Tennessee Senate Bill SB6005

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/25
• Engrossed: 1/30/25
• Enrolled: 2/4/25
• Passed: 2/12/25
• Chaptered: 2/25/25

Caption

AN ACT to make appropriations for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the state government for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025, in the administration, operation and maintenance of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the various departments, institutions, offices, and agencies of the state; for certain state aid and obligations; for capital outlay, for the service of the public debt, for emergency and contingency; to repeal certain appropriations and any acts inconsistent herewith; to provide provisional continuing appropriations; and to establish certain provisions, limitations and restrictions under which appropriations may be obligated and expended. This act makes appropriations for the purposes described above for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025.

Summary

SB6005 is Tennessee’s appropriations act for the First Extraordinary Session, setting funding for state government operations and several specific initiatives for fiscal years beginning July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2025. It provides the spending authority needed to run the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and to fund state aid, capital outlay, debt service, emergency needs, and other obligations. The bill also includes provisional and conditional appropriations tied to the enactment of other measures considered in the same session. A major feature of the bill is its large set of targeted appropriations. It sets aside funds to implement Education Freedom Scholarships, hurricane and disaster recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene, TEMA disaster relief grants, a grant for reconstruction and relocation of Hampton High School in Carter County, direct payments for high-performing local education agencies, immigration enforcement, and a disaster relief measure. It also earmarks funds for active tourism development zone distributions and covers lawful expenses of the General Assembly for the extraordinary session. Several appropriations are contingent on related bills becoming law, and one section authorizes transfer of interest revenue between recovery-related funds.

Impact

The bill directly affects state budget law by appropriating recurring and nonrecurring funds across multiple departments and by creating or supporting specific funding streams for education, disaster recovery, immigration enforcement, and legislative operations. It also authorizes the Commissioner of Finance and Administration to adjust federal aid and other departmental revenue as needed, and it includes reappropriation language for unspent Carter County school reconstruction funds. Because it is an appropriations act, it does not broadly rewrite substantive policy statutes, but it does operationalize and financially support several companion bills and state programs.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment appears strongly favorable, as reflected by the bill’s passage through committee and on the House and Senate floors with substantial majorities. The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee recommended passage, and the bill ultimately passed both chambers and was signed into law. The vote margins suggest broad support for the overall budget package, even though some amendments and provisions drew more divided votes.

Contention

The main points of contention appear to have centered on the bill’s major policy-linked appropriations, especially funding for Education Freedom Scholarships, immigration enforcement, and disaster-related spending. The recorded floor votes on amendments show meaningful opposition, indicating disagreement over how the appropriations package should be structured or what priorities it should fund. While the bill itself is a budget measure, the conditional funding for controversial companion bills likely drove much of the debate among lawmakers.