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SB0948 • 2026

Housing

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47 and Title 67, relative to veterans.

Housing Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Powers, Boyd
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details about projects exceeding 12 units or the definition of permanent affordable housing, which were removed from the summary.

Veteran Housing Support Act

This bill amends Tennessee laws to provide tax exemptions and affordable housing requirements for projects that include veteran-specific housing if local governments adopt an affordable housing program.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires counties or cities with an adopted affordable housing program by resolution or ordinance to ensure at least 30% of units in certain properties are dedicated to veterans experiencing homelessness.
  • Exempts joint ventures from property taxes if they provide permanent affordable housing for low-income households, including veterans.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Counties or cities with an adopted affordable housing program
  • Joint ventures providing veteran-specific housing

Terms To Know

Affordable Housing Program
A plan by a county or city to provide homes for low-income families.
Joint Venture
A business partnership between two or more companies working together on a specific project.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact amount of tax exemptions.
  • It is unclear how many counties or cities will adopt affordable housing programs as a result of this act.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1134

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules for counties and municipalities to create affordable housing programs that include specific requirements for veteran housing.

  • Adds a new subsection (f) to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-5-207, allowing local governments to exempt certain properties from taxes if they are used for affordable housing, especially for veterans experiencing homelessness.
  • Requires joint ventures with at least one qualified general partner to provide permanent affordable housing and pay in lieu of tax payments if the property exceeds twelve units.
  • Defines key terms such as 'joint venture,' 'low income,' 'qualified general partner,' and 'veteran experiencing homelessness' to ensure clarity.
  • The amendment text is detailed, but some technical aspects may be hard for non-experts to understand fully without additional context.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0948

Plain English: This amendment adds new rules for counties and municipalities to create affordable housing programs that include specific requirements for veteran housing.

  • Adds a new subsection (f) to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-5-207, allowing local governments to exempt certain properties from taxes if they are used for affordable housing, especially for veterans experiencing homelessness.
  • Requires at least 30% of the units in such projects to be dedicated to providing permanent affordable housing for homeless veterans.
  • Specifies that joint ventures involving a qualified not-for-profit organization can qualify for tax exemptions if their property is used exclusively for low-income households.
  • The amendment includes detailed definitions and requirements that may be complex for some readers to understand fully without additional context.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 382

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 382

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 89, Nays 0, PNV 0

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0423)

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2025

  15. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/15/2025

  17. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  18. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  20. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  21. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0337)

  22. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2025

  23. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/10/2025

  25. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/9/2025

  27. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 4/9/2025

  28. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

  29. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 4/2/2025

  30. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

  31. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  32. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee to 4/2/2025

  33. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee of Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  36. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  39. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  40. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  41. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  42. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 10, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 948, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, provide that
if
a
legislative body of a county or municipality, as applicable, adopts by resolution or ordinance
an
affordable housing program, then
all of the following applies
:



There is also exempted property owned directly or indirectly by a joint venture in which at least one party of the joint venture is a qualified general partner
if
such property is used solely to provide permanent affordable housing to low-income households, of which at least 30% of the units at such property are dedicated to provide permanent, qualified affordable housing for veterans experiencing homelessness
.



An owner or owners of a project that exceeds 12 units must agree to make payments in lieu of taxes to the tax jurisdictions in which they are located, in an amount negotiated to cover the cost of improvements, facilities, or services rendered by the tax jurisdiction
. However,
if an amount is not agreed upon, then the payments must be not less than 25% of the amount of tax that would be due if the project were not exempt
.



A joint venture
is
deemed to provide permanent affordable housing to low income households
, which means households with 80%
or less of the applicable area's median income
,
if 100% of the units available at the property are leased at rents that are affordable to households that are low-income, according to the income limits computed and published by the department of housing and urban development under the
federal
United States Housing Act of 1937.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1134
By Boyd

SENATE BILL 948
By Powers

SB0948
002538
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47
and Title 67, relative to veterans.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 67-6-353, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(c) A disabled veteran must provide documentation of the veteran's service and
disability to be eligible for the exemption under this section.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.