Tennessee Senate Bill SB1860

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/21/26
• Engrossed: 2/26/26
• Enrolled: 3/24/26
• Passed: 4/7/26
• Chaptered: 4/28/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 57; Title 43, Chapter 21 and Section 48-101-502, relative to exhibitions.

Summary

SB1860 reorganizes Tennessee law governing agricultural fairs, livestock shows, and the state fair. It deletes an older chapter in Title 4 and replaces Part 1 of Title 43, Chapter 21 with a new “Tennessee Agricultural Fair and Livestock Show Act.” The new act defines agricultural fairs and livestock shows, states legislative findings supporting them as part of Tennessee’s agricultural heritage, and directs the Department of Agriculture to administer state aid for premiums paid at fairs and livestock shows. It also sets out eligible exhibition categories, including livestock, poultry, dairy, honey, horticultural products, family and consumer science displays, and youth agriculture and forestry projects such as FFA and 4-H.

Impact

The bill changes state law by centralizing administration of fair-related funding in the Department of Agriculture, authorizing the commissioner to receive and disburse state aid, set eligibility rules, establish reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and recover aid from noncompliant recipients. It also creates a separate “Tennessee State Fair Act,” giving the department authority over the annual state fair, including selecting an operator, entering contracts, accepting gifts, leasing property, and controlling use of the “Tennessee State Fair” name. In addition, it amends the corporate law exemption in Title 48 so that qualified agricultural fairs receiving state aid are expressly covered under the new act.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support for the bill. It was recommended for passage in the Senate State & Local Government Committee by an 8-0 vote and then adopted on the floor by a 32-0 vote. The bill’s findings and structure also reflect a generally favorable policy view toward agricultural fairs, livestock shows, youth agricultural programs, and the state fair as tools for education, tourism, and community development.

Contention

No recorded committee transcript or floor debate is provided, and the votes were unanimous, so there is no clear evidence of significant opposition. The main policy choices embedded in the bill are administrative rather than ideological: it gives the commissioner broad discretion over eligibility, awards of merit, rulemaking, and enforcement, and it allows the department to grant aid to some entities that do not strictly meet the fair or livestock show definitions. Those features could be points of concern for stakeholders seeking more detailed statutory limits, but no specific objections are documented in the materials provided.