114th General Assembly Adjourns Sine Die

On Thursday, April 23, 2026, lawmakers completed their business and adjourned the 114th General Assembly sine die. See below an update on Tennessee Farm Bureau priority issues and a brief budget overview.

Regulatory Freedom Act - SB2199/HB1913
Inspired by Congressional legislation (REINS Act) the Regulatory Freedom Act seeks to provide oversight and transparency to the rulemaking process. Stakeholder engagement is a critical component of rulemaking, and Farm Bureau continually seeks to engage with state departments and agencies to ensure the agriculture community's voice is heard and remains able to operate in the regulatory system. Allowing earlier engagement allows departments and agencies to understand the cost to an impacted industry which a new regulation may create. This not only improves the state's business and regulatory climate, but also allows the legislature who approve the final rule with the assurance all sides were considered. Additionally, establishing a cap of financial impact to a regulated community, such as agriculture, gives the legislature more ownership and oversight over departments and agencies. If a rule costs a regulated industry $1 million over 5 years, then the General Assembly must pass this rule in a stand-alone measure.

This legislation passed the Senate 24-4 and the House 76-16.

Clarifying Authority of the State Veterinarian - SB2558/HB2517
For several years, the authority of the state veterinarian to order vaccinations and testing has been a point of discussion. While Farm Bureau acknowledges the private property rights of livestock owners, there is also great emphasis placed on animal health and risk mitigation from foreign disease outbreaks. This legislation clarifies the state veterinarian can order testing and vaccinations, only in instances of a disease outbreak as recognized by USDA APHIS' national list of reportable animal diseases. Otherwise, such authority cannot be exerted. Stakeholders from the agriculture industry believe this is already standard operating procedure from the office of the state veterinarian. However, this seeks to codify such practice to prevent the potential for future abuse.

This legislation passed the Senate unanimously, 30-0, and passed the House on the consent calendar with an 82-1 vote.

2026-2027 Budget Overview

This year's final budget totals just over $58 billion, inflated from the Governor's original $57.8 billion proposed budget. Here are some highlights of the budget passed by the General Assembly:

Agriculture
$100,000 recurring to the Farm to Tap program to support the utilization of Tennessee agricultural products in brewing and the promotion of the Tennessee brewing industry.

$250,000 non-recurring in grant funding for Urban Roots of Tennessee.

$1 million recurring for the implementation of the Tennessee Agricultural Innovation and Education Initiative.

$1.5 million non-recurring in grant pool funds within the Department of Agriculture for fairs.

Education
$3,702,300 recurring for funds for salary pool and operational costs for higher education institution non-formula units. This finding includes a 1.5% raise for UT/TSU Extension staff as well as UT health and medical staff.

$24.5 million recurring for continued support of TISA funding - the reformulated funding mechanism for public schools.

Environment and Conservation
$206,900 recurring and $106,000 non-recurring to allow for two new full-time staff members at the West Tennessee River Basin Authority in order to provide technical assistance for the four newly added counties (Stewart, Houston, Humphreys and Perry) through legislation passed by the General Assembly, SB520/HB220.

Infrastructure
$20 million non-recurring to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for the purposes of rehabilitation and improvement of the state's short-line railroads.

$40 million non-recurring to the Tennessee Department of Transportation earmarked for bridge repairs.

Rural Communities
$44.2 million non-recurring added to the Governor's Response and Recovery Fund, with specific earmarks for grants for general expenses and recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. This funding was cut $55.8 million from the original $100 million the governor proposed in February.

$35 million non-recurring in grant pool funding for EMS equipment, volunteer fire departments and equipment for volunteer rescue squads.

Wildlife Management
$50,000 non-recurring to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to be used for wild hog traps and other wildlife damage control methods.

As always, the legislative alert and Farm Bureau on the Hill will keep you informed of any updates and happenings. To sign up to receive Action Alerts on your phone, text "policy" to 931-388-7872.