Tennessee legislation · 114th General Assembly
Tennessee SB2589: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, relative to the Tennessee arts commission.
Status: Chaptered, May 27, 2026
Fiscal Summary NOT SIGNIFICANT Bill Summary Present law establishes the Tennessee arts commission as a 15-member body all of whom are gubernatorial appointees with at least one but not more than two members from each United States congressional district in Tennessee. Effective June 30, 2026, this bill vacates and reconstitutes the commission to include 15 members to be appointed as follows: (1) The governor appoints one person from each congressional district; (2) The speaker of the senate appoints one member from each grand division; and (3) The speaker of the house of representatives appoints one member from each grand division. The full text of this bill provides for staggered terms of initial appointees to the reconstituted commission and specifies various administrative and organizational requirements for the reconstituted commission that are substantially similar to present law. ON MARCH 5, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 2589, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes: Requires the prohibition on successive five-year terms to begin at the end of the full five-year term, regardless of whether a member continues to serve as a member of the commission until their vacancy has been filled. Clarifies that all administrative rules promulgated by the commission and in effect on June 30, 2026, continue to be in effect on and after July 1, 2026, until otherwise amended or repealed.
What the bill says
From the amended text:
House State & Local Government 1 Amendment No. 1 to HB2220 Crawford Signature of Sponsor AMEND S e n ate Bill No. 2589 House Bill No. 2220* by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-20-101, is amended by deleting the section and substituting: (a) There is created a state commission to be known as the Tennessee arts commission, which consists of fifteen (15) members who are broadly representative of all fields of the performing, visual, and literary arts. The members must be citizens of this state who have demonstrated a vital interest in the performing, visual, or literary arts. (b) The Tennessee arts commission as comprised on June 30, 2026, is vacated on July 1, 2026, and new members are appointed as follows: (1) The governor shall appoint one (1) person from each of the nine (9) United States congressional districts in this state. The members' residency is determined by the congressional district in which such members are registered to vote; (2) The speaker of the senate shall appoint one (1) member from each of the three (3) grand divisions of this state; and HA0882 (3) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one (1) member from each of the three (3) grand divisions of this state. SECTION 2. …