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SB1611 • 2026

Aircraft and Airports

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42, Chapter 5, relative to airports.

Active

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

Sponsor
Bailey, Sherrell
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Companion House Bill substituted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not specify the exact number of existing joint boards or their impact on current operations.

Clarifying Powers for Joint Airport Boards

This bill clarifies that joint boards created by two municipalities and two counties to operate airports have all the powers of regional airport authorities.

What This Bill Does

  • Gives a joint board, made up of two cities or towns and two counties working together, full power to run an airport like a regional airport authority does.
  • Makes sure that this joint board is seen as a public part of the state and can act like a nonprofit corporation if needed.
  • Requires that how the joint board works, including who is on it and for how long they serve, must be set in the agreement between the cities and counties when forming the board.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Joint boards made up of two municipalities and two counties that operate airports.
  • The people who work for or with these joint boards.

Terms To Know

joint board
A group formed by different cities, towns, or counties to work together on a project like running an airport.
interlocal agreement
An official deal between two or more local governments to share resources and responsibilities for a common goal.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not say how many joint boards are currently operating in Tennessee.
  • It is unclear if this change will affect existing airport operations or only new ones.
  • The bill does not provide funding for creating these joint boards.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  2. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  3. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  4. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  5. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  6. 2026-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  7. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  8. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  9. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-02-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 0

  11. 2026-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 2/23/2026

  12. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 2/25/2026

  13. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Transportation & Safety Committee

  14. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recalled from Senate Energy, Ag., and Natural Resources Committee

  15. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 2/19/2026

  16. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Transportation Committee to 2/24/2026

  18. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee

  19. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 2/17/2026

  20. 2026-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee

  21. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Government Operations Committee calendar for 2/11/2026

  22. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/10/2026

  23. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  24. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  25. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  26. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Government Operations Committee

  27. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  28. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  29. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Notwithstanding another law or a private act to the contrary,
this bill clarifies that
a joint board established by two municipalities and two counties pursuant to an interlocal agreement for the purpose of operating an airport is vested with all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges conferred upon a joint board under
law applicable to municipal and county airports
and all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of a regional airport authority.

This bill further clarifies that s
uch board is a public instrumentality of the creating municipalities and counties and a public body corporate and politic under the laws of this state. Such joint board may file a charter with the secretary of state containing such information as is requ
ired for a public nonprofit corporation to evidence the existence of such joint board as a corporate entity and such other information as may be deemed relevant by the joint board.
However, t
he governance of the joint boa
rd, including the terms of office of the members of the board and the composition of the board, must be set forth in the interlocal agreement creating the joint board and not by any other provision of
law relative to aeronautics
.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1691
By Sherrell

SENATE BILL 1611
By Bailey
SB1611
010376
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42,
Chapter 5, relative to airports.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 42-5-202, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:
(d) Notwithstanding another law or a private act to the contrary, a joint board
established by two (2) municipalities and two (2) counties pursuant to an interlocal
agreement entered into pursuant to title 12, chapter 9, for the purpose of operating an
airport, is vested with all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges conferred upon a joint
board under this chapter and all the powers, rights, duties, and privileges of a regional
airport authority under chapter 3 of this title. Such board is a public instrumentality of the
creating municipalities and counties and a public body corporate and politic under the
laws of this state. Such joint board may file a charter with the secretary of state
containing such information as is required for a public nonprofit corporation to evidence
the existence of such joint board as a corporate entity and such other information as
may be deemed relevant by the joint board. Notwithstanding this part, the governance
of the joint board, including the terms of office of the members of the board and the
composition of the board, must be set forth in the interlocal agreement creating the joint
board and not by any other provision of this title.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.