Tennessee House Bill HB7005

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/4/26
• Refer: 5/6/26
• Engrossed: 5/7/26
• Enrolled: 5/7/26
• Passed: 5/7/26
• Chaptered: 6/3/26

Caption

AN ACT to make appropriations for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the state government for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026, in the administration, operation, and maintenance of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the various departments, institutions, offices, and agencies of the state; for certain state aid and obligations; for capital outlay, for the service of the public debt, for emergency and contingency; to repeal certain appropriations and any acts inconsistent herewith; to provide provisional continuing appropriations; and to establish certain provisions, limitations, and restrictions under which appropriations may be obligated and expended. This act makes appropriations for the purposes described above for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026.

Summary

HB7005 is Tennessee’s appropriations act for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026. It authorizes funding for the operation and maintenance of state government across the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, as well as for state aid, capital outlay, debt service, emergency needs, and other obligations. The bill also includes provisional continuing appropriations and standard severability and effective-date provisions. In addition to the general budget framework, the bill contains a specific appropriation for implementing a separate elections-related bill if that measure becomes law. It also provides funding for lawful expenses of the Second Extraordinary Session of the One Hundred Fourteenth General Assembly, including staffing, per diem, travel, and related legislative costs, to be administered through the office of legislative administration.

Impact

If enacted, HB7005 would set the state’s spending authority for the 2025-2026 fiscal years and govern how appropriated funds may be obligated and expended across Tennessee government. It would affect state agencies, departments, institutions, and offices by providing the legal basis for operating funds, while also authorizing additional sums for a potential elections measure and for extraordinary-session legislative expenses. The bill does not itself change substantive program law, but it is a central fiscal measure that enables state operations and related obligations.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill advanced with clear majority support but not unanimity. It received favorable committee action and passed floor votes by substantial margins, indicating broad legislative agreement on the need for a state appropriations measure. At the same time, the recorded nays show a meaningful minority opposed or skeptical of the package, which is typical for major budget legislation.

Contention

The main points of contention appear to be the overall appropriations package and the inclusion of funding tied to a separate elections bill, which may have been politically sensitive. The floor votes show notable opposition, suggesting some members objected either to specific spending priorities, the size or structure of the budget, or the policy linkage to elections-related implementation funding. The extraordinary-session expense appropriation may also have drawn scrutiny because it funds legislative operations outside the regular session.