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SB2338 • 2026

Fire Prevention and Investigation

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, relative to grants to volunteer fire departments.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Seal, Hicks G
Last action
2026-05-27
Official status
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1031
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Fire Prevention and Investigation

Present law establishes the volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program to annually provide grants to select volunteer fire departments to be used for the purchase of firefighting equipment or to meet local match requirements of federal gr ants for the purchase of firefighting equipment and training.

What This Bill Does

  • Present law establishes the volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program to annually provide grants to select volunteer fire departments to be used for the purchase of firefighting equipment or to meet local match requirements of federal gr ants for the purchase of firefighting equipment and training.
  • As used in present law, "firefighting equipment" does not include fire trucks or vehicles.
  • For grants awarded after June 30, 2026, this bill revises this provision to, instead, include fire t ru cks or vehicles as firefighting equipment.
  • Present law requires the commissioner of commerce and insurance to decide which grants to award and to disburse the grants to the selected volunteer fire departments.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2446

Plain English: House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.

  • House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to HB2446 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2338* House Bill No.
  • 2446 HA0799 016214 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 2-0 to HB2446

Plain English: House Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.

  • House Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.
  • 2 to HB2446 Hicks G Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2338* House Bill No.
  • 2446 HA1201 017668 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2338

Plain English: Senate Commerce and Labor 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Commerce and Labor 1 Amendment No.
  • 1 to SB2338 Bailey Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2338* House Bill No.
  • 2446 SA0660 015058 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.
Amendment 2-0 to SB2338

Plain English: Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.

  • Senate Finance, Ways, and Means 1 Amendment No.
  • 2 to SB2338 Watson Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
  • 2338* House Bill No.
  • 2446 SA1050 017668 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1031

  2. 2026-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/21/2026, 07/01/2026

  3. 2026-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 1031

  4. 2026-05-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2026-05-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for his action.

  6. 2026-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  7. 2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  8. 2026-04-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  9. 2026-04-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  10. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  11. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  12. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA1050)

  13. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0660)

  14. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  15. 2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  16. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/22/2026

  17. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 11, Nays 0 PNV 0

  18. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  19. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., as am., Ayes 91, Nays 0, PNV 0

  21. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA1201)

  22. 2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0799)

  23. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  24. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  25. 2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rule #83(8) Suspended, to be heard in Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 4/21/2026

  26. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026

  27. 2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  28. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/16/2026

  30. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  31. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2026

  32. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026

  34. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/15/2026

  35. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee to 4/15/2026

  36. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/14/2026

  37. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  38. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed behind the budget

  39. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/8/2026

  40. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  41. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  42. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  43. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/30/2026

  44. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  45. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  46. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  47. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/18/2026

  48. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee to 3/18/2026

  49. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  50. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  51. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  52. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  53. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  54. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/10/2026

  55. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  56. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

  57. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee

  58. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  59. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  60. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  61. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  62. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  63. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law establishes the volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program to annually provide grants to select volunteer fire departments to be used for the purchase of firefighting equipment or to meet local match requirements of federal gr
ants for the purchase of firefighting equipment and training. As used in present law, "firefighting equipment" does not include fire trucks or vehicles. For grants awarded after June 30, 2026, this bill revises this provision to, instead, include fire t
ru
cks or vehicles as firefighting equipment.

Present law requires the commissioner of commerce and insurance to decide which grants to award and to disburse the grants to the selected volunteer fire departments. The total amount of grants awarded each year must be equally divided among the three g
rand divisions of the state. For grants awarded after June 30, 2026, this bill removes the requirement that the total amount of grants awarded each year must be equally divided among the three grand divisions of the state.

ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2446, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill to, instead, require the commissioner of commerce and insurance to fulfill the following duties for the volunteer firefighter vehicle grant program, which
is established to annually provide grants to select volunteer fire departments to assist with local match requirements for federal grants to purchase vehicles:



Establish the amount the state contributes. However, the grant program must not fund the total local match portion in any year.


Strive to distribute grant program funding proportionally based on the number of recognized volunteer fire departments serving each of the three grand divisions of this state.


Decide which grants to award and to disburse the grants to the selected volunteer fire departments. The commissioner must strive to expend all funds appropriated to the grant program each year, and any funds remaining must remain available for expenditure for the program described above and the volunteer firefighter equipment and training grant program, described in present law. Any funds remaining must not revert to the general fund but remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years for either grant program.


Promulgate rules to establish guidelines for evaluating grant requests and determining which volunteer fire departments receive grants.

This amendment provides that it is the legislative intent to fund the volunteer firefighter vehicle grant program by providing an initial appropriation of one million dollars in the appropriation act for fiscal year 2026-2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2446
By Hicks G

SENATE BILL 2338
By Seal
SB2338
010163
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68,
relative to grants to volunteer fire departments.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-102-154(d), is amended by
deleting the language:
The total amount of grants awarded each year must be equally divided among the three
(3) grand divisions of the state.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-102-154(e)(1), is amended by
deleting the language:
, other than fire trucks or vehicles
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it,
and applies to grants awarded after June 30, 2026.