Tennessee House Bill HB1149

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/12/25
• Refer: 3/26/25
• Refer: 4/1/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 67; Title 68, Chapter 102, Part 6; Title 69 and Title 70, relative to outdoor recreation.

Summary

HB1149 amends Tennessee’s boating and outdoor recreation laws to prohibit certain conduct at public access areas, launching areas, docks, marinas, and boats. Specifically, it makes it a violation for a person to engage in activities, including fishing, that block or delay the use of a public access or launching area beyond the time normally needed to launch or retrieve recreational boats. It also prohibits swimming, fishing, or other activities that interfere with the intended use of a dock or that damage a dock, boat, or marina. The bill is aimed at reducing congestion, interference, and property damage at recreational water access points. It adds these prohibitions to Tennessee Code Annotated § 69-9-216 and subjects violations to the penalties already provided in § 69-9-219. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and would apply statewide to public boating and marina facilities covered by the statute.

Impact

HB1149 would expand Tennessee’s existing outdoor recreation and boating access rules by creating a clearer statutory violation for obstructing launch areas or interfering with docks, boats, and marinas. It strengthens enforcement authority under Title 69 by tying the new conduct to existing penalties, which could affect anglers, swimmers, boaters, marina operators, and others using public water access points. The bill does not create a new regulatory program, but it does add specific prohibited conduct to the state’s boating and recreation code.

Sentiment

The committee votes suggest generally favorable but not unanimous support. The bill received a 6-2 recommendation for passage in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee and an 8-6 recommendation for passage in the full House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, indicating that a majority supported the measure while a meaningful minority had reservations. No transcript was provided, so the available record shows support for the bill’s purpose but also some division over its scope or enforcement.

Contention

The likely points of contention are the breadth of the new prohibitions and how they may affect ordinary recreational use of public waters. Opponents may be concerned that the language could be applied to anglers, swimmers, or others who are near docks or launch areas, while supporters likely view the bill as necessary to prevent obstruction, unsafe behavior, and damage to boating infrastructure. The split committee vote indicates disagreement over whether the bill appropriately balances access to public recreation areas with the need to protect boat launch operations and marina property.