AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 1, relative to the general assembly.
Summary
HB0926 amends Tennessee law governing legislative expense and mileage allowances for conference attendance. The bill gives the speakers of the Senate and House of Representatives authority to determine how many conferences, or conference days, a member may attend and still receive those allowances. It also requires that the number of approved conferences or conference days be the same for members of both chambers.
The bill defines “conference” broadly to include a conference, symposium, workshop, assemblage, gathering, or other official meeting concerning state business and the duties of a legislator, whether held inside or outside Tennessee. The measure is effective November 3, 2026.
Impact
The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 1, by adding a new provision to Section 3-1-106 governing legislative travel reimbursements. It shifts discretion over conference eligibility for expense and mileage allowances to the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, while requiring parity between the chambers. The practical effect is to formalize chamber leadership’s control over reimbursable legislative conference attendance and to potentially limit or standardize the number of reimbursable events.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests limited support in committee, as the bill failed in the House Public Service Subcommittee by a 1-4 vote. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded debate to indicate broader support or opposition. Based on the vote, the bill appears to have faced skepticism at the subcommittee level rather than strong bipartisan enthusiasm.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be whether legislative leaders should have authority to set the number of reimbursable conferences and conference days for members, and whether that discretion could affect travel expense allowances. Another likely issue is the scope of the definition of “conference,” which is broad enough to cover many types of official meetings inside or outside the state. The failed subcommittee vote indicates opposition existed among members reviewing the measure, though the specific objections are not recorded in the provided materials.