Tennessee Senate Bill SB0776

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Engrossed: 3/17/25
• Enrolled: 4/1/25
• Passed: 4/11/25
• Chaptered: 4/30/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3; Title 12, Chapter 4; Title 50, Chapter 11; Title 62, Chapter 6 and Title 66, Chapter 34, relative to apprenticeships.

Summary

SB0776 amends Tennessee law to encourage the use of apprentices on large state construction projects. The bill defines “state construction contracts” as state contracts for construction-related work valued at $1 million or more, including building, reconstruction, improvement, rehabilitation, installation, alteration, renovation, and demolition projects. For those projects, state agencies are encouraged to include a request-for-proposals question asking whether the contractor, subcontractors, or others on the project will employ apprentices through a certified or registered apprenticeship program. The bill also encourages contractors, subcontractors, and other persons working on any stage of a qualifying state construction project to employ apprentices in accordance with Tennessee’s apprenticeship laws. The measure does not appear to mandate apprenticeship participation or create a penalty structure; instead, it uses policy encouragement in state procurement and project staffing practices. The act takes effect November 1, 2026.

Impact

The bill affects Tennessee procurement and workforce policy by directing attention to apprenticeship participation on major state construction contracts. It amends Title 50, Chapter 11, and references related code titles governing state agencies, public contracts, labor, and construction-related regulation, but it does not impose a binding requirement on contractors or agencies. Its practical effect is to promote apprenticeship opportunities on large public works projects and to potentially influence how state agencies draft solicitations and evaluate contractor practices.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests strong bipartisan support and little opposition. The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee recommended passage unanimously, and the floor motion to adopt passed 32-0. With no committee transcript available, the overall sentiment appears favorable, reflecting broad agreement that encouraging apprenticeships on state construction projects is a positive workforce-development policy.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive controversy in the available record. The main policy distinction is that the bill is framed as an encouragement rather than a mandate, which may have reduced concerns from contractors or procurement stakeholders about added compliance burdens. Any potential point of contention would likely center on whether the state should merely encourage apprenticeship use or require it on large public construction projects, but the bill adopts the less prescriptive approach.