Tennessee House Bill HB0268

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 1, Chapter 1 and Title 4, Chapter 29, relative to the Tennessee code commission.

Summary

HB0268 amends Tennessee’s statutory sunset provisions to extend the Tennessee Code Commission’s termination date. The bill deletes the existing reference to the commission in the general list of entities scheduled to terminate and adds a new section stating that the Tennessee Code Commission, created by Tennessee Code Annotated § 1-1-101, will now terminate on June 30, 2033 unless reauthorized earlier. It also applies the same June 30, 2033 sunset date to any state department, commission, board, agency, or council created during calendar year 2031. The measure is administrative in nature and does not change the commission’s substantive duties; instead, it preserves the commission’s existence under Tennessee’s periodic review and sunset framework. By updating Title 4, Chapter 29, the bill keeps the Tennessee Code Commission subject to future legislative review while ensuring it remains in place through the new sunset date. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 4, Chapter 29, which governs the sunset and termination of certain state entities, and Title 1, Chapter 1, which contains the statutory basis for the Tennessee Code Commission. Its practical effect is to reset the commission’s termination date to June 30, 2033 and to align it with the state’s broader sunset-review process for governmental entities. No private parties are directly affected, but the change affects the continued operation and oversight of the commission responsible for maintaining the Tennessee Code.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been noncontroversial and broadly supported. It passed the House Government Operations Committee 10-0 and later passed the House on the consent calendar by a 89-0 vote, indicating strong bipartisan agreement and little to no opposition. The lack of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was viewed as routine housekeeping legislation.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention around HB0268. The only notable policy issue is the extension of the Tennessee Code Commission’s sunset date, which could be seen as either a necessary administrative continuation or as part of the state’s periodic review of government entities. However, the unanimous committee and floor votes indicate that any concern about the commission’s continued existence or the sunset framework was minimal or not publicly expressed.