Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As enacted, adds the MidSouth development district to the list of development districts to which this state intends to assist financially; specifies an overall state funding l, the official text

!                      El~~,·

     :  ~~::::~::.:: 1~ :

        $,tate of utennessee

     PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 332

     HOUSE BILL NO. 35

By Representatives Gary Hicks, Russell, Hale, Dixie, Howell, Hawk

     Substituted for: Senate Bill No. 751

     By Senators Yager, Walley, Hensley

         AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 13, Chapter 14, Part 1, relative to
development districts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

         SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 13-14-111, is amended by deleting
subsections (a) and (b).

         SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 13-14-111, is amended by deleting
subsection (c) and substituting instead:

(c)

         (1) It is the intent of this state to assist financially with the development of
regional plans for economic development and other regional plans, activities, and
programs authorized by this chapter and other statutes and for coordination of
activities thereunder. The regional plans, activities, and programs are for the
benefit of the local governments of this state and, as appropriate, the state
government and the citizens of Tennessee. The boards of the nine (9)
development districts established as the First Tennessee development district,
the East Tennessee development district, the Southeast Tennessee
development district, the Upper Cumberland development district, the South
Central Tennessee development district, the Southwest Tennessee development
district, the Greater Nashville regional council, the Northwest Tennessee
development district, and the MidSouth development district have been created
as provided in this chapter and title 64, chapter 7.

         (2) This state shall include in its budget under the department of
economic and community development, or its state functional equivalent, a
separate line item for the funding of the activities of the development districts in
an amount equal to fifty cents ($0.50) per capita based on the state's latest yearly
population estimate or decennial census figure, whichever is more recent, as
reported by the United States department of commerce, bureau of the census or
its federal functional equivalent. Appropriations of state funds made to the
development districts by the general assembly must not be reduced, except in
conjunction with an across-the-board percentage reduction applicable to multiple
state government departments and agencies.

         (3) The amount of state funding to each development district must be
based upon the per capita assessment established by the individual development
district boards with any remaining funds distributed based on a formula
determined by the department of economic and community development in
coordination with the development districts to include considerations for each
district's size in terms of population and the number of counties served and for
regional variations in cost of living. The per capita assessment and
corresponding state funding levels for the nine (9) development districts are as
follows:

     Per Capita Assessment                 Annual State Appropriation
     1-20 cents                            $295,000
HB35

      21-30 cents                 $340,000

      31- to an amount over 31 cents as may be approved by the individual

      development district board  $370,000

               SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare
      requiring it.

                   2
         HOUSE BILL NO. - -35 - -

PASSED:  April 14, 2025

                            C -~,c-

                                 CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
                                HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                         ~         ~ ' "-"~ '-'-" "RAND)Y_\MA~NALLy

                                      SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

r'Yla, 2 APPROVED this "4_ day of  1'  2025

   ~ u~-

BILL LEE, GOVERNOR