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SB0997 • 2026

Annexation

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 6-51-104, relative to annexation.

Active

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

Sponsor
Bailey, Williams
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Changes to Annexation Rules in Tennessee

This bill changes how cities can annex land by removing some requirements for holding referendums when certain conditions are met.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the requirement for a referendum if two-thirds of property owners within an area agree to annexation in writing.
  • Requires that more than half of the total area proposed for annexation must be owned by those who consented to it.
  • Limits the number of parcels involved in the annexation process to nine or fewer.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Cities and towns looking to expand their boundaries through annexation.
  • Property owners whose land is being considered for annexation.

Terms To Know

Annexation
The process by which a city or town expands its borders to include nearby areas.
Referendum
A vote by the public on an issue, often used in local government decisions like annexation.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much money cities will save or spend as a result of these changes.
  • It is unclear if and when this bill will become law since it is still active and awaiting further action.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/16/2026

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  4. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/14/2026

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  8. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  11. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 29, Nays 4

  12. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  13. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026

  14. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  17. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  18. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  19. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  20. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026

  21. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  22. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  23. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  24. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  25. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  26. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026

  27. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026

  28. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  29. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026

  30. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026

  31. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  32. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  33. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate State & Local Government Committee

  34. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  37. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  39. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes

a
municipality, when petitioned by interested persons, or upon its own initiative, by resolution,
to
propose extension of its corporate limits by the annexation of territory adjoining to its existing boundaries
. However,
such resolu
tion
must not
propose annexation of property being used primarily for agricultural purposes.
P
roperty being
so
used
must only
be annexed with the written consent of the property owner or owners.

Present law provides that a
referendum is not required to
effectuate annexation of territory if
a
ll of the property owners within the territory proposed for annexation consent in writing
. This bill also provides that a
referendum is not required to effectuate annexation of territory if
all of the following crite
ria are met:



2/3 of the property owners within the territory proposed for annexation consent in writing
.



The
total area of the property owned by the owners consenting to
an
annexation
receiving such consent
is more than 1/2 of the territory proposed for annexation
.



The proposed annexation consists of nine or fewer parcels.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1176
By Williams

SENATE BILL 997
By Bailey

SB0997
002539
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 6-
51-104, relative to annexation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 6-51-104(a)(2), is amended by
deleting subdivision (B) and substituting:
(B)
(i) Two thirds (2/3) of the property owners within the territory proposed for
annexation consent in writing;
(ii) The total area of the property owned by the owners consenting to
annexation under subdivision (a)(2)(B)(i) is more than one-half (1/2) of the
territory proposed for annexation; and
(iii) The proposed annexation consists of nine (9) or fewer parcels.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.