KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB0380 • 2026

Utilities, Utility Districts

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 34 and Title 7, Chapter 82, relative to continuing education for members of utility district boards.

Education
Active

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

Sponsor
Walley, Marsh
Last action
2025-04-30
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/11/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify the exact number of hours for initial training, only reducing subsequent periods from 12 to 6 hours.

Utility District Commissioner Training Requirements

This bill creates a process for reinstating utility district commissioners who become ineligible due to training requirements and reduces subsequent continuing education periods from 12 hours to 6 hours.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a person who becomes ineligible as a utility district commissioner for not meeting training requirements to file a petition for reinstatement after completing their term.
  • Requires the Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation to hold an informal hearing on any petition and set terms for eligibility restoration, including completing 12 hours of training within one year.
  • Reduces subsequent continuing education periods from 12 hours to 6 hours for utility district commissioners.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Utility district commissioners in Tennessee who miss their training requirements and need to get back into office.
  • The Tennessee Board of Utility Regulation, which will handle reinstatement petitions and set terms for eligibility restoration.

Terms To Know

Petition
A formal request made to an authority or organization asking them to do something.
Ineligible
Not allowed to do something because of not meeting certain requirements.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact number of hours for initial training, only reducing subsequent periods from 12 to 6 hours.
  • It is unclear how many utility district commissioners will need to use this reinstatement process or what the financial impact might be.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0421

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of continuing education hours required for members of utility district boards from twelve to six.

  • Reduces the number of continuing education hours needed for utility district board members from twelve to six.
  • The exact impact and reasoning behind reducing the requirement are not provided in the amendment text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0380

Plain English: The amendment changes the number of continuing education hours required for members of utility district boards from twelve to six.

  • Reduces the number of continuing education hours needed for utility district board members from twelve to six.
  • The exact impact and reasoning behind reducing the requirement are not provided in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/11/2025

  2. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 166

  3. 2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 166

  4. 2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 2, PNV 1

  10. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0048)

  11. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025

  14. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025

  15. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/18/2025

  17. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  18. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  19. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  20. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  21. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/5/2025

  23. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee

  24. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  25. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  26. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0010)

  27. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 2/24/2025

  28. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  29. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  30. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  31. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee to 2/26/2025

  32. 2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/18/2025

  33. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 2/12/2025

  35. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee

  36. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee

  37. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

PETITION FOR REINSTATEMENT

This bill authorizes a person who becomes ineligible to serve as a utility district commissioner for failing
to timely meet the training and continuing education requirements set forth under existing law to file a petition for reinstatement of the person's eligibility to serve as a utility district commissioner with the Tennessee board of utility regulation. Ho
w
ever, such a person may not file a petition for reinstatement until after the completion of the term of office for which the person has failed to meet the required training and continuing education requirements that caused the person's ineligibility to se
r
ve.

This bill requires the board to conduct an informal hearing on the petition and authorizes the board to issue an order establishing the terms and conditions for the reinstatement of eligibility. Under this bill, an order (i) must require the petitio
ner to obtain 12 hours of training and continuing education within one year of the date of the order, (ii) must include an effective date for eligibility reinstatement, and (iii) may include any other terms and conditions for reinstatement deemed appropri
a
te by the board.

REDUCTION IN HOURLY TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

Present law requires all members of a municipal utility board of commissioners to, within one year of initial appointment or election to such board or within one year of
reappointment or reelection to such board, attend a minimum of 12 hours of training and continuing education in one or more of the subjects listed under existing law. This bill lowers the minimum number of hours from 12 to six. Similarly, pesent law req
u
ires a utility district commissioner to attend a minimum of 12 hours of training and continuing education in one or more of the subjects listed under existing law. This bill, likewise, lowers the minimum number of hours from 12 to six.

ON FEBRUARY 24, 2
025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 380, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 removes the provisions lowering the minimum number of hours of initial training and continuing education from 12 to six and, instead, lowers the minimum number of h
ours of such training from 12 to six in each continuing education period following
the initial
12 hours of initial
training and continuing education
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 421
By Marsh

SENATE BILL 380
By Walley

SB0380
000821
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7,
Chapter 34 and Title 7, Chapter 82, relative to
continuing education for members of utility district
boards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-82-307(b)(5)(A), is amended by
designating the existing language as subdivision (i) and adding the following as a new
subdivision (ii):
(ii) If a person becomes ineligible to serve as a utility district commissioner under
subdivision (b)(5)(A)(i) for failing to timely meet the training and continuing education
requirements set forth in § 7-82-308, the person may file a petition for reinstatement of
the person's eligibility to serve as a utility district commissioner with the Tennessee
board of utility regulation. The person shall not file a petition for reinstatement until after
the completion of the term of office for which the person has failed to meet the required
training and continuing education requirements that caused the person's ineligibility to
serve. The board shall conduct an informal hearing on the petition and may issue an
order establishing the terms and conditions for the reinstatement of eligibility. The order
must require the petitioner to obtain twelve (12) hours of training and continuing
education within one (1) year of the date of the order, must include an effective date for
eligibility reinstatement, and may include any other terms and conditions for
reinstatement deemed appropriate by the board.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-82-702(b)(1), is amended by
adding the following as a new subdivision:

- 2 - 000821

( ) Petitions for reinstatement of a person's eligibility to serve as a utility district
commissioner pursuant to § 7-82-307(b)(5)(A)(ii).
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-34-115(j)(2), is amended by
deleting the language "twelve (12)" and substituting instead "six (6)".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-82-308(f)(2), is amended by
deleting the language "twelve (12)" and substituting instead "six (6)".
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.