SB2528 • 2026

Recreational Areas

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 10 and Title 11, Chapter 8, relative to the Ocoee River.

Agriculture Taxes

Active

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Sponsor: Hatcher, Howell
Last action: 2026-05-27
Official status: Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
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.

Recreational Areas

Present law establishes the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund, which is funded in part by a fee that totals 10% of the gross revenue generated by commercial activities occurring within the Ocoee River management zone.

What This Bill Does

Present law establishes the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund, which is funded in part by a fee that totals 10% of the gross revenue generated by commercial activities occurring within the Ocoee River management zone.
Present law estab lishes two tiers of purposes for which the fund may be expended.
Items in the second tier may only be purchased if there are funds available after all of the purposes in the first tier are addressed.
Present law places the following in the first tier: (1) All costs incurred by TDEC associated with management of the Ocoee River management zone; (2) Expenses of the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund board and TDEC associated with administration of the development fund; and (3) The cost of making payments to the TVA for additional releases of water on the Ocoee River.

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.

HA0625

Amendment 1-0 to HB2425

Plain English: House Agriculture & Natural Resources 1 Amendment No.

House Agriculture & Natural Resources 1 Amendment No.
1 to HB2425 Todd Signature of Sponsor AMEND Senate Bill No.
2528* House Bill No.
2425 HA0625 014071 - 1 - by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1.

Bill History

2026-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 07/01/2026
2026-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 981
2026-05-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 981
2026-05-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2026-05-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2026-05-07 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2026-04-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2026-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Concurred, Ayes 32, Nays 0 (Amendment 1 - HA0625)
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/22/2026
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., as am., Ayes 87, Nays 0, PNV 1
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0625)
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2026-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2026-04-20 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/16/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2026
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for adopt by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026
2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026
2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed behind the budget
2026-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/18/2026
2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-03-06 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Consent Calendar 2 for 3/9/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/10/2026
2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/4/2026
2026-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/4/2026
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law establishes the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund, which is funded in part by a fee that totals 10% of the gross revenue generated by commercial activities occurring within the Ocoee River management zone. Present law estab
lishes two tiers of purposes for which the fund may be expended. Items in the second tier may only be purchased if there are funds available after all of the purposes in the first tier are addressed. Present law places the following in the first tier:

(1) All costs incurred by TDEC associated with management of the Ocoee River management zone;

(2) Expenses of the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund board and TDEC associated with administration of the development fund; and

(3) The cost of making payments to the TVA for additional releases of water on the Ocoee River.

Present law places the following in the second tier:

(1) Infrastructure upgrades to the Ocoee River management zone;

(2) Tourism promotion and economic development activities that benefit the Ocoee River management zone; and

(3) Other reasonable expenses as determined by the commissioner or the board to be necessary to carry out the intent of the Ocoee River Recreation and Economic Development Fund Act.

This bill revises (2) and (3) in the second tier to the following:

(2) Tourism promotion and economic development activities that benefit the Ocoee River management zone, including, but not limited to:

(A) Hiring persons to coordinate community and outdoor events on the Ocoee River; and

(B) Contributing funds to events operated on the Ocoee River for the benefit of a nonprofit organization; and

(C) Other reasonable expenses as determined by the commissioner or the board to be necessary to carry out the intent of this chapter, including expenses for professional services, if necessary, to conduct the business of the board.

Presently, the manager of the Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park serves as a member of the Ocoee River recreation and economic development fund board. Effective July 1, 2026, this bill replaces the manager with director of the division of state park
s in TDEC as a board member.

Present law limits the number of commercial operator permits that TDEC may issue for the Ocoee to 24. Persons issued and possessing a permit as of June 30, 2024, may transfer the permit subject to certain conditions.

Beginning July 1, 2026, this bill commences a reduction in the maximum number of permits from 24 to
12 by prohibiting issuance of a permit to a person whose permit is revoked or whose operation goes out of business. This bill limits issuance of permits to:

(1) Purchasers of businesses conducting such business within the management zone on or after the date of revocation or date the businesses closed, as applicable; and

(2) Immediate family members to whom ownership of such businesses is transferred on or after the date of revocation or date the businesses closed, as applicable.

ON APRIL 21, 2026, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 2528 FOR HOUSE BILL 2425, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2528, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 deletes the following provisions of this bill:

(1) The prohibition against allowing an operator whose permit is revoked or who goes out of business to apply for another permit; and

(2) The prohibition against issuing a permit to anyone other than the purchaser of an existing operator's business or immediate family members of existing operators to whom ownership is transferred.

ON APRIL 22, 2026, THE SENATE CONCURRED IN HOUSE AMENDMENT #1.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HOUSE BILL 2425
By Howell

SENATE BILL 2528
By Hatcher
SB2528
012264
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4,
Chapter 3, Part 10 and Title 11, Chapter 8, relative
to the Ocoee River.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-8-103(e), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
(e)
(1) Subject to availability of sufficient moneys in the development fund
beyond those needed for expenditures for the purposes stated in subsection (d),
the commissioner and the board may use the development fund for expenditures
for the following purposes:
(A) Infrastructure upgrades to the Ocoee River management
zone;
(B)
(i) Tourism promotion and economic development
activities that benefit the Ocoee River management zone,
including, but not limited to:
(a) Hiring persons to coordinate community and
outdoor events on the Ocoee River; and
(b) Contributing funds to events operated on the
Ocoee River for the benefit of a nonprofit organization,
including such organizations other than those created or
established by the board under § 11-8-105(a)(3); and

- 2 - 012264

(C) Other reasonable expenses as determined by the
commissioner or the board to be necessary to carry out the intent of this
chapter, including expenses for professional services, if necessary, to
conduct the business of the board.
(2) Any expenditures made by the board under subdivisions (e)(1)(A) and
(C) must first be approved by a simple majority vote of the board.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-8-104(b)(1)(A), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(A) The director of the division of state parks in the department of environment
and conservation who, effective July 1, 2026, shall complete the remaining term of the
manager of the Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park and serve in such position as
a member of the board thereafter;
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 11-8-107(e), is amended by deleting
the subsection and substituting:
(e)
(1) Persons issued and possessing a permit as of June 30, 2024, may
transfer the permit with prior written approval of the commissioner:
(A) To a member of the person's immediate family;
(B) Pursuant to a purchase and sale agreement; or
(C) As authorized by department rule.
(2) On or after July 1, 2026:
(A) The department shall not issue more than twenty-four (24)
permits pursuant to this section, and, as permits are revoked or otherwise
not renewed after such date, the department shall reduce the maximum
number of permits issued to twelve (12); and

- 3 - 012264

(B)
(i) If a permit issued pursuant to subdivision (e)(1)(A) is
revoked or if a permittee operating a commercial operation
conducting business within the Ocoee River management zone
goes out of business, then the person whose permit is revoked or
whose commercial operation goes out of business may not apply
for a subsequent permit to conduct business within the
management zone; and
(ii) A permit to operate a commercial operation conducting
business within the Ocoee River management zone must not be
issued, except to:
(a) Purchasers of businesses conducting such
business within the management zone on or after the date
of revocation or date the businesses closed, as applicable;
and
(b) Immediate family members to whom ownership
of such businesses is transferred on or after the date of
revocation or date the businesses closed, as applicable.
(3) As used in this section, "immediate family" means a spouse, child,
stepchild, brother, sister, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, parent, or grandparent.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.