Tennessee Senate Bill SB0061

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 24, Part 1 and Title 4, Chapter 29, relative to the commission on firefighting personnel standards and education.

Summary

SB0061 makes a narrow administrative change to Tennessee law governing the Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education. The bill removes the commission from one list of state entities in Tennessee Code Annotated § 4-29-246(a) and adds it to another list in § 4-29-252(a), which appears to place the commission in a different statutory category for state government oversight and review purposes. The measure does not create a new program or change firefighter training standards directly. Instead, it updates how the commission is classified under Tennessee’s state agency statutes, likely affecting its status within the state’s periodic review or sunset framework. The bill took effect upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Title 4, Chapters 24 and 29 of the Tennessee Code by changing the statutory placement of the Commission on Firefighting Personnel Standards and Education. This affects the commission’s treatment under state government organization laws, particularly the provisions that govern which entities are subject to review, continuation, or exemption under Tennessee’s administrative structure. Fire service personnel, training standards stakeholders, and the commission itself are the primary parties affected, though the bill is procedural rather than substantive in terms of firefighting policy.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests broad support and little controversy. The Senate Government Operations Committee recommended passage unanimously, with 9 yeas and 0 nays, and there is no recorded committee debate in the provided materials. The bill ultimately passed and was signed into law, indicating a generally favorable reception from both chambers and the governor.

Contention

No major points of contention are evident in the provided record. Because the bill is a technical statutory reclassification, any discussion would likely have centered on whether the commission should remain subject to, or be removed from, a particular state oversight category. However, no opposing arguments, amendments, or dissenting votes are shown in the available materials.