Tennessee House Bill HB0217

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Refer: 3/10/25
• Failed: 3/18/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 42, Chapter 3; Title 42, Chapter 4 and Title 55, relative to airports.

Summary

HB0217 would designate the airport operated by a metropolitan airport authority in a county with a metropolitan form of government and a population over 500,000 as the “Trump International Airport.” The bill directs the authority to place signs or markers reflecting the new name and to take other actions needed to implement the designation. The measure also requires the authority to update any related trademarks, contracts, bylaws, governing documents, and filings with local, state, and federal agencies so that the airport’s name is changed consistently across official and business records. During the transition, the airport may continue operating under its existing registered or trademarked name while identifying itself as “doing business as Trump International Airport.”

Impact

The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Titles 42 and 55 by adding a new section governing airport naming and related administrative changes for a qualifying metropolitan airport authority. In practical terms, it would impose a statutory name change on the affected airport, require trademark and contract revisions, and direct the authority to conform its internal governance documents and external filings to the new designation. The act takes effect immediately for administrative steps and on January 1, 2026 for all other purposes.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill faced significant opposition in committee. It received a negative recommendation from the House Naming & Designating Committee and then failed in the House Transportation Committee by a 5-12 vote. No committee transcript is available, so the record reflects procedural resistance more than detailed debate, but the vote outcomes indicate the measure did not have broad support at the committee level.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be the bill’s attempt to rename an existing airport by statute, which may have raised concerns about appropriateness, local control, branding, and administrative burden. The bill also requires trademark changes and contract revisions, which could be viewed as costly or disruptive. Because no transcript is available, the specific objections of members are not recorded, but the negative recommendation and failed committee vote show that the renaming proposal itself was the central issue.