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State f/Jennessee
PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 452
SENATE BILL NO. 933
By Rose, Bowling, Hatcher, Powers
Substituted for: House Bill No. 919
By Cepicky, Mr. Speaker Sexton
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, to revise appointing authority for statutorily created
entities.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201 (a)(1), is amended by deleting
"nineteen (19) members" and substituting "twenty-one (21) members".
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201 (a)(3), is amended by deleting
subdivision (A) and substituting:
(A)(i) Twelve (12) public members shall be appointed by the governor, one (1) of
whom shall be from each congressional district, and three (3) at-large who may be
residents or non-residents of this state.
(ii) Beginning on the effective date of this act:
(a) The governor shall appoint ten (10) public members, one (1) of
whom must be from each congressional district, and one (1) at-large member
who may be a resident or non-resident of this state;
(b) The speaker of the senate shall appoint two (2) at-large public
members who may be residents or non-residents of this state, one (1) of
whom must be appointed on or after the effective date of this act, and one (1)
of whom must be appointed as the successor to the first at-large public
member appointed by the governor pursuant to subdivision (a)(3)(A)(i), whose
term expires on or after the effective date of this act; and
(c) The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint two (2)
at-large public members who may be residents or non-residents of this state,
one (1) of whom must be appointed on or after the effective date of this act,
and one (1) of whom must be appointed as the successor to the second at-
large public member appointed by the governor pursuant to subdivision
(a)(3)(A)(i), whose term expires on or after the effective date of this act.
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201 (a), is amended by deleting
subdivision (10) and by deleting subdivisions (4) and (5) and substituting:
(4)(A) The initial terms of the first at-large members appointed by the governor
pursuant to subdivision (a)(3)(A)(i) shall be two (2), four (4), and six (6) years, with the
terms of the remaining initial eight (8) members to be one (1 ), two (2), three (3), four
(4), five (5), six (6), seven (7), and eight (8) years.
(8) Beginning on the effective date of this act, the initial terms of the first at-
large members appointed by the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house
of representatives pursuant to subdivision (a)(3)(A)(ii) shall be six (6) years.
(C) For all subsequent appointments, members appointed pursuant to
subdivision (a)(3)(A) shall be appointed for six-year terms.
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(5) The members appointed by the governor, except for the faculty members
appointed by the governor pursuant to subdivision (a)(3)(D) and the student member
appointed by the governor pursuant to subsection (b), are subject to confirmation by the
senate, but appointments are effective until adversely acted upon by the senate.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201 (f)(1 ), is amended by deleting
subdivisions (A) and (B) and substituting:
(A)(i) Each state university board consists of twelve (12) members, of which eleven
(11) members shall be voting members and one (1) member shall be a nonvoting
member. The nonvoting member shall be a student representative.
(ii) Of the eleven (11) voting members, at least eight (8) members shall be
residents of this state or nonresidents who have significantly contributed their time
and support to ensure the success and continued growth of the state university or the
local community served by the state university.
(B)(i) Eight (8) of the voting state university board members shall be appointed by the
governor.
(ii) Beginning on the effective date of this act:
(a) Six (6) of the voting state university board members shall be
appointed by the governor; •
(b) Two (2) of the voting state university board members shall be
appointed by the speaker of the senate, one (1) of whom shall be appointed
on or after the effective date of this act, and one (1) of whom shall be
appointed as the successor to the first voting member appointed by the
governor pursuant to subdivision (f)(1 )(B)(i), whose term expires on or after
the effective date of this act; and
(c) Two (2) of the voting state university board members shall be
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one (1) of whom
shall be appointed on or after the effective date of this act, and one (1) of
whom shall be appointed as the successor to the second voting member
appointed by the governor pursuant to subdivision (f)(1 )(B)(i), whose term
expires on or after the effective date of this act.
SECTION s: Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201 (f)(2), is amended by deleting
subdivision (A) and substituting: •
(A)(i) The initial terms of the members appointed by the governor to a state university
board pursuant to subdivision (f)(1 )(B)(i) shall be three (3), four (4) and six (6) years.
Three (3) members shall serve a three-year term; three (3) members shall serve a
four-year term; and two (2) members shall serve a six-year term.
(ii) Beginning on the effective date of this act, the initial terms of the first
members appointed by the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of
representatives pursuant to subdivision (f)(1 )(B)(ii) shall be six (6) years.
(iii) For all subsequent appointments, members appointed by the governor, the
speaker of the senate, or the speaker of the house of representatives pursuant to
subdivision (f)(1) shall be appointed for six-year terms.
SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201(f), is amended by deleting "eight
(8)" in subdivision (3) and by deleting subdivision (4) and substituting:
(4) State university board members appointed by the governor, the speaker of the
senate, or the speaker of the house of representatives shall be eligible to serve for two (2)
consecutive six-year terms. A member who serves two (2) consecutive six-year terms on a
state university board may be reappointed after at least four (4) years have elapsed since the
member's last date of service.
SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-8-201 (f)(9), is amended by deleting
"ten (10) members" and substituting "twelve (12) members" in subdivision (A)(i) and by deleting
subdivision (D)(i) and substituting instead the following:
(i) The members appointed by the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the
speaker of the house of representatives to serve on the state university board for Tennessee
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State University shall attend orientation seminars coordinated and administered by the
commission as provided in subdivision (f)(7)(A); and
SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-9-202(a), is amended by deleting
subdivision (1) and substituting:
(1 )(A) As of July 1, 2018, the existing membership of the board of trustees of the
University of Tennessee is vacated and reconstituted to consist of one (1) ex officio
voting member, who shall be the commissioner of agriculture; ten (10) voting
members appointed by the governor; and one (1) nonvoting student member
appointed pursuant to subdivision (a)(3).
(B) Beginning on the effective date of this act, the board of trustees of the
University of Tennessee consists of the following fourteen (14) members:
(i) The commissioner of agriculture, who is an ex officio voting
member;
(ii) One (1) nonvoting student member appointed pursuant to
subdivision (a)(3);
(iii) Eight (8) voting members appointed by the governor;
(iv) Two (2) voting members appointed by the speaker of the senate,
one (1) of whom must be appointed on or after the effective date of this act,
and one (1) of whom must be appointed as the successor to the first voting
member appointed by the governor pursuant to subdivision (a)(1 )(A) whose
term expires June 30, 2026; and
(v) Two (2) voting members appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives, one (1) of whom must be appointed on or after the effective
date of this act, and one (1) of whom must be appointed as the successor to
the second voting member appointed by the governor pursuant to subdivision
(a)(1 )(A) whose term expires June 30, 2026.
SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-9-202(a)(2), is amended by deleting
subdivisions (A)-(C) and substituting:
(A) The governor shall appoint at least two (2) residents of each grand division. Fqr
purposes of this subdivision (a)(2)(A), '''resident" means a person whose legal domicile is in
the grand division from which appointed.
(B) At least four (4) of the members appointed by the governor must be alumni of the
University of Tennessee. For purposes of this subdivision (a)(2)(B), "alumni" means a person
who earned a degree at an institution of the University of Tennessee. In making
appointments, the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of
representatives shall strive to ensure that the board includes alumni from different University
of Tennessee institutions.
(C) At least six (6) of the members appointed must be residents of this state. For
purposes of this subdivision (a)(2)(C), "resident" means a person whose legal domicile is the
state of Tennessee.
SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-9-202(c)(1 )(A), is amended by
deleting "ten (10)".
SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-9-203, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
(a) As of July 1, 2018, the initial terms of the members of the board of trustees of the
University of Tennessee appointed by the governor pursuant to§ 49-9-202(a)(1 )(A) shall be
two (2), four (4), and six (6) years. Three (3) members shall be appointed to serve a two-year
term; four (4) members shall be appointed to serve a four-year term; and three (3) members
shall be appointed to serve a six-year term.
(b) Beginning on the effective date of this act, the initial terms of the first members of
the board of trustees appointed by the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of
representatives pursuant to§ 49-9-202(a)(1 )(B) begin on the d,ate of appointment and end on
June 30, 2030. •
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(c) For all subsequent appointments, members of the board of trustees appointed
pursuant to § 49-9-202(a) shall be appointed to serve a term of six (6) years beginning July 1
of the year of appointment and ending on June 30.
(d) Members of the board of trustees appointed by the governor, the speaker of the
senate, or the speaker of the house of representatives pursuant to § 49-9-202(a) may
succeed themselves; provided, that no person may serve more than two (2) consecutive
terms, whether appointed as an initial member, a successor member, or to fill a vacancy. A
member who serves two (2) consecutive terms may be reappointed after four (4) years have
elapsed since the individual's last date of service on the board.
SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-9-204, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting:
(a) If a vacancy on the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee occurs by
death or resignation of an appointed member, then the respective appointing authority shall
appoint a successor for the remainder of the term, subject to§ 49-9-202(c), if applicable. If a
vacancy occurs by reason of expiration of a term, then the member whose term has expired
shall serve until a successor is appointed and, if applicable, confirmed.
(b) The cessation of a member's legal domicile in the grand division that the member
represents pursuant to§ 49-9-202(a)(2)(A), or the cessation of a member's legal domicile in
the state that results in a failure to satisfy § 49-9-202(a)(2)(C), vacates the member's
position. The respective appointing authority shall appoint a person who satisfies the
requirement as a successor for the remainder of the term, subject to § 49-9-202(c), if
applicable.
(c) The failure of a member to attend more than fifty percent (50%) of the regular
meetings in a calendar year shall be cause for the member's removal and shall authorize the
board to call on the respective appointing authority to appoint a successor; provided, that this
requirement does not apply to an ex officio member.
SECTION 13. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
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SENATE BILL NO. 933
PASSED: April 21, 2025
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' RANDY !1cNALLY
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
9 , r APPROVED this i:Q.. day of ~l'.fµ"'\ , 2025
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