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Committee advances bill letting 16‑year‑olds serve as limited bid callers for auctions, with industry testimony
Summary
House Bill 19‑82 would lower the minimum age for a limited 'bid caller' auction license from 18 to 16 to accommodate 4‑H and vocational pathways; the Tennessee Auctioneers Association testified that bid callers solicit bids but do not enter contracts or handle funds. Committee sent the bill to full committee.
A sponsor described HB 19‑82 as intended to permit 16‑year‑olds to serve as limited bid callers — commonly used in 4‑H settings — while preserving legal safeguards that prevent minors from entering contracts or handling funds. The committee sought clarification on privity, contract formation and whether a bid caller could be operating under an adult auctioneer’s authority.
Addison Russell, speaking for the Tennessee Auctioneers Association, told the committee that a bid‑caller is the most limited license and “can merely solicit bids. They do not have the authority from state law to enter into contracts…a 16 year old could come and call the bids. But they cannot hold money. They cannot enter into listing agreements or contracts for the sale of goods.” The Department of Commerce and Insurance worked with the association on the language and felt comfortable lowering the age.
Provenance: the topic runs from the bill introduction through the association testimony and vote (topicintro: SEG 1038; topfinish: SEG 1276).
