Tennessee 114th General Assembly Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 18 R · 3 D cosponsors

HB 2402 — AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 58, relative to workers responding to emergency declarations.

Last action — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 988

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 02, 2026. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Bill Lee (Republican) on April 30, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 98% · high confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 21 sponsors

    1 primary, 20 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (18 R · 3 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 4 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill allows emergency utility workers to access restricted areas during natural emergencies.

This legislation permits emergency utility workers to travel in restricted areas during natural disasters to restore utilities. It also grants them and their employers immunity from civil liability for actions taken in good faith during these efforts.

What this means for you
  • Workers: This means emergency utility workers can perform their jobs more effectively during natural disasters.

Summary

Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, authorizes, during a state of emergency that is based on a natural emergency, an emergency utility worker to travel upon public roads and enter areas subject to curfew or restricted access orders when such access is necessary to perform emergency utilities restoration activities; provides that an emergency utility worker, and the emergency utility worker's employer, are immune from civil liability for injury, death, or property damage resulting from an act or omission of the emergency utility worker committed in good faith while engaged in emergency utilities restoration activities during a state of emergency declared that is based on a natural emergency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 58.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. Refer to Senate Delayed Bills Committee

  3. Approved by Delayed Bills Committee

  4. Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  5. Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee

  6. Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/17/2026

  7. Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  8. Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/24/2026

  9. Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/25/2026

  10. Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  11. Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/25/2026

  12. Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  13. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/2/2026

  14. Senate Reset on calendar for 4/6/2026

  15. Sponsor(s) Added.

  16. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/6/2026

  17. Senate Reset on calendar for 4/9/2026

  18. Sponsor(s) Added.

  19. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/9/2026

  20. Senate Reset on calendar for 4/13/2026

  21. Sponsor(s) Added.

  22. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/13/2026

  23. Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0896)

  24. Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 3 - SA0991)

  25. Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 4 - SA1001)

  26. Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 2 - SA0985)

  27. Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 33, Nays 0

  28. Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  29. Sponsor(s) Added.

  30. Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  31. Subst. for comp. HB.

  32. Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0926)

  33. H. adopted am. (Amendment 2 - HA1105)

  34. Passed H., as am., Ayes 89, Nays 2, PNV 4

  35. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/22/2026

  36. Placed on Senate Message Calendar for 4/22/2026

  37. Concurred, Ayes 32, Nays 0 (Amendment 2 - HA1105)

  38. Enrolled and ready for signatures

  39. Signed by Senate Speaker

  40. Signed by H. Speaker

  41. Transmitted to Governor for action.

  42. Signed by Governor.

  43. Pub. Ch. 988

  44. Effective date(s) 05/19/2026

  45. Filed for introduction

  46. Intro., P1C.

  47. P2C, ref. to State & Local Government Committee - Judiciary Committee

  48. Assigned to s/c Cities & Counties Subcommittee

  49. Placed on s/c cal Cities & Counties Subcommittee for 3/4/2026

  50. Sponsor(s) Added.

  51. Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to State & Local Government Committee

  52. Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/11/2026

  53. Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/18/2026

  54. Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/18/2026

  55. Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026

  56. Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/24/2026

  57. Action def. in State & Local Government Committee to 3/31/2026

  58. Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 3/31/2026

  59. Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Judiciary Committee

  60. Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/7/2026

  61. Sponsor(s) Added.

  62. Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  63. Sponsor(s) Added.

  64. Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  65. Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/14/2026

  66. Placed behind the budget

  67. Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026

  68. Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 4/15/2026

  69. Rec for adopt by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  70. Placed on cal. Finance, Ways, and Means Committee for 4/15/2026

  71. Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee

  72. Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/16/2026

  73. H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/20/2026

  74. Sponsor(s) Added.

  75. Comp. SB subst.

  76. Comp. became Pub. Ch. 988

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 20 co-sponsors · 112 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (20)

Not signed on (112)

112 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 112 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

public-safety labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 2402 do?
Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, authorizes, during a state of emergency that is based on a natural emergency, an emergency utility worker to travel upon public roads and enter areas subject to curfew or restricted access orders when such access is necessary to perform emergency utilities restoration activities; provides that an emergency utility worker, and the emergency utility worker's employer, are immune from civil liability for injury, death, or property damage resulting from an act or omission of the emergency utility worker committed in good faith while engaged in emergency utilities restoration activities during a state of emergency declared that is based on a natural emergency. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 58.
Who sponsors HB 2402?
HB 2402 is sponsored by Reeves, Lee (Republican), McCalmon, Jake (Republican), Boyd, Clark (Republican), Sherrell, Paul (Republican), Atchley, Fred (Republican), Towns, Jr., Joe (Democrat), Davis, Elaine (Republican), Littleton, Mary (Republican), Raper, Kevin D. (Republican), Capley, Kip (Republican), Hale, Michael (Republican), Sparks, Mike (Republican), Warner, Todd (Republican), Howell, Dan (Republican), Russell, Lowell (Republican), Shaw, Johnny (Democrat), Hawk, David B. (Republican), Helton-Haynes, Esther (Republican), Haston, Kirk (Republican), Powers, Dennis (Republican), and Powell, Jason (Democrat).
What is the current status of HB 2402?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 02, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 2402?
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