Tennessee Senate Bill SB0214

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/16/25
• Engrossed: 2/24/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 12, relative to public officials.

Summary

SB0214 regulates how public facilities may be named for local public officials in Tennessee. It defines “public facility” broadly to include real property owned by the state or a subdivision of the state, or property whose acquisition, construction, maintenance, or operation is publicly funded in whole or in part. It also defines “public official” as an elected local official or any person appointed or employed by a local government. The bill generally prohibits naming or designating a public facility for a public official during that official’s term of office and for two years after leaving office, unless private funds pay the naming costs. The two-year waiting period does not apply if the official is deceased or an honorably discharged veteran. The bill also bars naming a public facility for a public official who has been convicted of a felony or crime of moral turpitude, and it requires charitable donations made in the name of a public official using public funds to be attributed to the public entity rather than the individual. Existing facility names are grandfathered in, and a facility named before someone became a public official may keep that name if the person later enters office.

Impact

This bill would add a new restriction to Tennessee law governing the naming and designation of publicly funded facilities, primarily affecting local governments and public entities that control naming rights. It would limit honorary naming practices for current and recently departed officials, impose a disqualification for officials with certain criminal convictions, and clarify attribution rules for public-funds-based charitable donations. The measure preserves existing names and allows privately funded naming exceptions, so its practical effect is prospective rather than disruptive to current facility names.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests strong support and little opposition. The Senate State & Local Government Committee recommended passage on a 9-0 vote, and the Senate floor adopted the motion unanimously by a 33-0 vote. No committee transcript was provided, but the unanimous votes indicate the bill was viewed favorably and as a relatively noncontroversial ethics or good-governance measure.

Contention

The main policy issues appear to be whether public facilities should be named for sitting or recently departed officials and whether public money should be used to honor individuals in that way. The bill resolves those concerns by imposing a cooling-off period, requiring private funding for exceptions, and excluding officials with felony or moral-turpitude convictions. The only notable carveouts are for deceased officials and honorably discharged veterans, and the bill also protects preexisting facility names, which likely helped reduce opposition.