Tennessee Senate Bill SB2132

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/23/26
• Engrossed: 3/16/26
• Enrolled: 4/15/26
• Passed: 4/27/26
• Chaptered: 5/5/26

Caption

AN ACT relative to agency rules scheduled to expire pursuant to the provisions of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 5.

Summary

SB2132 is a Tennessee administrative law measure that extends the life of certain permanent agency rules that would otherwise expire on June 30, 2026 under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act. Specifically, it provides that permanent rules filed with the secretary of state on or after January 1, 2025, and in effect when the act becomes law, will remain effective until they are repealed or amended by the issuing agency or superseded by later legislation. The bill is designed to prevent automatic expiration of those rules and to keep the regulatory framework in place without interruption. The bill also creates a narrow exception for three Tennessee Public Charter School Commission rules related to initial and amended replication applications. Those rules are set to expire immediately upon the act taking effect, overriding the general extension provided elsewhere in the bill. The act includes a severability clause and takes effect immediately upon becoming law because of the stated public welfare need.

Impact

The bill amends the practical operation of Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 5, Section 4-5-226 by changing the default expiration date for a defined set of agency rules and preserving them beyond June 30, 2026. It affects state agencies that rely on permanent rules filed in 2025, as well as regulated parties who would otherwise have seen those rules lapse automatically. At the same time, it specifically removes three charter school commission rules from continued effect, which directly impacts the charter school replication application process.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the Senate Government Operations Committee unanimously and later cleared floor votes overwhelmingly, including a 32-0 vote on third consideration and a 89-2 final passage vote. The lack of committee transcripts limits insight into detailed debate, but the recorded votes indicate the measure was generally viewed favorably and as a routine administrative cleanup or extension bill.

Contention

There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record, but the only notable point of contention is the targeted treatment of the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission rules. By allowing most expiring rules to continue while immediately expiring three charter-school-related rules, the bill distinguishes between general agency regulations and a specific education-related rulemaking area. Any disagreement likely centered on whether those charter school rules should be preserved or allowed to lapse, though the vote totals suggest that any opposition was limited.