Tennessee Senate Bill SB0983

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 65, Chapter 1 and Title 65, Chapter 5, relative to utilities.

Summary

SB 983 is a narrow utility-related bill that amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 65, Chapter 5 by deleting subsection (q) of Section 65-5-109. The bill does not add new regulatory language or create a new program; instead, it removes an existing statutory subsection from the state’s utility law framework. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law, citing the public welfare. Because the bill text only specifies the deletion of subsection (q), its practical effect depends on the contents of that subsection in current law. In general, the bill would alter the legal duties, exemptions, procedures, or authority previously contained in that subsection and could change how utilities, regulators, or affected customers are treated under Tennessee law. The bill amends state utility statutes in Title 65 and may affect the Tennessee regulatory structure for utility operations or oversight. There is no committee transcript or recorded vote history provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or partisan division. Based on the available record, the bill appears to be a technical or targeted statutory cleanup measure rather than a broad policy overhaul. The absence of discussion or vote data limits any assessment of legislative sentiment beyond the fact that the bill was introduced and captioned as a utilities measure. Notable contention cannot be identified from the materials provided, since no committee remarks or voting record are included. Any disagreement would likely center on the policy consequences of repealing subsection (q), especially if that subsection conferred rights, imposed obligations, or provided an exemption to utilities or customers. Without the text of the deleted subsection or legislative discussion, the specific affected parties cannot be determined from the record here.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee’s utility statutes by deleting subsection (q) from Tennessee Code Annotated § 65-5-109, thereby removing existing statutory language from the state’s regulatory framework for utilities. This could change the legal obligations, exemptions, or procedures applicable to utilities, regulators, or customers, depending on what subsection (q) previously provided.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or vote history are available, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured directly from debate or recorded support/opposition. The bill’s limited, targeted nature suggests it may have been treated as a technical utilities measure rather than a controversial policy proposal, but that inference is not confirmed by the record.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. If there was disagreement, it would likely have focused on the policy effects of repealing subsection (q) of § 65-5-109 and on which utilities, regulators, or customers would be affected by the deletion.