Tennessee House Bill HB1602

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 1/21/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 68, Chapter 204, relative to the state energy policy council.

Summary

HB1602 makes a narrow statutory update to Tennessee law concerning the State Energy Policy Council. The bill removes the council from one section of the Tennessee Code that lists entities scheduled for repeal or review under the state’s general government organization statutes, and then adds the council to another section that preserves or continues certain state boards, commissions, and councils. In practical terms, the measure is a housekeeping bill that keeps the State Energy Policy Council in place within state government structure. The bill does not create a new energy policy program or change the council’s substantive duties. Instead, it adjusts cross-references in Titles 4 and 68 so the council remains recognized in statute under the state’s administrative framework. Its effect is limited to the legal status and codification of the council, rather than to energy policy itself or to regulated parties outside state government.

Impact

HB1602 amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 68, Chapter 204 to preserve the State Energy Policy Council as an ongoing governmental entity. It removes the council from a statutory list of entities subject to expiration and adds it to the list of entities that continue in law, thereby preventing the council from being automatically repealed under Tennessee’s sunset provisions. The bill primarily affects state administrative law and the legal standing of the council, with no direct regulatory or fiscal changes for private individuals or businesses.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to have been noncontroversial and procedural in nature. The language suggests a routine statutory maintenance bill rather than a policy dispute, and there is no evidence in the record provided of opposition or divided sentiment. The general tone is best characterized as neutral to supportive, reflecting an effort to keep an existing state council operating.

Contention

No specific points of contention are shown in the available transcripts or vote history, and none are apparent from the bill’s text. If any disagreement existed, it would most likely have centered on whether the State Energy Policy Council should remain in statute under Tennessee’s organizational and sunset provisions, but the materials provided do not indicate any such dispute. The bill’s limited scope and technical nature suggest little controversy among legislators.