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

SB0504 • 2026

Naming and Designating

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 1 and Title 4, Chapter 8, relative to measures to honor the service of former members of the house of representatives.

Active

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

Sponsor
Rose, Bulso
Last action
2025-03-31
Official status
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide exact wording for the plaque beyond what is required by Amendment #1, which was adopted but its full text is not provided in the summary.

Honor for Former State Representative

This bill names and honors former Tennessee House Representative John J. DeBerry, Jr., by designating his desk in the state house chamber as 'The Legislative Desk of Representative John J. Deberry, Jr.' and installing a commemorative plaque.

What This Bill Does

  • Names the desk at seat number 60 in the Tennessee House Chamber as 'The Legislative Desk of Representative John J. DeBerry, Jr.'
  • Requires the chief clerk or their designee to install a commemorative plaque on the designated desk

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee House of Representatives
  • Representative John J. DeBerry, Jr.
  • Visitors and members of the Tennessee State Capitol

Terms To Know

Chief Clerk
A high-ranking official in the Tennessee House of Representatives responsible for managing administrative tasks.
Commemorative Plaque
A plaque placed to honor or remember a person, event, or achievement.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact wording of the plaque beyond what is required by Amendment #1.
  • It is unclear how this designation will impact daily operations in the Tennessee House Chamber.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0346

Plain English: The amendment names house chamber seat number 60 as the Legislative Desk of Representative John J. Deberry, Jr., and requires a commemorative plaque to be installed.

  • Designates house chamber seat number 60 as the 'Legislative Desk of Representative John J. Deberry, Jr.'
  • Requires the chief clerk or their designee to install a commemorative plaque on the desk
  • Specifies that the plaque must include specific wording honoring Representative John J. DeBerry, Jr.
  • The amendment does not provide details about the physical appearance of the plaque beyond its required text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0504

Plain English: The amendment names house chamber seat number 60 as the Legislative Desk of Representative John J. Deberry, Jr., and requires a commemorative plaque to be installed.

  • Designates house chamber seat number 60 as the 'Legislative Desk of Representative John J. Deberry, Jr.'
  • Requires the chief clerk or their designee to install a plaque on the desk commemorating Representative John J. Deberry, Jr.
  • The amendment does not specify details about the physical appearance or location of the plaque beyond requiring it to include specific wording.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  2. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025

  3. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  5. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 28, Nays 2

  7. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0193)

  8. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/27/2025

  9. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    No Action Taken

  10. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1

  11. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  12. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  13. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/18/2025

  14. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/5/2025

  18. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to State & Local Government Committee

  19. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Naming & Designating Committee for 2/24/2025

  20. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  22. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Naming & Designating Committee to 2/24/2025

  23. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Naming & Designating Committee for 2/10/2025

  24. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Naming & Designating Committee - State & Local Government Committee

  25. 2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  26. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  27. 2025-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 27, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL
504, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 requires t
he plaque
to
include the following language:
"
The Honorable John J. DeBerry, Jr., a gifted orator, peacemaker, and statesman raised in the segregated South, who served the Tennessee House of Representatives and th
e 90
th
House District in Shelby County with honor and distinction for twenty-six years (1995-2020). For many of those years, he used his abundant gifts from this very desk to give voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, and love to those in need.
"

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 346
By Bulso

SENATE BILL 504
By Rose

SB0504
002066
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3,
Chapter 1 and Title 4, Chapter 8, relative to
measures to honor the service of former members
of the house of representatives.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1.
(a) The desk of house chamber seat number 60 is hereby officially named the
"Legislative Desk of Representative John J. Deberry, Jr."
(b) The chief clerk of the house of representatives, or the chief clerk's designee,
shall design and provide for the installation of a commemorative plaque on the side of
the desk of house chamber seat number 60 to recognize the naming of such desk as the
"Legislative Desk of Representative John J. Deberry, Jr."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.