KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB1649 • 2026

State Universities

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to state university boards.

Active

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

Sponsor
Lowe, Slater
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Sponsor(s) Added.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's provisions concerning confirmation and terms apply specifically to all state universities, not just Tennessee State University as initially stated.

Changes to State University Board Appointments

This bill changes how governors appoint members to state university boards in Tennessee by requiring senate and house confirmation before appointments start and setting new term dates starting April 1, 2027.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the governor's appointments to a state university board to be confirmed by joint resolution of both the Senate and House of Representatives before their terms begin.
  • Sets the start date for all future appointees' terms on April 1, instead of February 1 as initially proposed.
  • Extends current members' terms until January 31 immediately following the date that their term is presently scheduled to expire.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Governors who appoint members to state university boards in Tennessee
  • Members of the Senate and House of Representatives involved in confirming appointments
  • Current and future members of state university boards

Terms To Know

Joint resolution
A formal agreement passed by both houses of a legislature.
Term
The period during which someone holds an office or position.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This bill's provisions concerning confirmation and terms are set to take effect on January 1, 2027.
  • However, the commencement date for such terms is changed from February 1 to April 1 due to an amendment adopted by the House.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1882

Plain English: The amendment changes how new members of state university boards appointed by the governor after January 1, 2027, will be confirmed and sets specific term dates for these members.

  • New board members appointed by the governor on or after January 1, 2027, must be confirmed by a joint resolution of both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly before they can start their terms.
  • The effective date for new appointments and term extensions is set to January 1, 2027.
  • Members appointed under specific conditions will have their terms begin on February 1 and last six years starting from January 1, 2027.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about the process for confirming new board members or how existing terms are aligned with new appointments.
Amendment 2-0 to HB1882

Plain English: The amendment changes how members are added to state university boards in Tennessee, requiring new board members appointed by the governor after January 1, 2027, to be confirmed by both houses of the legislature before they can start their term.

  • New members appointed to state university boards by the governor on or after January 1, 2027, must be confirmed by joint resolution from both the Senate and House of Representatives before starting their terms.
  • Existing board members' terms are extended to align with new members who will start in April 2027, ensuring all members have six-year terms ending on March 31.
  • Vacancies for board members appointed after January 1, 2027, must remain unfilled until a replacement is confirmed by both legislative houses.
  • The amendment text does not specify the exact process or criteria for confirmation by joint resolution.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1649

Plain English: The amendment changes how members of state university boards in Tennessee are appointed and confirmed, adding requirements for joint resolution confirmation by both houses of the legislature.

  • Members of state university boards appointed by the governor, senate speaker, or house speaker must be confirmed by a joint resolution from both the Senate and House before starting their term.
  • The terms of new board members begin on February 1st and last for six years, aligning with existing members' terms.
  • Some parts of the amendment text are technical and may be hard to understand without additional context about current laws.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  2. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  3. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  4. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 25, Nays 6

  5. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0807)

  6. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  7. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  8. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/13/2026

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  11. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  12. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 80, Nays 10, PNV 2

  14. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA1042)

  15. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA1038)

  16. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  17. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/6/2026

  18. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  19. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Reset on next avail. cal.

  20. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  21. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate Reset on calendar for 4/2/2026

  22. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  23. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/26/2026

  24. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  25. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026

  26. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

  27. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/24/2026

  28. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/24/2026

  29. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/18/2026

  30. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Education Committee to 3/18/2026

  31. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026

  32. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/17/2026

  33. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/11/2026

  34. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026

  35. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026

  36. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/10/2026

  37. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/3/2026

  38. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  39. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Higher Education Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  40. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Higher Education Subcommittee

  41. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  42. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  44. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  45. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  46. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires that the governor's appointments to a state university board are subject to confirmation by the senate and the house of representatives, but appointments are effective until adversely acted upon by a joint resolution. Also under pres
ent law, the appointments are for terms of six years beginning on the date of appointment.

This bill requires that the governor's appointments to a state university board be confirmed by joint resolution before their terms begin. This bill also requires the terms of all future appointees to begin on February 1 and extends the terms of current
appointees to January 31 immediately following the date that their term is presently scheduled to expire.

This bill's requirements concerning confirmation and terms apply to the TSU board.

ON APRIL 6, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1882, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 m
akes this bill's provisions concerning legislative confirmation of board members effective January 1, 2027, instead of on the date that this bill becomes a law. This amendment also changes the commencement date for such terms from February 1 to April 1.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1882
By Slater

SENATE BILL 1649
By Lowe
SB1649
010439
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to state university boards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201(f), is amended by deleting
subdivision (3) and substituting:
(3) The members of a state university board appointed by the governor on or
after the effective date of this act must be confirmed by joint resolution of the senate and
house of representatives prior to beginning a term of office.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201(f)(2), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(D) Beginning on the effective date of this act, the terms of members appointed
pursuant to subdivision (f)(1)(B) begin on February 1 and expire six (6) years thereafter.
In order to align the terms of existing members with members appointed by the governor
on or after the effective date of this act, the terms of members appointed pursuant to
subdivision (f)(1)(B) who are serving a term on a state university board on the effective
date of this act are extended to January 31 immediately following the date on which the
member's term expires.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201(f)(9)(A), is amended by
adding the following as new subdivisions:
(iii) Members appointed to the state university board for Tennessee State
University by the governor on or after the effective date of this act must be confirmed as
provided in subdivision (f)(3) prior to beginning a term of office; and

- 2 - 010439

(iv) Beginning on the effective date of this act, the terms of members appointed
pursuant to subdivision (f)(1)(B) begin on February 1 and expire six (6) years thereafter.
In order to align the terms of existing members with members appointed by the governor
on or after the effective date of this act, the terms of members appointed pursuant to
subdivision (f)(1)(B) who are serving a term on the state university board for Tennessee
State University on the effective date of this act are extended to January 31 immediately
following the date on which the member's term expires;
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.