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SB1907 • 2026

Salaries and Benefits

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7, Chapter 51; Title 8 and Title 50, relative to electrical linemen.

Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Stevens, Powers
Last action
2026-04-14
Official status
Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Electrical Lineman Benefits Act

This bill amends Tennessee laws to provide an annual annuity of $50,000 for five years to the estate of an electrical lineman who dies while working on electrical transmission and power distribution systems for local government employers or contractors.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a definition for 'electrical lineman' to include individuals who install, maintain, or repair electrical systems for local government employers or contractors.
  • Expands existing provisions to cover electrical linemen similarly to emergency responders.
  • Provides an annual annuity of $50,000 for five years to the estate of an electrical lineman who dies while working on electrical transmission and power distribution systems.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Electrical linemen employed by or contracted with local governments in Tennessee.
  • The estates of deceased electrical linemen who were working on electrical transmission and power distribution systems.

Terms To Know

electrical lineman
A person who installs, maintains, or repairs electrical transmission and power distribution systems for local government employers or contractors.
annuity
A series of payments made at regular intervals to someone over a period of time.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the lineman's death is not in the line of duty.
  • It only applies to electrical linemen working for or contracted by local governments, not private companies.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB1464

Plain English: The amendment adds new provisions for electrical linemen under Tennessee law, including definitions, claim review processes, and expanding eligibility criteria.

  • Defines 'electrical lineman' as someone who installs, maintains, or repairs electrical systems while employed by a local government or its contractor.
  • Adds 'electrical lineman' to the list of eligible individuals for certain benefits under existing law where 'emergency responder' is mentioned.
  • Allows an electrical lineman's estate to appeal a denied claim within 90 days and have it reviewed by the Department of Finance and Administration, with the decision being final.
  • The exact details of how these changes will be implemented are not fully explained in the amendment text.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/21/2026

  2. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  3. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee / Behind Budget

  4. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  6. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/31/2026

  7. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 3/31/2026

  8. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  9. 2026-03-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  11. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  12. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  13. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 3/24/2026

  14. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  15. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  16. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  18. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  19. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  20. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/4/2026

  22. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  23. 2026-02-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2026-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-02-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  27. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2026-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 2/18/2026

  29. 2026-02-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  31. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  34. 2026-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  35. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  37. 2026-01-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  38. 2026-01-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  39. 2025-12-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1464
By Powers

SENATE BILL 1907
By Stevens
SB1907
010527
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5;
Title 6; Title 7, Chapter 51; Title 8 and Title 50,
relative to electrical linemen.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-210(a), is amended by adding
the following new subdivision:
( ) "Electrical lineman" means an individual who:
(A) Installs, maintains, or repairs electrical transmission and power
distribution systems; and
(B) Is employed by a local government or an entity that contracts with a
local government for the installation, maintenance, or repair of such systems;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-210(b), is amended by adding
the language "or electrical lineman" after "emergency responder" wherever it may appear.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-210(d), is amended by deleting
the period at the end of the subsection and substituting ", or being both an emergency
responder and an electrical lineman.".
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.