Tennessee Senate Bill SB2562

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26
• Chaptered: 4/27/26
• Passed: 4/27/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 13; Title 16; Title 38; Title 43; Title 49; Title 50; Title 54; Title 58; Title 63; Title 64; Title 65; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70 and Title 71, relative to appointments.

Summary

SB2562 is an appointments and vacancy-filling measure that makes targeted changes across multiple Tennessee Code titles governing state boards, commissions, and other appointed bodies. Its core policy is to require that vacancies on covered entities be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term, rather than allowing a new appointee to serve a different or potentially shortened period. The bill also revises appointment language for certain boards, including clarifying which members are appointed by the governor, how confirmation applies, and how long a replacement appointee may serve when the General Assembly is not in session. More specifically, the bill amends provisions in Titles 4, 43, 54, 63, and 70, among others, to standardize vacancy treatment and appointment procedures. It changes the membership and appointment structure for at least one state board by specifying ex officio members and two legislative appointees, and it updates confirmation rules so that some appointments are treated as appointed or confirmed under the relevant subsection. The bill takes effect upon becoming law.

Impact

The bill affects the administration of numerous state boards and commissions by tightening vacancy rules and clarifying appointment and confirmation procedures. It requires that vacancies be filled only for the balance of the unexpired term in several statutes, which may reduce ambiguity in how long replacement members serve and promote consistency across agencies. It also modifies the appointment framework for certain bodies involving gubernatorial and legislative appointments, affecting how those entities are staffed and how long appointees may remain in office pending confirmation.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong support and no recorded opposition in committee. The Senate Government Operations Committee recommended passage with amendment by an 8-0 vote, and the Senate Judiciary Committee then recommended passage by a 9-0 vote. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous votes suggest the bill was viewed as a routine administrative cleanup measure rather than a controversial policy change.

Contention

There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The main issues addressed by the bill are technical and procedural: whether vacancies should always be filled for the remainder of the term, how appointment authority is allocated between the governor and legislative leaders, and how confirmation deadlines apply when the General Assembly is out of session. Any disagreement would likely have centered on appointment power and term-length mechanics, but the unanimous committee votes indicate those concerns were not significant enough to generate recorded opposition.