# Tennessee SB 2205: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, relative to transportation infrastructure projects.

Tennessee SB 2205, AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, relative to transportation infrastructure projects., is a 114th General Assembly (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-05-05 (Effective date(s) 04/27/2026, 07/01/2026) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2205-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Tennessee SB 2205
- State: Tennessee
- Session: 114th General Assembly (2025-2026)
- Title: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, relative to transportation infrastructure projects.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-02-02
- Last action: 2026-05-05, Effective date(s) 04/27/2026, 07/01/2026
- Sponsors: no sponsor on record
- Cosponsors: 7
- Subjects: Mass Transit
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 10 (245 yes, 194 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 14

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Transit boundaries enter public property records: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, transit projects on state or local government property require recorded legal descriptions. These records identify boundaries, easements, facilities, and entry and exit points. The council handles state-property records; the authority's board has recording duties for project…
- Highway tunnel agreements must address costs: cost, low. Agreements entered after July 1, 2026, for underground work beneath state highway property or rights-of-way must address engineering costs. They must cover payment or allocation of costs for preparing, reviewing, certifying, or approving required plans and designs. This includes charges from the st…
- Transit operators must pay applicable taxes: cost, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, transit operators must pay all state and local taxes that apply to them. These include franchise and excise, sales and use, business, and real and tangible personal property taxes. The law leaves Tennessee's tax laws in place and sets no new tax rates or household tax change…
- Local property reviews follow firm deadlines: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, operators can apply to build beneath local government property, easements, or rights-of-way. Complete applications need a legal description, engineering plans, location and depth, and other reasonably necessary information. Local governments have 30 days to assess major inte…
- Local transit permits face tighter limits: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, local governments retain general standards for surface work, excluding stations, portals, ventilation, emergency access, and temporary work areas. They cannot use zoning, extra permits, or conditions to block or materially delay projects or indirectly regulate underground wo…
- State replaces local underground transit permits: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee has sole control over underground transit construction. The State Fire Marshal handles permits, plan reviews, inspections, and fire and life-safety enforcement. A shared state process must include common standards and review timelines; new rules are unnecessary whe…
- State teams coordinate underground transit projects: mixed, low. A Governor's council coordinates projects needing several state agencies, with shared timelines, lead agencies, and combined applications. Beginning July 1, 2026, a new state transit authority handles disputes and helps projects move forward. It can use another agency's powers only through a signed…
- Transit authority can take local property: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the authority can take necessary property interests owned by or held for local governments through condemnation. Good-faith negotiations must come first, followed by a written denial or failure to act on a complete application. The taking cannot interfere with prior public u…
- Transit operators control initial emergency response: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, operators control initial emergency response, medical services, firefighting, life safety, and security inside designated transit boundaries. Local governments cannot claim shared control unless the operator requests it. The State Fire Marshal keeps its specified powers, and…
- Transit operators get faster decision appeals: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, the authority must provide fast appeals for covered local permits, missed deadlines, utility decisions, and coordination disputes. Utilities must explain adverse decisions to the operator and authority within 10 business days of receiving an application or request. Appeals i…
- Local limits on autonomous vehicles shrink: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, local governments cannot prohibit or regulate the specified autonomous vehicles or vehicles used for covered transit projects. Vehicles driven by automated systems must meet the stated chapter requirements and applicable local laws. A related ban limit protects vehicles equi…
- Transit fund combines fees and grants: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, a transit project fund supports the authority's work and other lawful purposes. It receives operator-paid fees, appropriations, grants, gifts, and authority revenue; the authority can set permit and application fees. The State Treasurer invests the money, and year-end balanc…
- Transit operators bear project damage liability: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, contracted transit operators must cover damages arising from their actions, failures to act, or negligence. This duty applies to project design, construction, operation, and maintenance. Tennessee, local governments, utilities, and private parties receive protection from lia…
- Transit operators pay limited utility costs: mixed, low. Beginning July 1, 2026, utilities must treat transit service applications like comparable customers' applications and coordinate service and infrastructure work. Unless both sides agree otherwise, operators pay actual relocation, protection, adjustment, or rebuilding costs at prevailing regional ra…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Cosponsor: Becky D. Massey (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mark Pody (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Reeves
- Cosponsor: Paul Rose (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Jessie Seal (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Brent Taylor (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Ken Yager (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-13 | Senate | FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/13/2026 | pass | 26 | 5 |   |
| 2026-04-13 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT # 4 BY CLEMMONS PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2026 | fail | 22 | 67 |   |
| 2026-04-13 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PREVIOUS QUESTION PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2026 | pass | 71 | 21 |   |
| 2026-04-13 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2026 | pass | 69 | 23 |   |
| 2026-04-13 | House | FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR MOTION TO ADOPT AMENDMENT # 3 BY JONES J PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/13/2026 | fail | 20 | 71 |   |
| 2026-04-07 | Senate | SENATE FINANCE, WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE | pass | 8 | 2 |   |
| 2026-03-17 | Senate | SENATE STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE | pass | 7 | 2 |   |
| 2026-03-11 | Senate | SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE | pass | 7 | 2 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY COMMITTEE | pass | 7 | 1 |   |
| 2026-02-24 | Senate | SENATE COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE | pass | 8 | 0 |   |

