Tennessee House Bill HB1786

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/26
• Refer: 2/2/26
• Refer: 3/18/26
• Refer: 3/24/26
• Chaptered: 4/28/26
• Passed: 4/28/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, relative to the moorage of vessels.

Summary

HB1786 regulates the moorage of recreational vessels on reservoirs and parts of the Tennessee River system under federal management. The bill prohibits a recreational vessel from being moored for more than 14 consecutive days at one location along the water’s edge of a reservoir or within one mile of it, from establishing temporary moorage in primary or secondary navigation channels, and from placing mooring lines in a way that blocks or hinders boating access to any part of a reservoir. It also defines key terms such as “moor,” “recreational vessel,” “reservoir,” and “Tennessee River system.” The bill creates an exception for vessels that have a federal permit for permanent or extended mooring, and for vessels secured at a marina slip, dock, or other recreational docking facility. A violation of the moorage restrictions is classified as a Class C misdemeanor. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 69, Chapter 9, Part 2 by adding new restrictions on how and where recreational vessels may be moored in reservoirs and the Tennessee River system. It affects boat owners, marina operators, and others using federally managed waterways by limiting long-term shoreline moorage and protecting navigation channels and access points. Local enforcement would be through the criminal penalty established for violations, while federally permitted moorage and marina-based docking remain exempt.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill was generally supported in committee, advancing 5-1 in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee and 12-2 in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee. The committee action indicates broad agreement with the goal of managing moorage and protecting navigation, though not unanimous support. No committee transcript is available, so the record shows support more clearly than detailed debate.

Contention

The main points of contention appear to be the scope of the moorage restrictions and the criminal penalty for violations. Potential concerns likely center on whether the 14-day limit and the one-mile area around reservoirs are too restrictive for recreational boaters or shoreline users, and whether the Class C misdemeanor penalty is an appropriate enforcement mechanism. The exceptions for federally permitted moorage and marina docking suggest an effort to balance access and regulation, but the narrow committee opposition indicates some disagreement remained over how the rules should be applied.