Cities & Counties Subcommittee: votes and calendar actions — March 12, 2025

The Cities & Counties Subcommittee met March 12, 2025, and moved a number of bills to the next available State and Local Government calendar, postponed some items for one week, and took a few bills off notice. Most votes were voice or roll calls reported by the clerk as counts (no individual roll-call names were read in the transcript). The committee also heard live testimony on House Bill 180 and then voted the bill down (see separate article).

Votes at a glance (motion summary — committee tally — outcome):

- House Bill 13-27 (Rep. Leatherwood) — Amendment 4933 removed a joint-resolution requirement for tax credits under the Tennessee Rural and Workforce Housing Act of 2024 so funds may flow through the normal budgetary process; 7 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 8-001 (Chairman Grylls) — Amendment 004191 reinstates prior roof-covering options for businesses (reverses a 2021 restriction cited in committee); 7 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 4-37 (Chairman Darby) — Allows a county that has adopted the County Sheriff’s Civil Service Act of 1974 to rescind that adoption by two-thirds vote of the county legislative body; 6 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 1,009 (Chairlady Moody) — Increased the property value cap for tax relief for 100% disabled veterans and widows from $175,000 to $250,000 as presented by sponsor; 6 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 7-63 (Chairlady Littleton) — Clarifies insurance pool law so pools may provide coverage to all governmental entities; 6 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 7-65 (Vice Chairman Wright) — County trustees proposal to direct 10% from specified tax-sale proceeds to fund tax-relief programs for elderly, low-income homeowners, disabled veterans and widows; 7 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 7-66 (Vice Chairman Wright) — Modifies premium/interest treatment at tax sales; sponsor described a 5% add-on to actual taxes only; 7 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 7-35 (Vice Chairman Wright) — Alters how a 3-year development plan period is tolled during lawsuits filed against a project; 5 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 7,672 (Rep. Scarborough) — Updates Public Chapter authority to allow the newly formed Oak Corridor development nonprofit (named in the bill) to act consistent with existing industrial development board powers at East Tennessee Technology Park; 7 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 9-80 (Rep. Stennett) — As amended (amendment 4619), allows a tourist development authority in Blount County to petition related deannexation/annexation actions described in sponsor remarks; 7 ayes — moved to next calendar. - House Bill 6-27 (Chairman Crawford) — Changes and clarifies lodging tax definitions, reporting timelines, and short-term rental revenue caps (8% cap; preserves grandfathering); 7 ayes — moved to next calendar.

Other calendar actions:

- House Bill 832 (Speaker Marsh) — rolled 1 week (postponed). - House Bill 11-28 (Chairman Farmer) — rolled 1 week (postponed). - House Bill 3-65 (Rep. Fritz) — rolled 1 week (postponed). - House Bill 6-22 (Rep. Mayberry) — rolled 1 week (postponed). - House Bill 4-26 (Rep. Laura) — rolled 1 week (postponed). - House Bill 4-26 (duplicate listing) — where noted in agenda; outcome: rolled 1 week. - House Bill 10-69 (Rep. Glenn) — taken off notice (removed from the calendar without discussion). - House Bill 10-18 (Chairman Russell) — taken off notice.

A number of items were handled with brief sponsor explanations and without extended debate; the clerk reported final tallies (counts) rather than reading a recorded roll call with member-by-member votes.

Sponsors and staff provided brief explanations of intended effects for most bills on the calendar. Where a bill included an amendment described as “making the bill,” the committee routinely voted to adopt the amendment and then voted the bill as amended to the next available calendar.