## Actions (37)

- 2026-05-05: Effective date(s) 04/27/2026, 07/01/2026
- 2026-05-05: Pub. Ch. 854
- 2026-04-27: Signed by Governor. (Senate)
- 2026-04-17: Transmitted to Governor for action. (Senate)
- 2026-04-16: Signed by H. Speaker (House)
- 2026-04-15: Signed by Senate Speaker (Senate)
- 2026-04-15: Enrolled and ready for signatures (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: Passed H., Ayes 69, Nays 23, PNV 1 (House)
- 2026-04-13: Failed to adopt am. 3 (Amendment 3 - HA1114), Ayes 20, Nays 71, PNV 1 (House)
- 2026-04-13: Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - HA1069) (House)
- 2026-04-13: Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0707) (House)
- 2026-04-13: Subst. for comp. HB. (House)
- 2026-04-13: Engrossed; ready for transmission to House (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 5 (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA0737) (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0507) (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: Amendment tabled (Amendment 4 - SA1032) (Senate)
- 2026-04-13: Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 3 - SA0988) (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026 (Senate)
- 2026-04-07: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 2 PNV 1 (Senate)
- 2026-04-01: Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar for 4/7/2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-17: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Ayes 7, Nays 2 PNV 0 (Senate)
- 2026-03-11: Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-11: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Placed on Senate Government Operations Committee calendar for 3/11/2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Government Operations Committee (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Placed on Senate Transportation and Safety Committee calendar for 3/4/2026 (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-24: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate)
- 2026-02-20: Sponsor(s) Added. (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Placed on Senate Commerce and Labor Committee calendar for 2/24/2026 (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Refer to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee` (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Recalled from Senate Transportation & Safety Committee (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee (Senate)
- 2026-02-02: Introduced, Passed on First Consideration (Senate)
- 2026-02-02: Filed for introduction (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enrolled / Public Chapter: [PDF](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0854.pdf)
- Fiscal Note: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB2205.pdf)
- HA0707: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0707.pdf)
- HA1069: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1069.pdf)
- HA1114: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1114.pdf)
- HA1132: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1132.pdf)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB2205.pdf)
- SA0507: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0507.pdf)
- SA0737: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0737.pdf)
- SA0988: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0988.pdf)
- SA1032: [PDF](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA1032.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 2228: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 5, Chapter 21; Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 1; Title 49, Chapte… (failed)
- SB 2229: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 4, relative to the prevailing wage rate. (failed)
- SB 2221: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 15, relative to ambulances. (signed)
- SB 2213: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13, Chapter 7; Title 65 and Title 68, relative to utilities. (signed)
- SB 2224: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2; Title 20, Chapter 9, Part 6; Title 55, Chapter 17, Part 1; Title 62, Chapter 13; Title 6… (failed)
- SB 2177: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 38, relative to compensation of law enforcement officers. (signed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled / Public Chapter (PDF)](https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0854.pdf)
- [Fiscal Note (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Fiscal/SB2205.pdf)
- [HA0707 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0707.pdf)
- [HA1069 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1069.pdf)
- [HA1114 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1114.pdf)
- [HA1132 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA1132.pdf)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/SB2205.pdf)
- [SA0507 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0507.pdf)
- [SA0737 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0737.pdf)
- [SA0988 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0988.pdf)
- [SA1032 (PDF)](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA1032.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 2228: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 5, Chapter…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2228-2025-2026)
- [SB 2229: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 12, Chapter 4, Part 4, relative…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2229-2025-2026)
- [SB 2221: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 15, relativ…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2221-2025-2026)
- [SB 2213: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7; Title 13, Chapter 7; Title 6…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2213-2025-2026)
- [SB 2224: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 29, Part 2; Title 20…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2224-2025-2026)
- [SB 2177: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 3…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2177-2025-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/TN-SB2205-2025-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).