AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2 and Title 3, relative to campaign finances.
Summary
SB1040 would amend Tennessee campaign finance law to prohibit political campaign committees headquartered or domiciled outside Tennessee from making contributions to candidates in Tennessee primary elections, to other committees for the purpose of influencing those primaries, or for any other purpose intended to influence a Tennessee primary election. The bill also bars in-kind contributions from out-of-state committees and defines “primary election” for this section as a state or local primary election held in Tennessee for a statewide political party.
The bill further defines “statewide political party” in a way that ties the term to the party controlling both houses of the General Assembly on July 1, 2025. The act would take effect July 1, 2025, and would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Titles 2 and 3, which govern elections and campaign finance.
Impact
If enacted, SB1040 would create a new restriction in Tennessee election law limiting the ability of out-of-state political campaign committees to participate financially in Tennessee primary elections. It would affect candidates, political campaign committees, and any entities making direct or indirect contributions intended to influence primary contests, while leaving general-election contributions outside the bill’s express scope. The measure would add a new statutory prohibition to Title 2, Chapter 10, Part 1, and could require campaign committees and election officials to adjust compliance and enforcement practices around source-of-funds and contribution restrictions.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill faced significant opposition in committee and did not advance, failing in the Senate State and Local Government Committee by a 0-7 vote on April 2, 2025. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate support arguments, but the vote outcome indicates the proposal was not broadly accepted at that stage.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill’s restriction on out-of-state political committees, which raises questions about whether Tennessee should limit outside influence in its primary elections. Another notable issue is the bill’s unusual definition of “statewide political party,” which is tied to the party controlling both chambers of the General Assembly on a specific future date, potentially creating ambiguity or partisan effects. Opponents likely viewed the measure as overly restrictive or constitutionally problematic, while supporters would likely frame it as protecting Tennessee primaries from external political spending.