Tennessee House Bill HB0261

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/25
• Refer: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/10/25
• Chaptered: 3/21/25
• Passed: 3/21/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 33, Chapter 1, relative to the statewide planning and policy council for the department of mental health and substance abuse services.

Summary

HB0261 amends Tennessee’s government-organization statutes to recognize the statewide planning and policy council for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as an official state entity. The bill removes the council from one list of entities in Title 4 and adds it to another list that tracks state boards, commissions, and councils created by statute. In practical terms, it is a housekeeping measure that updates the state code to reflect the council’s statutory status under Title 33. The bill does not create a new program, expand eligibility for services, or change mental health policy directly. Instead, it aligns cross-references in the Tennessee Code so the council is properly listed among state entities subject to the applicable administrative provisions in Title 4. Its effect is primarily organizational and legal-technical, ensuring the council is correctly identified in state law.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 33, Chapter 1 by deleting the council from one statutory subdivision and inserting it into another as a state entity created by § 33-1-401. This updates the state’s list of boards, commissions, and councils and clarifies the council’s placement within the statutory framework governing state agencies and entities. The practical impact is limited to state administrative law and does not directly alter mental health or substance abuse service delivery.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and received strong support throughout the legislative process. It passed the House Government Operations Committee unanimously and later passed the House on the consent calendar with 89 yeas and 0 nays. The absence of recorded opposition or committee debate suggests broad agreement that the measure was a routine statutory update.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention around HB0261. No committee transcript objections were provided, and the recorded votes were unanimous or near-unanimous. Any discussion likely centered on the technical nature of the amendment and whether the statewide planning and policy council should be properly listed in the state’s organizational statutes, rather than on policy disagreements about mental health or substance abuse services.