Tennessee House Bill HB0796

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/6/25
• Refer: 1/21/26
• Refer: 2/4/26
• Chaptered: 3/16/26
• Passed: 3/16/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69, relative to utility infrastructure.

Summary

HB0796 would regulate how certain local public utilities in Tennessee—specifically county, metropolitan, and municipal water, wastewater, natural gas, and electric systems—handle the installation of utility infrastructure. The bill requires these utilities to allow customers to hire a contractor of their own choosing to install utility infrastructure, rather than requiring the utility itself to perform the work. It also bars utilities from mandating a specific vendor or manufacturer for materials or services, while still allowing them to set reasonable construction and manufacturer specifications to ensure proper installation and material quality. The bill further creates a review process for plans and designs submitted for utility infrastructure projects. If a utility chooses to review plans, it must do so within 30 days and may not charge more than $1,000 for the review. If the utility misses the deadline or exceeds the fee cap, the plans are deemed approved if certified by a licensed engineer with appropriate liability insurance. The measure is designed to speed up utility-related construction and reduce barriers for customers and private contractors.

Impact

HB0796 would add a new part to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 7, Chapter 51, governing local public utility infrastructure installation and review procedures. It would limit the ability of local utility systems to control who installs infrastructure, what brands or vendors are used, and how long plan reviews may take, while preserving utility authority to impose reasonable technical standards. The bill would directly affect county, metropolitan, and municipal utility systems, as well as customers, private contractors, engineers, and vendors involved in utility construction projects.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill in committee, with unanimous favorable votes in both the House Business and Utilities Subcommittee and the House Commerce Committee. The committee actions indicate the bill was generally viewed positively as a pro-development or pro-consumer measure that could streamline infrastructure installation and reduce delays. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed debate or opposition arguments.

Contention

The main policy tension in HB0796 is between customer choice and utility control. Supporters are likely to favor the bill’s requirement that customers may use their own contractors and the limits on review fees and timelines, while utilities may be concerned about reduced control over construction standards, coordination, and vendor selection. Another possible point of contention is the deemed-approval provision, which could shift risk and decision-making away from utilities if they do not act within the statutory deadline or exceed the fee cap.