Tennessee Senate Bill SB0013

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 12/10/24

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4 and Title 7, Chapter 86, Part 3, relative to the emergency communications board.

Summary

SB0013 revises the composition and operating rules of Tennessee’s Emergency Communications Board. The bill increases the board from nine members to eleven members and changes two of the membership categories so that there will be two county government representatives appointed by the speaker of the senate and two city government representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. It also updates the quorum requirement, providing that six or more members constitute a quorum and that official board action requires a quorum. The measure is a structural governance bill rather than a substantive policy change. It affects Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 86, Part 3, which governs emergency communications, and it indirectly affects how the board overseeing emergency communications policy, coordination, or administration can conduct business. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Impact

SB0013 amends the statutes governing the Emergency Communications Board by expanding board membership, reallocating local government representation, and clarifying quorum rules. The practical effect is to alter who participates in board decisions and to set the minimum number of members needed for official action, which may affect board operations, voting dynamics, and representation of county and city interests in emergency communications governance.

Sentiment

Based on the available record, the bill appears to be a routine administrative or organizational measure with no recorded committee debate or vote history indicating opposition or controversy. The absence of transcripts and votes suggests there was little documented public contention in the materials provided, and the bill’s changes are narrowly focused on board structure and procedure.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of interest, if discussed, would likely involve the balance of representation between county and city government, the increase in board size, and whether the new quorum threshold makes the board easier or harder to act. However, no member, committee, or stakeholder objections are recorded here.