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SB0970 • 2026

Water Authorities

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 68, relative to providing services for water or wastewater.

Energy
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Southerland, Jones R
Last action
2025-04-28
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 283
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on which local governments are affected or what exact changes can be made by authorities.

Water and Wastewater Authority Powers

This bill allows water and wastewater authorities to adopt and assume regulatory powers from local governments when they take over water or wastewater systems.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows water and wastewater authorities to adopt rules that were in place before the system was transferred to them.
  • Permits these authorities to amend such rules if the amendments are just and reasonable.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Water and wastewater authorities in Tennessee
  • Local governments that previously managed water or wastewater systems

Terms To Know

Authority
A group responsible for managing public services like water or wastewater.
Regulatory powers
The ability to make rules that control how something is done, such as managing water systems.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify which local governments are affected.
  • Does not detail the exact changes or new rules that can be made by authorities.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0660

Plain English: This amendment allows water authorities in Tennessee to adopt and modify rules related to water and wastewater systems after taking over these systems from municipalities.

  • Water authorities can now take on existing regulations for water and wastewater systems that were previously managed by the municipality, either at the time of transfer or later.
  • The board of directors of a water authority has the power to amend these rules as long as the changes are fair and reasonable.
  • It is unclear how this amendment will affect specific municipalities or water authorities without more context about their current regulations and operations.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0970

Plain English: The amendment allows water authorities to adopt and amend rules related to water and wastewater systems after transferring these systems from municipalities.

  • Water authorities can now take over regulatory powers, duties, and oversight of water and wastewater systems that were previously managed by municipal ordinances or policies.
  • After the transfer, the authority's board can modify existing rules as long as they are fair and reasonable.
  • The exact extent to which these changes apply is limited by what is stated in each water authority’s certificate of incorporation.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 283

  2. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/24/2025

  3. 2025-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 283

  4. 2025-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  11. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  12. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0250)

  13. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  14. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/7/2025

  15. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/7/2025

  16. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  17. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/3/2025

  18. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  19. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  20. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  21. 2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0154)

  22. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/31/2025

  23. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  24. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/27/2025

  25. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/26/2025

  27. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee to 3/26/2025

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/25/2025

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  30. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/19/2025

  31. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  32. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  33. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  34. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  35. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  36. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee

  37. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee

  38. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  39. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  40. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 31, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 743, AS AMENDED.

AM
ENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, provide that, except
to the extent modified by the certificate of incorporation
of an authority created pursuant to the
Municipal Energy Authority Act, the board of directors of the authority may, as part of the tr
ansfer of a water and wastewater system or at any time thereafter, adopt and assume all or any portion of such regulatory powers, authority, duties, obligations, and oversight over the water and wastewater operations as were applicable to the municipal wa
t
er and wastewater system pursuant to ordinances, resolutions, or other rules or policies that were in effect immediately prior to the transfer of such system to the authority. The board of directors of the authority may later amend such rules, regulation
s
, and requirements from time to time
if
such amendments are just and reasonable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 660
By Jones R

SENATE BILL 970
By Southerland

SB0970
002738
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5;
Title 6; Title 7 and Title 68, relative to providing
services for water or wastewater.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-36-107(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision (28) and redesignating the existing subdivisions accordingly:
(28) To have such powers as are provided to water and wastewater treatment
authorities pursuant to § 68-221-607(a)(17)-(20), to the extent that the authority's
exercise of such powers does not conflict with any ordinances or rules adopted by
another local government having jurisdiction over such matters;
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.