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SB2591 • 2026

County Government

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12 and Title 49, relative to public office.

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Active

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

Sponsor
Briggs, Wright
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 does not provide information on why this change is needed or any exceptions that might apply.

Stopping County Workers from Being on Local Boards

This bill stops county workers in Tennessee from being members of their local government's decision-making board.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes a rule to say that people who work for the county cannot be members of the county legislative body (the group that makes decisions).
  • Allows current employees on the county commission to finish their term but stops them from being re-elected or starting new terms after this law.

Who It Names or Affects

  • County employees in Tennessee
  • Local government legislative bodies in Tennessee

Terms To Know

county legislative body
The group that makes decisions and laws for a county, like a board of commissioners.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens to employees who are already on the legislative body when their term ends.
  • It's unclear if there will be any exceptions or special cases for certain types of county workers.

Amendments

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

Amendment 1-0 to HB2319

Plain English: The amendment changes the effective date of Senate Bill No. 2591 to January 1, 2027.

  • Changes the effective date of SB2591 from its current unspecified date to January 1, 2027.
  • The amendment does not provide details about why this specific date was chosen or what provisions are included in SB2591 that would be affected by this change.
Amendment 2-0 to HB2319

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law so that county employees cannot become members of their county legislative bodies, except for those already serving as of the amendment's effective date.

  • County employees are disqualified from becoming members of the county legislative body.
  • The text does not specify what happens to current county employees who serve on a county commission after the amendment takes effect.
Amendment 3-0 to HB2319

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law so that a person appointed by the governor to temporarily fill a U.S. Senate vacancy cannot run for election to that same U.S. Senate seat once their temporary appointment ends.

  • Adds new rules stating that someone appointed by the governor to finish a term of a U.S. Senator who leaves office early is not allowed to run in an election to become a U.S. Senator after finishing this temporary role.
  • The amendment text does not specify what happens if such an appointee runs for another position or how it affects their political career beyond the specific U.S. Senate seat they temporarily filled.
Amendment 1-0 to SB2591

Plain English: The amendment changes the effective date of SB2591 to January 1, 2027.

  • Changes the effective date of the bill from its current unspecified date to January 1, 2027.
  • The original effective date is not specified in the provided amendment text, so it's unclear what the previous effective date was.
  • There are no details about why January 1, 2027, specifically is chosen as the new effective date.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2026

  2. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  3. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  4. 2026-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  5. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 5, Nays 3 PNV 0

  8. 2026-03-30 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  11. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  12. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  13. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  14. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  15. 2026-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  16. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  17. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2026-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  19. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  20. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  21. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  22. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  23. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/17/2026

  24. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  25. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  26. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/10/2026

  27. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  28. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Approved by Delayed Bills Committee

  29. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  30. 2026-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  31. 2026-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  32. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Refer to Senate Delayed Bills Committee

  33. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  34. 2026-02-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2319
By Wright

SENATE BILL 2591
By Briggs
SB2591
012754
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2;
Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 12 and
Title 49, relative to public office.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 5-5-102(c)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting instead:
(1) A county employee is disqualified from serving as a member of the county
legislative body. A county employee serving on a county commission on the effective
date of this act may continue to hold such office until the expiration of the term.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-1501, is amended by deleting
the language "unless otherwise authorized by law or local ordinance,".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-51-1502, is amended by deleting
the section.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.