AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 47; Title 55 and Title 68, relative to manufactured homes.
Summary
SB 119 updates Tennessee law by standardizing the definition of “manufactured home” across three titles of the Tennessee Code. The bill amends provisions in Title 47 (commercial law/UCC-related provisions), Title 55 (motor vehicles), and Title 68 (health-related or regulatory provisions) so that each uses the same federal definition found in 42 U.S.C. § 5402(6). This creates a single cross-reference for the term rather than separate state-specific wording.
By tying the state definition to federal law, the bill is intended to improve consistency and reduce ambiguity in how manufactured homes are treated across different areas of state law. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies statewide to the statutes it amends.
Impact
The bill amends three separate statutory titles to replace existing state definitions of “manufactured home” with the federal definition in the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act. This affects how manufactured homes are classified and interpreted in Tennessee law for purposes related to secured transactions, vehicle-related regulation, and other regulatory provisions in Title 68. The practical effect is to align state law with federal terminology and reduce the risk of conflicting definitions across code sections.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests the bill was noncontroversial and received favorable support. In the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, it was recommended for passage by a 9-0 vote, indicating unanimous committee approval. No committee transcript objections or divided debate are provided, and the bill ultimately passed and was signed into law.
Contention
No significant points of contention are evident in the provided record. The bill appears to be a technical conformity measure focused on definition harmonization rather than a policy change, which likely limited disagreement. If any concerns existed, they are not reflected in the available committee materials or vote history.