Tennessee House Bill HB1424

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/6/25
• Refer: 3/13/25
• Refer: 3/24/25
• Refer: 4/8/25
• Engrossed: 4/14/25
• Enrolled: 4/23/25
• Passed: 5/21/25
• Chaptered: 6/4/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Chapter 67 of the Private Acts of 1953; as amended by Chapter 53 of the Private Acts of 2016; and any other acts amendatory thereto, relative to the charter for the City of Gallatin.

Summary

HB1424 is a local private act affecting the charter of the City of Gallatin. The bill amends the city’s private charter by deleting language that required all city officers, except the city attorney, to devote all of their time to their respective offices. In practical terms, this removes an explicit full-time service requirement from the charter provision. The act is structured as a local option measure: it does not take effect unless approved by a two-thirds vote of Gallatin’s legislative body. The bill also provides that it becomes effective immediately for the limited purpose of allowing the city to consider approval or rejection, while the substantive charter change takes effect only if the local governing body adopts it and the approval is certified to the secretary of state.

Impact

HB1424 amends a private act governing the City of Gallatin’s municipal charter, specifically Article VI, Section 2a of Chapter 67 of the Private Acts of 1953, as previously amended. By removing the requirement that city officers devote all of their time to their offices, the bill gives the city more flexibility in how it structures officer duties and employment expectations, potentially allowing certain officials to hold outside employment or serve in a part-time capacity if permitted by local action. Because it is a private act, its legal effect is limited to Gallatin rather than changing statewide municipal law.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong and unanimous support at every stage, with no recorded opposition in committee or on the floor. The House Private Acts Committee and House State & Local Government Committee both recommended passage unanimously, and the bill passed on the House floor by consent calendar without dissent. The final motion to adopt also passed unanimously, indicating broad agreement and little controversy in the legislative process.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The only meaningful procedural safeguard is the requirement that Gallatin’s legislative body approve the change by a two-thirds vote before it takes effect, which suggests the issue was intended to be decided locally rather than imposed unilaterally by the state. Any potential concern would likely center on whether city officers should be required to serve full time or whether the city should have flexibility to permit part-time or outside employment arrangements, but no opposing arguments are reflected in the provided committee or vote history.