will be implemented.
It is unclear what criteria the commissioner of finance and administration will use to select representatives for the committees.

Bill History

2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for his action.
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 27, Nays 6
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Companion House Bill substituted
2026-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026
2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly
Received from House, Passed on First Consideration
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 70, Nays 23, PNV 1
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
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Objected to on Consent Calendar.
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/16/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee
2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Government Operations Committee calendar for 2/25/2026
2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/18/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Public Service 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 Government Operations Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 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

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 2230
By Johnson

HOUSE BILL 2536
By Lamberth
HB2536
010655
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-
27-201; Section 8-27-301 and Section 8-27-701,
relative to membership of group insurance
committees.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-27-201, is amended by deleting
subsections (a) and (b) and substituting:
(a) There is created a state insurance committee to be composed of the
commissioner of human resources; the state treasurer; the commissioner of commerce
and insurance; the comptroller of the treasury; the commissioner of finance and
administration; the chair of the senate finance, ways and means committee; the chair of
the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over finance matters;
and four (4) state employees. For purposes of this part, "state insurance committee"
means the state insurance committee created by this subsection (a).
(b)
(1) Three (3) state employees must be selected in accordance with a
procedure adopted by the state insurance committee, at least one (1) one whom
is a preferred service employee. The chair of the state insurance committee and
the chair of the consolidated retirement system board of trustees may develop a
procedure to coordinate the process for selection of state employee members to
each entity.
(2) One (1) state employee must be an employee of either the University
of Tennessee or the state university and community college system selected

- 2 - 010655

under a procedure developed by the Tennessee higher education commission
and approved by the state insurance committee.
(3) Vacancies of state employee member positions must be filled by the
selection procedures established by subdivisions (b)(1) and (b)(2).
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-27-301, is amended by deleting
subsection (a) and substituting:
(a)
(1) There is created a local education insurance committee to be
composed of the commissioner of education, the state treasurer, the
commissioner of commerce and insurance, the comptroller of the treasury, the
commissioner of finance and administration, a representative of local school
boards to be selected by the commissioner of finance and administration, and
three (3) teachers employed by local education agencies who participate in the
group insurance plan established under this part. The teacher members must be
appointed in the same manner described in § 8-34-302(a)(9)(A).
(2) The commissioner of education, the state treasurer, the
commissioner of commerce and insurance, the comptroller of the treasury, and
the commissioner of finance and administration are authorized to designate an
alternate representative to attend, participate, and vote at meetings of the local
education insurance committee when that respective member is unable to attend.
The designation of an alternate representative must be made in writing to the
chair of the local education insurance committee.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-27-701, is amended by deleting
subsection (a) and substituting:

- 3 - 010655

(a) There is created a local government insurance committee, to be composed
of the commissioner of finance and administration; the comptroller of the treasury; the
state treasurer; an employee or official of a municipality, as defined by § 6-51-101(2),
who participates in the group insurance plan established under this part; and an
employee or official of a county government who participates in the group insurance plan
established under this part. The municipality and county government members must be
appointed by the commissioner of finance and administration and must represent the
interests of all participating municipalities and counties, respectively.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.