Environment and Conservation, Department of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, relative to mitigation.

Active

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

Sponsor: Taylor, Vaughan
Last action: 2025-02-10
Official status: Withdrawn.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on whether the bill will be reintroduced or its future status.

Annual Report on Water Quality Permit Applications

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to submit an annual report about water quality permit applications and their compensatory mitigation mechanisms.

What This Bill Does

Requires the department to send a yearly report by July 1st each year starting in 2025.
Includes information on how many permit applications were filed for water quality control.
Lists details about compensatory mitigation methods used in permits, such as in-lieu fee programs or mitigation banking.

Who It Names or Affects

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
People who apply for water quality permits

Terms To Know

Compensatory mitigation: Actions taken to replace or fix damage done to the environment, like adding new wetlands when building a road.
In-lieu fee program: A system where people pay money instead of doing environmental work themselves.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill was withdrawn on February 10, 2025.
It is not clear if the bill will be reintroduced or what its future status will be.

Bill History

2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Withdrawn.
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Withdrawn.
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-01-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 613
By Vaughan

SENATE BILL 665
By Taylor

SB0665
002531
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69,
relative to mitigation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 69-3-108(g), is amended by adding
the following new subdivision:
(6) On or before July 1, 2025, and on or before July 1 of each year thereafter,
the division of water resources in the department, in collaboration with United States
army corps of engineers, as necessary, shall report the following information to the
governor, the comptroller of the treasury, the chair of the committee of the house of
representatives having jurisdiction over commerce, and the chair of the commerce and
labor committee of the senate the following information for the preceding twelve (12)
months:
(A) The number of applications for permits filed pursuant to this section;
and
(B) For permits required to have a provision for adequate compensatory
mitigation pursuant to subdivision (g)(4)(E), the mechanism of compensatory
mitigation provided for in the permit, including mitigation banking, permittee-
responsible mitigation, or in-lieu fee payments as approved by the department. If
the mechanism of compensatory mitigation is:
(i) An in-lieu fee program, then the report must include the in-lieu
fee instrument sponsor, the number of mitigation credits sold for the

- 2 - 002531

permitted project, and the amount of money received by the sponsor for
such credits; and
(ii) Mitigation banking, then the report must include the mitigation
bank sponsor, the number of mitigation credits sold for the permitted
project, and the amount of money received by the sponsor for such
credits.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.