Tennessee House Bill HB1764

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/20/26
• Refer: 1/22/26
• Refer: 3/16/26
• Refer: 3/25/26
• Refer: 4/15/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 1, relative to a national guard armory.

Summary

HB1764 is a commemorative naming bill that designates the Army National Guard armory located in McNairy County as the “Brigadier General Donald F. Hawkins Army National Guard Armory.” The bill honors Brigadier General Donald F. Hawkins for his more than 36 years of service in the Tennessee National Guard and his rise from private to brigadier general, including command of the 30th Separate Armored Brigade before his retirement in 1997. The measure also directs the Tennessee Department of Military to erect or affix suitable signs or markers identifying the armory with the new honorary name. The bill does not create a new program or regulatory scheme; instead, it amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 1, Part 5, by adding a new section specific to this facility in McNairy County.

Impact

HB1764 has a narrow legal effect: it adds a new statutory designation for a state military facility and requires the Department of Military to use existing resources to mark the armory accordingly. It affects Tennessee Code Annotated Title 58, Chapter 1, by creating a new section that names the McNairy County Army National Guard armory in honor of Brigadier General Hawkins, but it does not alter eligibility, operations, funding formulas, or substantive duties of the National Guard or local government beyond signage and recognition.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been received very positively and without opposition. All recorded committee votes were unanimous, with the measure advancing 7-0, 20-0, 26-0, and 13-0 through the House committee process. The available context suggests broad bipartisan support for honoring a distinguished veteran and local military leader, and there is no transcript evidence of controversy or dissent.

Contention

There is little to no apparent contention in the available record. The only practical issue reflected in the bill is the requirement that the Department of Military use existing resources to install signage or markers, but no committee opposition or debate is documented. Because the bill is a naming and designation measure, any discussion would likely have centered on the appropriateness of honoring Brigadier General Hawkins and the local significance to McNairy County rather than on policy disagreements.