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SB2447 • 2026

Professions and Occupations

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and Title 62, Chapter 2, Part 4, relative to certificates of registration for engineers.

Technology
Active

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

Sponsor
Powers, Hicks T
Last action
2026-04-09
Official status
Companion House Bill substituted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on the implementation process or timeline beyond July 1, 2026.

New Path for Engineering Registration

This bill creates a new registration pathway for engineers in Tennessee based on graduating from an ABET ETAC-accredited engineering technology program of four years or more.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a new path for registration as an engineer based on graduating from an ABET ETAC-accredited engineering technology curriculum of four years or more, without requiring a post-graduate engineering degree.
  • Requires applicants to be approved by the state board and submit professional references from three licensed engineers in good standing.
  • Necessitates passing the fundamentals of engineering exam before taking the principles and practice of engineering exam.
  • Recommends at least eight years of progressive experience under a licensed engineer for certification.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who graduate from ABET ETAC-accredited engineering technology programs
  • The state board of architectural and engineering examiners

Terms To Know

ABET ETAC
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission - a body that accredits engineering technology programs.
Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners
The state board responsible for approving and issuing certificates to engineers in Tennessee.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify the exact number of years after which the bill will take effect.
  • Details about how the new registration process will be implemented are not provided.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  2. 2026-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.

  3. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Companion House Bill substituted

  4. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  5. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.

  6. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  7. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 4/9/2026

  8. 2026-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee

  9. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  10. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 84, Nays 5, PNV 2

  11. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  12. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  13. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/7/2026

  14. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/2/2026

  15. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  16. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 3/31/2026

  17. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/25/2026

  19. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Commerce Committee for 3/18/2026

  23. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Commerce Committee

  24. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Business & Utilities Subcommittee for 3/11/2026

  27. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2026-02-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  30. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Business & Utilities Subcommittee

  31. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Commerce Committee

  32. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  35. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law
establishes
the following are considered minimum evidence satisfactory to the state board of examiners for architects and engineers (“
board”
) that an applicant is qualified for registration as an engineer: (i) graduation from an approved engineering curriculum, expe
rience, and examination; (ii) long established practice; (iii) graduation from an approved post-graduate engineering curriculum, experience, and examination; and (iv) graduation from an approved engineering technology curriculum, exp
erience, and examination, which includes a requirement that the applicant hold a post-graduate engineering degree.

This bill
establishes
an additional path for registration based on graduation from an ABET ETAC-accredited engineering technology curriculum of four years or more, without the post-graduate engineering degree required under the existing engineering technology pathway.
T
he applicant must be approved by the board as being of satisfactory standing, submit written professional references from three engineers registered in this state who are in good standing with the board, and pass the fundamentals of enginee
ring examination to be admitted to the principles and practice of engineering examination.

Upon passing the examinations and with a specific record of eight years or more of progressive experience on engineering projects under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer of a grade and character that indicates to the board that the appli
cant may be competent to practice engineering, the applicant must be granted a certificate of registration to practice engineering
in this state
,
as long as
the appl
icant is otherwise qualified.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2130
By Hicks T

SENATE BILL 2447
By Powers
SB2447
012057
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and
Title 62, Chapter 2, Part 4, relative to certificates
of registration for engineers.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-2-401(a), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(5) Graduation from Engineering Technology Curriculum, Experience, and
Examination. A graduate of an ABET ETAC accredited engineering technology
curriculum of four (4) years or more who is approved by the board as being of
satisfactory standing; who submits written professional references from three (3)
engineers currently registered in this state who are in good standing with the board; and
who passes an examination prepared by the National Council of Examiners for
Engineering and Surveying involving the fundamentals of engineering, must be admitted
to an examination prepared by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and
Surveying in the principles and practice of engineering. Upon passing the examinations
and with a specific record of eight (8) years or more of progressive experience on
engineering projects under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer of a
grade and character that indicates to the board that the applicant may be competent to
practice engineering , the applicant must be granted a certificate of registration to
practice engineering in this state; provided, that the applicant is otherwise qualified.
SECTION 2. For the purpose of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming
a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2026,
the public welfare requiring it.