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

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SB1775 • 2026

Open Meetings

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-110, relative to public meetings.

Education
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Gardenhire, Lynn
Last action
2026-04-02
Official status
Transmitted to Governor for action.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on enforcement or penalties for non-compliance with the new requirements.

Making Meeting Agendas Public

This bill changes Tennessee's laws about making meeting agendas available to the public for certain local government bodies.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds school boards and other local governing groups that can make decisions or spend money to a list of groups required to share their meeting agendas with the public before meetings happen.
  • Excludes private nonprofit community organizations receiving funds through the community services grant block program from needing to share their meeting agendas.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Local education agencies and school boards
  • Other local governing bodies that can make decisions or spend money
  • Private nonprofit community organizations receiving funds from specific grants

Terms To Know

governing body
A group of people who have the power to make decisions for an organization, like a school board.
local education agency (LEA)
An organization responsible for providing public education in a specific area, such as a school district.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when the agendas must be made available to the public.
  • It is unclear what happens if these groups do not follow the new rules.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1797

Plain English: The amendment changes part of Tennessee law about which local groups must hold public meetings by excluding certain nonprofit organizations that can receive specific federal grants from having to do so.

  • Removes the requirement for private nonprofit community organizations eligible to receive funds through the Community Services Block Grant Program under federal law (42 U.S.C. §§ 9901 — 9926) to hold public meetings.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how this exclusion will be implemented or enforced, which may leave some questions unanswered.
Amendment 1-0 to SB1775

Plain English: The amendment changes part of Tennessee law about which local government groups must hold public meetings by excluding certain private nonprofit organizations.

  • Removes the requirement for specific private nonprofit community organizations that can receive funds from a federal block grant program to hold public meetings.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how this change will affect other parts of the law or which nonprofits are exactly excluded.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  2. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  3. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  4. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  5. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

  6. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0885)

  7. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  8. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  10. 2026-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/30/2026

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  14. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  15. 2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026

  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 32, Nays 0

  21. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0554)

  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. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  24. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/11/2026

  25. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 7, Nays 0 PNV 0

  26. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee 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

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/3/2026

  29. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 2/24/2026

  31. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  32. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Public Service Subcommittee to 2/18/2026

  33. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 2/11/2026

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  35. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Govenrment Committee

  36. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  37. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  38. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  39. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  40. 2026-01-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 9, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1775, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 excludes a private nonprofit community organization that is eligible to receive funds from the community services grant block program, from the list of governing bodies that are required to make meeting agendas available to the public in adv
ance of such meetings.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1797
By Lynn

SENATE BILL 1775
By Gardenhire
SB1775
011627
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-
44-110, relative to public meetings.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-110(e), is amended by deleting
"and" at the end of subdivision (8), by deleting the period at the end of subdivision (9) and
substituting ";", and by adding the following as new subdivisions:
(10) The governing body of a local education agency (LEA); and
(11) Any other local governing body of a public body as defined in § 8-44-
102(b)(1)(A) that has the authority to make binding decisions or the ability to appropriate
funds.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.