Tennessee House Bill HB1616

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/13/26
• Refer: 1/21/26
• Refer: 2/2/26
• Chaptered: 3/16/26
• Passed: 3/16/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 43, Chapter 14, Part 2, relative to the Tennessee soil and water conservation commission.

Summary

HB1616 makes a narrow technical change to Tennessee law governing the Tennessee Soil and Water Conservation Commission. The bill removes the commission from one statutory list of state entities that are scheduled for repeal and adds it to the list of entities that are continued in law, thereby preserving the commission’s existence under the state’s sunset/review framework. The measure does not create a new program, change the commission’s duties, or alter its membership. Instead, it updates cross-references in Title 4 and Title 43 so the commission remains an active state entity created under Tennessee Code Annotated § 43-14-203. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 4-29-247 and 4-29-251 to remove the Tennessee Soil and Water Conservation Commission from the list of entities subject to repeal and place it on the list of entities continued by statute. Its practical effect is to prevent the commission from expiring under the state’s governmental entity review provisions and to keep its statutory authority intact.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad bipartisan support and little controversy. The House Government Operations Committee recommended passage unanimously, and the House floor passed the bill on the consent calendar by a 93-0 vote. No committee transcript or recorded debate is available, which also suggests the bill was treated as a routine administrative measure rather than a contested policy change.

Contention

There is no recorded substantive opposition in the available materials. Because the bill is a technical continuation measure, any potential concern would likely have centered on whether the commission should remain in place under the sunset review process, but the unanimous committee and floor votes indicate no visible disagreement among legislators. The absence of transcripts or amendments further suggests the bill was noncontroversial.