Tennessee House Bill HB0974

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/26/25
• Refer: 3/5/25
• Refer: 3/12/25
• Refer: 3/26/25
• Refer: 4/1/25
• Engrossed: 4/10/25
• Enrolled: 2/12/26
• Passed: 2/25/26
• Chaptered: 3/16/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 17 and Title 62, Chapter 19, relative to auctions of motor vehicles.

Summary

HB0974 amends Tennessee law governing auctions of motor vehicles. The bill makes a narrow change to Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-17-120(e)(2) by replacing a semicolon with language stating that the required item “may be sent electronically.” In practical terms, the measure appears to authorize electronic transmission of a notice, document, or other required communication in the motor-vehicle auction context, rather than requiring only paper delivery. Because the bill is limited to a single wording change, it does not create a broad new regulatory scheme. Instead, it updates existing auction-related provisions in Titles 55 and 62 to reflect electronic communication practices. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law, indicating the legislature viewed the change as a straightforward administrative modernization.

Impact

The bill would amend Tennessee’s motor-vehicle auction statutes to expressly permit electronic sending of a specified required item under § 55-17-120(e)(2). This affects auctioneers, dealers, and other parties regulated under the motor-vehicle auction framework by allowing compliance through electronic delivery where the statute previously did not clearly say so. The change is likely to reduce paperwork and streamline notice or document transmission in auction transactions.

Sentiment

The available voting record shows strong, unanimous support at every stage, with no recorded dissent in committee or on the floor. The bill advanced smoothly through subcommittee, full committee, and floor votes, suggesting broad agreement that the change was a practical and noncontroversial update. No committee transcript is available, but the vote pattern indicates a generally favorable sentiment toward modernizing the statute.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention around the bill. The only potentially debatable issue is the shift from traditional paper-based delivery to electronic transmission, which could raise concerns in other contexts about proof of receipt, accessibility, or compliance standards. However, the unanimous votes suggest those concerns were either minimal or resolved without opposition. No specific stakeholder objections are reflected in the available record.