Tennessee Senate Bill SB0060

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/9/25
• Engrossed: 2/20/25
• Enrolled: 2/20/25
• Passed: 3/10/25
• Chaptered: 3/21/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29 and Title 58, Chapter 2, relative to the Civil Defense and Disaster Compact.

Summary

SB 60 makes a narrow statutory change to Tennessee’s laws governing the Civil Defense and Disaster Compact. The bill removes the compact from a list in Tennessee Code Annotated § 4-29-246 and adds the compact to a new termination schedule in § 4-29-254, which provides that the compact will terminate on June 30, 2033 unless it is continued, reestablished, or restructured under state law. The measure is part of Tennessee’s periodic review and sunset process for governmental entities. It does not appear to change the substantive emergency-management powers of the compact itself; instead, it places the compact within the state’s administrative framework for automatic review and expiration of certain boards, commissions, and similar entities. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Title 4 and Title 58 of the Tennessee Code by updating the statutory treatment of the Civil Defense and Disaster Compact, created under § 58-2-402. Its practical effect is to subject the compact to a June 30, 2033 sunset date under Tennessee’s governmental-entity termination provisions, while preserving the legislature’s ability to renew or restructure it later. The bill affects the compact’s legal status and future continuation, but does not otherwise alter emergency response operations or local/state disaster authority in the text provided.

Sentiment

The available legislative history shows clear support and little opposition. The Senate Government Operations Committee recommended passage by a 9-0 vote, indicating broad agreement that the compact should be included in the state’s sunset review process. No committee transcript or floor debate is provided, so there is no evidence of significant controversy in the materials supplied.

Contention

There is no recorded substantive contention in the provided materials. The only likely policy issue is whether the Civil Defense and Disaster Compact should be allowed to expire automatically in 2033 or be kept in force through future legislative action. Any concern would likely come from stakeholders in emergency management or intergovernmental cooperation who may prefer long-term continuity, but no opposing position is documented in the vote or text provided.