KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Tennessee

SB2712 • 2026

Obion County

AN ACT to amend the private acts of Obion County, relative to the county highway department.

Budget
Active

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

Sponsor
Stevens, Grills
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Placed on Senate Local Calendar for 4/15/2026
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes accurate information but some details were slightly modified or removed for precision.

Amends Obion County's Private Acts for Highway Department

This act changes how the county highway superintendent is chosen and sets rules for their duties.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new position called the County Road Superintendent to manage roads, highways, and bridges in Obion County.
  • Changes the way the County Road Superintendent is selected: after July 1, 2027, they will be chosen by a majority vote of the county legislative body for four-year terms.
  • Gives the County Road Superintendent responsibilities like buying supplies, making budgets, and managing inventory.
  • Requires that all spending decisions follow the approved budget and need signatures from both the County Road Superintendent and the County Mayor.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The county highway department in Obion County
  • The current and future County Road Superintendents

Terms To Know

County Legislative Body
A group that makes decisions for the county, like choosing who will be the County Road Superintendent.
Highway Fund
Money set aside by the county to pay for building and maintaining roads, highways, and bridges.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act needs approval from two-thirds of Obion County's legislative body before it can take effect.
  • Some parts of this act might not apply if Obion County adopts a different purchasing system in the future.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Local Calendar for 4/15/2026

  2. 2026-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Received from House, Passed on First Consideration

  3. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.

  4. 2026-04-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 2

  5. 2026-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  6. 2026-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  7. 2026-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  8. 2026-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  9. 2026-03-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass; ref to State & Local Government Committee

  10. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Private Acts Committee for 3/16/2026

  11. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, held on desk. Local Bill

  12. 2026-03-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Private Acts Committee - State & Local Government Committee

  13. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  14. 2026-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  15. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  16. 2026-03-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Abstract summarizes the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 2650
By Grills

SENATE BILL 2712
By Stevens
SB2712
012679
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend the private acts of Obion County, relative to the
county highway department.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. For the purpose of providing an efficient system of roads, highways, and
bridges and the building, construction, reconstruction, maintenance and repair of roads,
highways, and bridges in Obion County, Tennessee, the office of County Road Superintendent
is hereby created. The County Road Superintendent shall be deemed to be the chief
administrative officer of the highway department, which builds and maintains the roads of the
county in accordance with the County Uniform Highway Law, codified at Tennessee Code
Annotated, Title 54, Chapter 7, Parts 1 and 2, as amended from time to time.
SECTION 2. The County Road Superintendent in office on the effective date of this act
shall continue to serve until the expiration of the superintendent's term. After the expiration of
the current County Road Superintendent's term, the County Road Superintendent shall be
selected by a majority vote of the entire membership of the county legislative body for a term of
four (4) years, commencing July 1, 2027, and every four (4) years thereafter. The County Road
Superintendent shall have the qualifications, term of office, duties, powers, authority and
minimum compensation as provided by the Tennessee County Uniform Highway Law currently
and as such law might be amended in the future, and shall be subject to the same limitations,
conditions, prohibitions and punishments as provided in the Tennessee County Uniform
Highway Law, now and in the future.
SECTION 3. The County Road Superintendent shall be the purchasing agent tor the
highway department and as such is responsible for all purchases of the department, for
proposing a budget for the department, and for maintaining the inventory of the department. In
performing these duties, the County Road Superintendent shall conform to all appropriate

- 2 - 012679

provisions of state law, including the Tennessee County Uniform Highway Law, and to
appropriate local acts or resolutions. Should Obion County in the future adopt some form of
centralized purchasing pursuant to a local option general law or private act, the provisions of
this act as they relate to purchasing by the highway department shall be superseded by such
act.
SECTION 4. The county Road Superintendent shall have the authority to make
expenditures from the highway fund and to issue warrants drawn against the road fund of Obion
County under his signature. A second signature from that of the County Mayor is also required.
All expenditures shall conform to the budget of the Obion County Highway Department as
approved by the County Legislative Body.
SECTION 5. The Obion County Legislative Body may, in accordance with its own
bylaws and rules, establish an advisory committee of the County Legislative Body to provide
recommendations to the County Road Superintendent on the needs of the county.
SECTION 6. All laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. If any
provision of this or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such
invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect
without the invalid provision or application, and to that end the provisions of this act are declared
to be severable.
SECTION 7. This act shall have no effect unless it is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote
of the legislative body of Obion County. Its approval or non-approval shall be proclaimed by the
presiding officer of the county legislative body and certified to the Secretary of State.
SECTION 8. For the purpose of approving or rejecting the provisions of this act, it shall
be effective upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, it shall
become effective as provided in Section 7.