Civil Emergencies

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on financial support for TEMA.

Emergency Management Act for Tennessee

This bill amends existing laws related to emergency management by creating TEMA and setting rules for its operation.

What This Bill Does

• Amends Tennessee Code Annotated to create the Department of Tennessee Emergency Management Assistance (TEMA).
• Authorizes local political subdivisions to form their own emergency management organizations.
• Gives the commissioner of TEMA authority to coordinate with federal and other state governments during emergencies.
• Allows the governor to delegate power to the commissioner to declare a state of emergency for certain commercial vehicles involved in essential services.
• Continues existing contracts and leases related to programs or functions transferred to TEMA.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who work at TEMA and local emergency management groups.
• Businesses providing essential services during emergencies.
• Local governments in Tennessee.

Terms To Know

TEMA

Tennessee Emergency Management Assistance, a new department created to handle emergencies.

Commissioner

The person who leads TEMA and is in charge of emergency management activities.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify the financial support for TEMA.
• Does not detail how conflicts with other states' rules during emergencies will be handled.
• Does not provide specific powers or duties for local emergency management groups beyond their creation authorization.

Official Summary Text

ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #3 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2560, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #3 rewrites the bill to, instead, create the department of Tennessee emergency management assistance ("TEMA"),
to authorize the creation of local organizations for emergency management in the political subdivisions of the state, and to authorize cooperation with the federal government and the governments of other states
. This amendment would also transfer all current rules, orders, decisions, and policies issued or promulgated by the Tennessee emergency management agency effect to the department
for administration and enforcement.

THE COMMISSIONER

This amendment charges TEMA and its general supervision to the commissioner of TEMA. The commissioner, subject to the direction and control of the governor, is the executive head of the department. The commissioner must coordinate the activities of all
organizations for the department within this state and must maintain liaison with and cooperate with emergency management agencies and organizations of other states and of the federal government. Further, the commissioner must make recommendations to the

governor for the use of the national guard and other state resources as disaster conditions mandate, including the assistance of local and private agencies. The commissioner must coordinate with the governor's office on the activation or the potential ac
tivation of any mutual aid agreement or compact.

This amendment authorizes the commissioner to employ such area directors and professional, technical, clerical, and other personnel, and the commissioner must fix their compensation and may make expenditures from available funds appropriated for the depar
tment or from funds made available to the commissioner for purposes of emergency management.

DEPARTMENT OF
TEMA POWERS AND DUTIES

This amendment vests the department and its commissioner with the powers required to perform the duties set forth within present law pertaining to disaster and
emergencies, and are charged with the administration of such laws
.

This amendment authorizes
the department
to modify or rescind orders, rules, decisions, or policies so issued and to adopt, issue, or promulgate new orders, rules, decisions, or policies as may be necessary for the administration of the programs or functions transferred by this bill.
The department
may also promulgate emergency rules to implement this bill. In doing so,
the department

of TEMA
must consult with the department of health and must consult with and consider the recommendations of any other en
tity established to coordinate the implementation of the emergency management assistance compacts and must also consult with and consider rules promulgated by similarly empowered agencies in other states to promote uniformity and make the emergency respon
se systems in the various states reasonably compatible.

This amendment
also
authorizes the governor to delegate to the commissioner the authority to declare a state of emergency in order that certain commercial vehicles engaged in the distribution of electric power, the supply of fuel, or telecommunications services to residences
and businesses may be considered to be participating in an emergency relief effort for the purpose of the federal hours-of-service regulations promulgated by the federal motor carrier safety administration. Pursuant to the delegation
of authority granted, the commissioner may declare a state of emergency prospectively in anticipation of an emergency.

CONTINUING EFFECT OF CONTRACTS AND LEASES

In order to avoid the impairment of contracts, t
his amendment continues contracts
and
leases entered into prior to the effective date of this act, with respect to any program or function transferred to the department of TEMA.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 2560
By Lamberth

SENATE BILL 2248
By Johnson
SB2248
012434
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 9; Title 13; Title 16; Title 39; Title 55; Title 58;
Title 62; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to
emergency management.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 58-2-104(c), is amended by deleting
"During emergency conditions, the agency and director shall report" and substituting "During
emergency conditions, the agency and director shall report in writing, in addition to any other
means,".
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.