Tennessee Senate Bill SB2393

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 6; Title 7 and Title 65, relative to public utilities.

Summary

SB2393 amends Tennessee law governing municipal electric utilities by updating the public access requirements for electric service rate schedules, charges, rules, and regulations. Under current law, these materials must be kept on public file at the utility’s main and branch offices and in the office of the municipal clerk or recorder. The bill retains those requirements and adds that the information must also be made available to the public in an electronic format published online. The measure is a transparency and access bill aimed at modernizing how utility customers can review electric service rates and rules. It does not change the substance of utility rates or regulatory authority; instead, it changes the method of public disclosure by requiring online publication in addition to physical filing locations. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 7-52-115(a), affecting municipal electric plants and the local officials who maintain utility records. It imposes an additional disclosure obligation by requiring electronic, online access to current rates, charges, and related rules and regulations, while preserving existing paper-file availability at utility offices and the municipal clerk or recorder’s office. The practical effect is to expand public access and likely increase compliance and record-posting responsibilities for municipal utilities.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes are provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears straightforward and administrative, with an emphasis on transparency and modernization rather than controversial policy change. The lack of recorded opposition or amendments suggests the bill may have been viewed as a routine public-access update.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the available record. Potential areas of concern, if raised, would likely involve the administrative burden on municipal electric utilities, the costs of maintaining online postings, or questions about whether electronic publication fully satisfies public notice expectations. However, the provided materials do not show any legislator, utility representative, or stakeholder taking an opposing position.