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SB1673 • 2026

Comptroller, State

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9; Title 66 and Title 67, relative to state assessed properties.

Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Johnson, Marsh
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Effective date(s) 04/01/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about updating the exception filing process, so this claim was removed.

Tennessee State Property Tax Law Changes

This bill amends Tennessee's property tax laws by adding motor bus and truck companies (excluding towing companies) to the list of businesses required to pay state taxes on their properties, along with requiring detailed financial and operational information from subsurface passenger transit companies.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds motor bus and truck companies in Tennessee to the list of businesses required to pay property taxes for state purposes, excluding towing companies.
  • Requires detailed financial and operational information from subsurface passenger transit companies, including details about their tunnels and stations.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Motor bus and truck companies operating in Tennessee
  • Subsurface passenger transit companies

Terms To Know

Comptroller of the Treasury
A state official responsible for managing financial matters, including tax assessments.
Subsurface passenger transit companies
Companies that operate vehicles through tunnels or below-ground systems primarily used for transporting passengers.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact criteria for determining which motor bus and truck companies are subject to taxation.
  • It is unclear how this new requirement will impact small businesses compared to larger corporations.
  • The effective date of April 1, 2026, means there may be a delay before these changes take full effect.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1515

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain transportation companies are taxed by updating the list of companies subject to state property taxes and adding new reporting requirements for subsurface passenger transit companies.

  • Updates the definition of motor bus and/or truck companies that must pay state property taxes, including owner operators under these companies' authority.
  • Adds a new category of 'subsurface passenger transit companies' which includes those operating through tunnels or below-ground systems.
  • Requires subsurface passenger transit companies to provide additional information such as details about their vehicles, tunnel ownership and length, operational costs, and any other data requested by the comptroller.
  • The amendment text does not specify all potential impacts on existing tax laws or company operations beyond what is explicitly stated.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1673

Plain English: The amendment changes how certain transportation companies are taxed by updating the list of companies subject to state property taxes and adding new reporting requirements for subsurface passenger transit companies.

  • Updates Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-5-1301(a) to include motor bus and truck companies that operate under federal registrations, as well as owner operators working under these companies' authority.
  • Adds a new definition for 'subsurface passenger transit companies,' which includes those operating through tunnels or below-ground systems.
  • Requires subsurface passenger transit companies to provide additional information when submitting schedules and statements, such as details about their property, tunnel lengths, operational costs, and any other relevant data.
  • The amendment text does not specify the exact impact on current tax rates or how new reporting requirements will be enforced.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 04/01/2026

  2. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 649

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 649

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-03-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 93, Nays 0, PNV 1

  10. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0629)

  11. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  14. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/16/2026

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/12/2026

  17. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  19. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 4, PNV 2

  21. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0550)

  22. 2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

  23. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/10/2026

  24. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 6, Nays 2 PNV 0

  26. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  27. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  30. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  31. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  32. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2026-01-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.

  36. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  37. 2026-01-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1673, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, add to the list of companies for which the comptroller of the treasury may
assess for taxation,
and
for state, county, and municipal purposes, all of the properties within the state owned
,
and all personal property used or leased
,

m
otor bus or truck companies,
excluding
towing companies,
that
are
either
:



Companies that operate commercial motor vehicles exclusively authorized for hire holding United States department of transportation registrations issued by this state through the performance and registration information systems management (PRISM) or the federal motor carrier safety administration (FMCSA), including those owner operators who operate under the motor bus and/or truck company's motor carrier authority, and that (i)
a
re domiciled in this state
or
(ii)
o
wn or lease real or personal property located in this state
, or both
.


Subsurface passenger transit companies that

(i)
o
perate vehicles primarily through subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems
,
(ii)
o
wn and operate the subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems that are used for passenger transit
,
(iii)
o
wn, use, or lease the vehicles that are used for transporting passengers through the subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems
,
and (iv)
a
re engaged in the business of transporting passengers through subsurface tunnels or below-ground conduit tunnel systems.

In addition to the information
required to be annually filed with the comptroller of the treasury pursuant to present law
,
this amendment requires
the schedules and statements submitted by subsurface passenger transit companies
to
include
all of the following:



A listing of all tangible personal property that the company owns, uses, or leases in the operation of its business
.


A description, including the location and the length in miles, of all conduit tunnels and stations owned by the company
.


The total direct and indirect costs associated with making the company operational
.


Any other information that the comptroller of the treasury may reasonably require.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1515
By Marsh

SENATE BILL 1673
By Johnson
SB1673
011010
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 8; Title 9; Title 66 and Title 67, relative to
state assessed properties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 67-5-1327(c), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(c) On or before the first Monday in September, the comptroller of the treasury
shall file with the board of equalization the assessments made by the comptroller,
together with such records as may be deemed necessary. The comptroller of the
treasury shall send notice to any person or entity filing an exception to the action taken
on the exception, and persons or entities affected by the comptroller of the treasury's
action on the exceptions may file further exceptions with the state board of equalization,
for review pursuant to § 67-5-1328. All persons or entities authorized to file an exception
under this section but failing to do so on or before twenty-five (25) days from the first
Monday in September are deemed to have waived any objection they may otherwise
have raised with regard to the assessments.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.