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SB2162 • 2026

Open Meetings

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8, relative to executive sessions for consideration of employment by a governing body.

Labor
Active

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

Sponsor
Briggs, Moon
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information about the confidentiality of applications after an applicant is selected or rejected, leaving this detail uncertain.

Open Meetings for Employment Interviews

This bill allows governing bodies to hold private meetings to interview applicants for director-level positions without giving public notice but requires that hiring decisions be made in open meetings.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows a governing body to have secret meetings to talk with people who want jobs as director-level staff members.
  • Requires that any decision about hiring must happen during an open meeting where everyone can see and hear what is happening.
  • Limits who can attend these secret meetings to only governing body members, relevant staff, and applicants.
  • Says the minutes of these private meetings should list all the people there, except for job seekers being interviewed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Governing bodies in Tennessee
  • Applicants for director-level positions

Terms To Know

Executive session
A private meeting where only certain people can attend and discuss sensitive matters.
Director-level staff
High-ranking employees who manage departments or agencies within a government body.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if an applicant requests confidentiality but is later selected for the position.
  • It's unclear how this change will affect transparency in hiring processes.
  • There are no details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2616

Plain English: The amendment allows governing bodies to hold private meetings for interviewing director-level job candidates without providing public notice and sets rules for confidentiality and disclosure of information.

  • Governing bodies can now have secret interviews with applicants for director-level positions without giving the public advance notice.
  • After a decision is made, details about the selected candidate's interview and application materials become public records upon request.
  • The amendment specifies that only governing body members, relevant staff, and candidates are allowed to attend these private sessions.
  • The exact impact on current employment practices and public transparency is not fully explained in the provided text.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2162

Plain English: The amendment allows governing bodies to hold private meetings for interviewing director-level job candidates without providing public notice and sets rules for confidentiality and disclosure of information.

  • Governing bodies can now have secret interviews with applicants for director-level positions without giving the public advance notice.
  • Minutes from these interviews must list who attended but not include details about the interview or the applicant's application materials, unless requested by the selected candidate.
  • Selected candidates' interview recordings and applications become public records after they are chosen for the job.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if an applicant requests confidentiality but is not hired.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  2. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 61, Nays 24, PNV 6

  3. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA1101)

  4. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2026

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  6. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/9/2026

  7. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  8. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 4/8/2026

  9. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee

  10. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/8/2026

  11. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 4/8/2026

  12. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/31/2026

  14. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/31/2026

  15. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  17. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  18. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  19. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor change.

  20. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) withdrawn.

  21. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  22. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026

  23. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  24. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  27. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  29. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  30. 2026-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  31. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee

  33. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  34. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  35. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  36. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  37. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill authorizes an executive session to be conducted by a governing body to interview applicants for employment as director-level staff of the body, and public notice of such an executive session is not required. The minutes of such sessions must di
sclose all of the people who were in attendance, except for job applicants who attend for the purpose of being interviewed by said body. Attendance to the session is limited to members of the governing body, relevant staff invited by the body, and job ap
pl
icants. Further, in order to review and consider the contents of an application for employment or appointment by the governing body, a job applicant may request that the applicant's application remain confidential.

This bill prohibits decisions pertaining to the consideration of employment from being made in the executive session. Instead, such decisions must be deliberated and voted on in an open, publicly noticed meeting. Upon being selected for employment or a
ppointment, the selected applicant's interview, if recorded, and application may be subject to a public records request. The application and interview of applicants not selected must remain confidential upon request.

ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2616, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1
rewrites the bill to, instead, authorize a governing body to conduct an executive session for the purpose of interviewing applicants for employment as director-level staff of the body without providing public notice of such session. However, the governin
g body is prohibited from making hiring decisions or deliberating in such session. All deliberation and voting must be done in an open, publicly notice meeting. Attendance at any executive session for the purpose of interviewing applicants m
ust be limited to members of the governing body, relevant staff, and the applicants. The minutes of the session must be disclosed to all persons who were in attendance, except for applicants. If requested by the applicant, application materials must be
kept confidential and are not open to public inspection. However, interviews and application materials must be kept as public records if the applicant is selected for employment or appointment. As used in this amendment, "director-level" means a positio
n
that is filled by the mayor or a vote of the governing body or by the mayor with confirmation by the governing body, excluding the chief of police; and has authority over the operation and employees of a department, agency, or division of the governmental
entity.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2616
By Moon

SENATE BILL 2162
By Briggs
SB2162
012389
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 8,
relative to executive sessions for consideration of
employment by a governing body.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-44-102, is amended by adding the
following subsection (e):
(e) Executive sessions for consideration of employment of director-level staff by
a governing body:
(1) An executive session may be conducted by a governing body to
interview applicants for employment as director-level staff of the body. Public
notice of such an executive session is not required;
(2) Decisions may not be made in the executive session but must be
deliberated and voted on in an open, publicly noticed meeting;
(3) The minutes of such session shall disclose all persons who were in
attendance except job applicants who attend for the purpose of being interviewed
by said body;
(4) Attendance is limited to members of said body, relevant staff invited
by the body, and job applicants;
(5) Further, to review and consider the contents of an application for
employment or appointment by said body, a job applicant may request that the
applicant's application remain confidential; and
(6) Upon being selected for employment or appointment, the selected
applicant's interview, if recorded, and application may be subject to a public

- 2 - 012389

records request pursuant to § 10–7–503. Notwithstanding § 10-7-503, the
application and interview of applicants not selected must remain confidential
upon request.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.