Tennessee House votes to recess to Feb. 3, schedules joint convention for State of the State and extends bill-filing window

The Tennessee House of Representatives on the House Floor adopted a series of procedural resolutions Friday that set a return date for the regular session, scheduled a joint convention for the governor's State of the State and budget transmittal, and approved a rules suspension to allow key administration bills to be filed later than the original deadline.

House Joint Resolution 61, moved by Leader Lambert, was adopted by voice vote with recorded tallies of 84 ayes and 7 nays. The resolution recesses the regular session and provides that the House will reconvene at 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Leader Lambert told the chamber the measure is a placeholder to allow further deliberation on bills filed for the special session.

The House also adopted House Joint Resolution 62, which provides an alternative return date the Senate may use; that resolution passed 72 ayes and 19 nays. Members questioned the need for two return dates and whether the House should mirror a Senate schedule. Chairman Clemens asked for clarification on the reconvene date, saying, "February 3, I think that's next Monday. Am I correct there?" Leader Lambert replied, "Yes. This is saying when we would recess the regular session. We are in the regular session now. We will begin a special session at 04:00 today," and later clarified the Feb. 3 date for the House while the Senate may select a different date.

House Joint Resolution 63 was approved to call a joint convention of the House and Senate for the purpose of hearing Governor Bill Lee's State of the State address and to authorize transmittal of the budget document and legislation implementing the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget. The resolution passed 78 ayes and 13 nays. Leader Lambert moved adoption and said the measure would allow the joint convention and transmittal of the budget documents in early February.

Separately, members approved a motion to suspend the rules to allow all administration bills filed by close of business on Feb. 6 to be considered timely for introduction on the next legislative day. The motion was acted on over objection; no roll-call tally for that motion was recorded in the transcript. Leader Lambert moved the suspension, saying, "Move the rules be suspended in order for all bills filed by the end of business, February 6, to be considered timely for introduction on the next legislative day." The chair announced the motion carried despite objections.

Several procedural housekeeping motions were also handled without objection. Representatives moved to withdraw multiple house bills from committee and the House, including House Bill 59, House Bill 183, House Bills 17, 19 and 42, House Bills 53 and 97, and House Bills 11 and 63; the motions were announced and ordered "without objection." The clerk announced that House bills 186 through 358 were introduced and passed on first consideration as part of routine business.

Members heard questions and concerns from some representatives about timing and the ability to coordinate sponsors in the Senate while the Senate is out of session. Representative Clemens and Representative Camper pressed Leader Lambert for clarity about whether the House would mirror a Senate return date and how long it might take to consider the seven bills already filed for the special session. Lambert said, "No, sir. We'll take as long as it takes to actually deliberate the bills that we have in the special session," and noted there are seven bills filed at that juncture, including an appropriation bill.

The House announced it will convene an extraordinary (special) session at 4 p.m. the same day and then stood recessed until 2 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.

Votes at a glance

- HJR 61 (recess the regular session; reconvene House at 2 p.m. Feb. 3, 2025): Adopted, recorded vote 84 ayes, 7 nays. - HJR 62 (alternative reconvene provisions/different Senate date): Adopted, recorded vote 72 ayes, 19 nays. - HJR 63 (call joint convention for State of the State; transmit budget documents/fiscal year 2025-2026): Adopted, recorded vote 78 ayes, 13 nays. - Rules suspension to allow administration bills filed by close of business Feb. 6 to be timely for introduction: Adopted over objection (tally not specified in transcript). - Multiple House bills withdrawn from committee or the House by unanimous or "without objection" motions: listed in body above (withdrawn without objection).