SB0703 • 2026

Highways, Roads and Bridges

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 9; Title 54 and Title 55, relative to transportation infrastructure funding.

Housing Taxes

Active

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

Sponsor: Massey, Vital
Last action: 2025-05-15
Official status: Effective date(s) 05/09/2025
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how TACIR will fund the study beyond using existing resources.

Transportation Infrastructure Funding Act

This bill requires TACIR to study and report on sustainable funding sources for Tennessee's transportation infrastructure needs.

What This Bill Does

Requires TACIR to conduct a study on long-term highway and bridge infrastructure needs in Tennessee, including identifying the annual funding gap and recurring expenditures related to the state highway fund.
Includes a comprehensive review of potential revenue sources that can grow over time to meet future transportation infrastructure needs.
TACIR must estimate revenue generated from identified income sources and assemble information on stakeholders affected by these revenues.
Requires TACIR to survey at least three other states' successful transportation funding methods.
Sets the deadline for submitting the report by September 30, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR)
State departments and agencies that must assist TACIR with the study
Legislators who will receive the report's findings

Terms To Know

TACIR: The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, which is responsible for conducting the required study.
Sustainable funding sources: Sources of revenue that can provide long-term financial support for transportation infrastructure without depleting resources.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how TACIR will fund the study beyond using existing resources.
It is unclear what specific recommendations or proposed legislation may come from the report.

Amendments

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

HA0115

Amendment 1-0 to HB0736

Plain English: This amendment requires the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to conduct a study and prepare a report on sustainable funding sources for transportation infrastructure.

Requires TACIR to identify long-term highway and bridge needs, annual funding gaps, and maintenance costs.
Instructs TACIR to review potential revenue sources such as road usage fees, rental car fees, and commercial vehicle charges.
Directs TACIR to estimate the revenue from identified sources and gather information on stakeholders affected by these revenues.
Calls for a report with findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, due by September 30, 2026.

The amendment does not specify how TACIR will be funded beyond existing resources, which may limit the scope of the study.
It is unclear what specific actions or changes to current laws would result from the recommendations in the report.

SA0098

Amendment 1-0 to SB0703

Requires TACIR to identify long-term highway and bridge needs, annual funding gaps, and maintenance costs.
Instructs TACIR to review potential revenue sources such as road usage fees, rental car fees, and commercial vehicle charges.
Directs TACIR to estimate the revenue from identified sources and gather information on stakeholders affected by these revenues.
Calls for a report summarizing findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, due by September 30, 2026.

The amendment does not specify how TACIR will be funded beyond existing resources, which may limit the scope of the study.
It is unclear what specific actions or changes to current laws would result from the recommendations in the report.

Bill History

2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 05/09/2025
2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 438
2025-05-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 438
2025-05-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2025-05-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2025-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2025-04-29 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2025-04-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 91, Nays 1, PNV 0
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0115)
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/21/2025
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/17/2025
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/17/2025
2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2025
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to TACIR Calendar
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/2/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 4/2/2025
2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/26/2025
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0098)
2025-03-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/17/2025
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/18/2025
2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/12/2025
2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/11/2025
2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Transportation Subcommittee to 3/11/2025
2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/4/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee
2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee - Finance, Ways & Means Committee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 17, 2025, THE
SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 703, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following revisions:



Requires the report to include
recommendations for establishing sustainable funding sources that meet this state's future, long-term transportation infrastructure needs
, instead of only future transportation infrastructure needs.



Revises the provisions describing the study and report to, instead, require the study and report to adhere to all of the following
:



Identify the critical, long-term highway and bridge infrastructure needs of this state, the annual highway and bridge infrastructure funding gap, and the amount needed to fund the maintenance, repair, and modernization of existing highways and bridges across the state
.



Identify the recurring expenditures associated with the state highway fund, including, but not limited to, salary increases for employees of the department of transportation
.



Include a comprehensive review and analysis of appreciated sources of revenue that have the potential to grow over time and that will meet the critical, long-term highway and bridge infrastructure needs of this state
.



Estimate the amount of revenue generated in this state from the sources of income identified
above.



Assemble information concerning the stakeholders affected by the appreciated sources of revenue identified
above.



Survey appreciated sources of revenue successfully used by at least three other states to address their challenges in establishing sustainable transportation infrastructure funding.



Requires the report to be submitted on or before September 30, 2026, instead of January 15, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 736
By Vital

SENATE BILL 703
By Massey

SB0703
002684
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 9; Title 54 and Title 55, relative to
transportation infrastructure funding.

WHEREAS, transportation is a priority to the state of Tennessee, and depleting revenue
is a vital problem; and
WHEREAS, due to new vehicles becoming more energy efficient, it is taking less gas to
drive the same distance, and therefore, less gasoline tax is being collected; and
WHEREAS, the cost of building roads is ever increasing; and
WHEREAS, the State's population is rising and visitors to the State are putting more
people on the road causing greater wear and tear and affecting resurfacing needs on the State's
roads and bridges; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1.
(a) The Tennessee advisory commission on intergovernmental relations (TACIR)
shall conduct a study and prepare a report on recommendations for establishing
sustainable funding sources that meet this state's future transportation infrastructure
needs.
(b) The study and report must:
(1) Examine overall road, bridge, and other transportation infrastructure
needs of this state;
(2) Identify measures to increase revenue to meet the transportation
infrastructure needs of this state in the long-term future;

- 2 - 002684

(3) Identify alternative sources to current motor fuel-based taxes and
vehicle registration fees to supplement the decreases in transportation
infrastructure funding due to vehicles becoming more fuel efficient or using no
fuel; and
(4) Survey funding sources and programs used by at least three (3) other
states to address their challenges in establishing sustainable transportation
infrastructure funding.
(c) All appropriate state departments and agencies shall provide assistance to
TACIR in connection with the study required by subsection (a).
(d) On or before January 15, 2026, TACIR shall report its findings and
recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the chair of the committee of
the house of representatives having jurisdiction over transportation matters, the chair of
the transportation and safety committee of the senate, and the legislative librarian.
(e) It is the legislative intent that this study must be conducted from TACIR's
existing resources.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.