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SB1194 • 2026

Codes

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Chapter 120, relative to standards for roofs.

Energy
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Jackson, Grills
Last action
2025-04-08
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 149
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text indicate that the act takes effect on July 1, 2025, but the effective date in the metadata is missing.

Roof Standards Act

This act removes certain energy-saving roof standards for low-sloped roofs from Tennessee's building codes as of July 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes solar reflectance and thermal emittance requirements for low-sloped roofs in Tennessee, set by the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), as of July 1, 2025.
  • Gives the state fire marshal authority to create rules based on this change.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Home and building owners who construct or renovate low-sloped roofs in Tennessee after July 1, 2025.
  • Construction companies that build or repair low-sloped roofs in Tennessee after July 1, 2025.

Terms To Know

International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
A set of rules for building construction to save energy and reduce heat.
Solar reflectance
How well a roof reflects sunlight, which can help keep buildings cooler.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify the exact date it will take effect for counties in climate zones other than zone 3.
  • It only affects low-sloped roofs directly above cooled spaces in certain climate zones.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB0801

Plain English: This amendment changes Tennessee's building code to exclude certain energy efficiency requirements for low-sloped roofs from applying to the 2021 International Code Council adoption.

  • Exempts low-sloped roofs from having to meet solar reflectance and thermal emittance standards set by the International Energy Conservation Code in the 2021 version of the code.
  • Gives the state fire marshal authority to create rules that support this change, following specific legal procedures.
  • The amendment does not specify which exact requirements are being excluded or how they will be replaced, if at all.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1194

Plain English: This amendment changes Tennessee's building code to exclude certain energy conservation requirements for low-sloped roofs from applying to the 2021 International Code Council adoption.

  • Exempts low-sloped roofs from having to meet solar reflectance and thermal emittance standards set by the International Energy Conservation Code in the 2021 version of the code.
  • Gives the state fire marshal authority to create rules that support this change, following specific legal procedures.
  • The amendment does not specify which exact requirements are being excluded or how they will be enforced differently for low-sloped roofs.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 149

  2. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/03/2025, 07/01/2025

  3. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 149

  4. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  10. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0

  11. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0087)

  12. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  13. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  14. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  15. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 81, Nays 10, PNV 0

  16. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0136)

  17. 2025-03-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/24/2025

  18. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/24/2025

  19. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/20/2025

  20. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/19/2025

  22. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/11/2025

  25. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  26. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  27. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  28. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  29. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  30. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  31. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law
provides several statewide building construction safety standards. This bill specifically prohibits the roof solar reflectance and thermal emittance requirements for low-sloped roofs, set by the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and published

by the International Code Council, from applying to this state. The IECC standard requires low-sloped roofs directly above cooled conditioned spaces in climate zones 0 through 3 to comply with one or more of certain solar reflectance and thermal emittanc
e
options to generally save energy and prevent concentrated heat. Several counties in this state fall under zone 3, while all other counties are in zone 4. The zone 3 counties are Bedford, Chester, Coffee, Crockett, Davidson, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Fran
k
lin, Gibson, Giles, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Hickman, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McNairy, Moore, Perry, Rutherford, Shelby, Tipton, Wayne, and Williamson counties.

ON MARCH 24, 2
025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 801, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, clarify that, as of July 1, 2025, t
he roof solar reflectance and thermal emittance requirements of the International Energy Conservatio
n Code for low-sloped roofs do not apply to the 2021 International Code Council adoption.

The state fire marshal is authorized to promulgate rules to effectuate
this amendment.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 801
By Grills

SENATE BILL 1194
By Jackson

SB1194
002619
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68,
Chapter 120, relative to standards for roofs.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-120-101, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(l) The roof solar reflectance and thermal emittance requirements of the
International Energy Conservation Code, published by the International Code Council,
for low-sloped roofs do not apply in this state.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.