Ethics

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms, reporting procedures, or verification methods for disclosures.

Ethics Rules Update

This bill updates Tennessee's ethics rules by clarifying what counts as an indirect gift and requiring certain disclosures about travel expenses for the governor and cabinet officers.

What This Bill Does

• Clarifies that gifts from entities related to a lobbyist's employer are considered indirect gifts for candidates, officials in the legislative or executive branch, and their family members.
• Requires the governor and cabinet officers to disclose travel expenses paid by people with interests in state public policy if the trip is meant to inform or advise about such policies.

Who It Names or Affects

• Candidates for public office
• Legislative and executive branch officials
• Governor and cabinet officers

Terms To Know

Indirect gift

A gift given through a third party, such as an entity related to a lobbyist's employer.

Disclosure

The act of sharing information about travel expenses paid by people with interests in state public policy.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify who will enforce these new rules.
• Effective date is July 1, 2025.
• Details on how to report and verify disclosures are not provided.

Official Summary Text

Present law prohibits a candidate for public
office, an official
in the legislative branch, or an official in the executive branch, or the immediate family of such candidate or official,
from
solicit
ing
or accept
ing
, directly or indirectly, a gift from an employer of a lobbyist or a lobbyist.
This
bill clarifies that an indirect
gift includes, but is not limited to, a gift provided by an entity that is related to, and its business or political activities intertwined with, the employer of a lobbyist.

This bill requires disclosure to be made of, by
the governor
or an officer of the governor's cabinet, the amount and source, by name, of any travel expenses, including any expenses incidental to such travel, paid on behalf of the governor or officer by a person with an interest in a public policy of thi
s state if the travel was for the purpose of informing or advising the governor or officer with respect to the public policy. Travel expenses do not include expenses for travel, if such expenses are paid for or reimbursed by a governmental entity or an e
s
tablished and recognized organization of elected or appointed state government officials, staff of state government officials, or both officials and staff, or any other established and recognized organization that is an umbrella organization for such offi
c
ials, staff, or both officials and staff
.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 564
By Hemmer

SENATE BILL 548
By Briggs

SB0548
001492
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3,
Chapter 6 and Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 5, relative
to ethics.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 3-6-305(a)(2), is amended by adding
the following new sentence at the end of the subdivision:
An indirect gift includes, but is not limited to, a gift provided by an entity that is
related to, and its business or political activities intertwined with, the employer of
a lobbyist.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-502(5), is amended by
redesignating the subdivision as subdivision (5)(A) and adding the following new subdivision
(5)(B):
(B) By the governor or an officer of the governor's cabinet, the amount and
source, by name, of any travel expenses, including any expenses incidental to such
travel, paid on behalf of the governor or officer by a person with an interest in a public
policy of this state if the travel was for the purpose of informing or advising the governor
or officer with respect to the public policy. Travel expenses do not include expenses for
travel, if such expenses are paid for or reimbursed by a governmental entity or an
established and recognized organization of elected or appointed state government
officials, staff of state government officials, or both officials and staff, or any other
established and recognized organization that is an umbrella organization for such
officials, staff, or both officials and staff;
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.