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Committee advances bill converting TEMA into a Department of Emergency Management
Summary
Sponsor said the bill would replace the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency with a Department of Emergency Management, transfer existing contracts and rules, and reduce an initial three-year sunset to two; the committee approved the amendment and sent the bill to finance.
Leader Johnson presented Senate Bill 2248 to create a Department of Emergency Management that would replace the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) while preserving the governor's emergency authority and transferring existing TEMA contracts, leases, rules and policies to the new department.
Committee members repeatedly thanked TEMA staff for recent hurricane and disaster response. An amendment shortening the proposed three-year sunset to two years was adopted as a friendly amendment; the bill was then given a favorable recommendation and advanced to the finance committee. The sponsor emphasized the change does not alter governors' statutory emergency powers.
Sen. Sutherland and others praised TEMA's response to recent storms, and committee discussion focused on ensuring continuity of operations and statutory cross-references in state code. The committee recorded the voice vote and moved the measure forward.
