Tennessee House Bill HB0899

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 68, Chapter 201, relative to weather modification.

Summary

HB0899 would prohibit weather-related companies from engaging in a range of weather modification activities in Tennessee. The bill defines terms such as “cloud seeding,” “weather modification,” and “weather-related company,” then makes it unlawful for such companies to seed or disperse substances into clouds or fog, use fires or heat sources to influence weather, alter solar radiation exchange by releasing materials into the atmosphere, or modify land or water surfaces in ways intended to affect weather. The bill also ties any violation of these prohibitions to the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, making the conduct an unfair or deceptive act or practice affecting trade or commerce. That means violators would be subject to the remedies and penalties available under the consumer protection law. The act is set to take effect July 1, 2025.

Impact

HB0899 would add a new part to Title 47, Chapter 18 of the Tennessee Code and expand the list of unfair or deceptive practices under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. It would create a new statutory prohibition on weather modification activities by public or private entities operating in Tennessee, and it would make those violations enforceable through consumer protection remedies. The bill does not appear to amend Title 68 despite the caption referencing it, but it would directly affect weather forecasting, atmospheric services, cloud seeding, and related environmental or geoengineering activities.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears to reflect a precautionary or restrictive approach toward weather modification, suggesting concern about the practice rather than encouragement of it. The absence of recorded legislative discussion makes the overall sentiment difficult to gauge beyond the bill’s clear prohibitory intent.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely whether Tennessee should broadly ban weather modification and related atmospheric interventions, especially because the bill’s definitions and prohibitions are expansive. Potential supporters may view the measure as a consumer protection and environmental safeguard, while opponents could argue it sweeps in legitimate scientific, agricultural, or meteorological activities and could create uncertainty for companies offering forecasting, modeling, or atmospheric services. Another possible issue is the breadth of the conduct covered, including actions affecting clouds, solar radiation, and land or water surfaces.