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SB1278 • 2026

State Employees

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, Chapter 23, Part 2, relative to state employee pay periods.

Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Johnson, Lamberth
Last action
2025-04-04
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 82
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify how often state employees must actually get paid, only that they can have more than two pay periods per month if needed.

State Employee Pay Periods

This act changes Tennessee state employee pay periods to be no less than twice per month as determined by the commissioner of finance and administration.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the rule that says state employee pay periods must happen at least twice a month, but does not specify specific days for these pay periods.
  • Removes the requirement for pay periods to be semimonthly.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State employees in Tennessee

Terms To Know

pay period
The time between two paydays, like every two weeks or at the end of each month.
semimonthly
Twice a month on specific days, usually around the 15th and last day of the month.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The exact dates for pay periods are not set by this act but will be decided by the commissioner.
  • It does not specify how often state employees must actually get paid, only that they can have more than two pay periods per month if needed.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 82

  2. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 03/28/2025

  3. 2025-04-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 82

  4. 2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  10. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0

  11. 2025-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  12. 2025-03-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/10/2025

  13. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  14. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  15. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/4/2025

  16. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  17. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 2

  18. 2025-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. 2025-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 2/24/2025

  20. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/20/2025

  21. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  22. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 2/19/2025

  24. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  26. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  27. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/12/2025

  28. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  29. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  30. 2025-01-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  31. 2025-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C held on desk, pending appointment of Standing Committees

  32. 2025-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  33. 2025-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 108
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 1278
By Johnson

SB1278
000170
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
Chapter 23, Part 2, relative to state employee pay
periods.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-23-202, is amended by deleting
subsection (a) and substituting:
(a) The "pay period" for state employees shall be no less than twice per month
as determined by the commissioner of finance and administration. On or about the last
day of every such "pay period," all state employees shall be paid for the preceding
period or any part thereof for which compensation is due.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-23-202(b), is amended by deleting
the word "semimonthly".
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.