Tennessee House Bill HB2627

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/9/26
• Refer: 2/19/26
• Refer: 3/2/26
• Refer: 3/18/26
• Engrossed: 3/31/26
• Enrolled: 4/2/26
• Passed: 4/16/26
• Chaptered: 5/1/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend the private acts of Weakley County, relative to the county highway department.

Summary

HB2627 is a private act affecting Weakley County’s county highway department. It creates the office of County Highway Supervisor as the department’s chief administrative officer, with responsibility for the county’s roads, highways, and bridges under the County Uniform Highway Law. The bill provides that the current supervisor continues until the end of the existing term, and then the office will be filled by countywide election beginning at the August 2026 election and every four years thereafter. The bill also sets qualifications for the office. A candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a Tennessee and Weakley County resident for at least two years, at least 25 years old, and meet education and experience requirements tied to engineering, highway construction or maintenance, or supervisory experience. It also requires at least a high school diploma or GED. The act is severable and will only take effect if approved by a two-thirds vote of the Weakley County legislative body, with local approval to be certified to the secretary of state.

Impact

This act amends Weakley County’s private laws by establishing a locally elected County Highway Supervisor and defining the office’s duties, qualifications, and election cycle. It interacts with the County Uniform Highway Law in Title 54, Chapter 7, Parts 1 and 2, and shifts the county highway department’s leadership structure to a formal elected chief administrative officer, subject to local ratification before taking effect.

Sentiment

The available vote history suggests broad support and little opposition. The House Private Acts Committee recommended passage unanimously, the House passed the bill on the consent calendar by an overwhelming margin, and the final motion to adopt also passed unanimously in the Senate. No committee transcripts were provided, but the voting pattern indicates the bill was generally viewed favorably and as noncontroversial.

Contention

There is little visible contention in the record. The main policy choice is whether Weakley County should have an elected highway supervisor rather than another selection method, and whether the office should require engineering credentials or substantial highway-management experience. Any potential disagreement would likely center on local control, the qualifications threshold, and the requirement that the county legislative body approve the act by a two-thirds vote before it becomes operative.