Tennessee Senate Bill SB2216

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 8-50-119 and Title 68, Chapter 102, relative to public safety employees.

Summary

SB2216 expands state support for certain volunteer fire department personnel and updates administrative requirements for fire departments. The bill makes participation in Tennessee’s employee assistance program available to all active members of volunteer fire departments and active volunteer members of combination fire departments recognized under the Fire Department Recognition Act, with the state paying the associated costs. The employee assistance program is defined broadly to include counseling, intervention, assessment, referral, and follow-up services for a range of personal and behavioral health concerns. The bill also revises fire department reporting and application procedures under Title 68, Chapter 102. It removes language tied to the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System and certified-mail notice requirements, and instead requires fire departments to submit membership lists in a format prescribed by the state fire marshal’s office. Those lists must include information such as name, mailing address, rank, public safety identification number, and birth date, and the fire marshal may require more frequent electronic updates for departments participating in state grant, training, or incentive programs. In addition, the bill amends the public employee benefit statute in Section 8-50-119 to extend coverage from full-time employees to full-time or part-time employees. In terms of legal impact, the bill would create a new state-funded benefit for volunteer and combination fire department members and broaden eligibility under an existing employment-related provision. It would also give the state fire marshal’s office more direct authority over membership reporting and periodic updates, which could affect fire departments’ administrative compliance obligations and their access to state-related programs. The effective date is staggered: the employee assistance program expansion and the full-time/part-time change take effect January 1, 2027, while the remaining administrative changes take effect upon enactment. The available voting history suggests the bill was received favorably in committee, passing the Senate State & Local Government Committee 8-0 with a recommendation to move to the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee. No committee transcript was provided, so there is little direct evidence of debate or opposition in the record supplied. Overall, the bill appears to have broad support, likely because it is framed as a public safety and wellness measure for volunteer firefighters, though its state funding obligation and expanded administrative reporting requirements could be areas of fiscal or operational concern.

Impact

The bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Section 8-50-119 and Title 68, Chapter 102 by expanding employee assistance program access to volunteer and combination fire department members, shifting the cost to the state, and broadening a related employment provision from full-time employees to full-time or part-time employees. It also changes fire department application and membership-list reporting requirements, giving the state fire marshal’s office greater control over the format and frequency of updates and removing certain existing notice/reporting language. These changes affect volunteer fire departments, combination fire departments, the state fire marshal’s office, and state grant/training program participants.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been viewed positively in the committee process, as reflected by the unanimous 8-0 vote recommending passage. The subject matter—supporting the mental health and wellness of volunteer firefighters and improving administrative oversight—suggests a generally favorable reception. No recorded transcript is available showing substantive opposition, but the bill’s fiscal implications and reporting requirements could still prompt scrutiny as it advances.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are the state’s obligation to pay all costs for employee assistance program access and the expanded reporting duties imposed on fire departments. Some stakeholders may question the fiscal impact of extending benefits to all active volunteer and combination fire department members, while others may be concerned about the administrative burden of providing detailed membership lists and more frequent electronic updates to the state fire marshal’s office. The bill text and available vote record do not show explicit opposition, but these are the most likely areas of debate.