Historical Sites and Preservation - As enacted, authorizes local historical boards to lease land owned or managed by such boards for agricultural purposes, with all proceeds received by the boards to be used for the pres, the official text

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State f:IJe!Yl&Ssee

                            PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 1065

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1490

                                                               By Haile

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 1493

                                                            By Slater

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 11; Title 12; Title
         29 and Title 43, relative to local historical boards.

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

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 11, Part 1, is amended by adding
the following as a new section:

                   (a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

                             (1) "Crops" mean any plants, or parts of plants, grown from the soil through
                   cultivation for commercial or other purposes, to be offered for sale or used for
                   consumption;

                             (2) "Farmer" means a person engaged in the practice of growing crops or
                    harvesting naturally grown products of the soil to be sold or consumed; and

                             (3) "Local historical board":

                                       (A) Means a governmental entity or nonprofit entity established by
                             state and local law authorized to oversee and promote the preservation of
                             historic sites and structures within its jurisdiction, that receives assistance
                             from the Tennessee historical commission to establish its own program, and
                             that operates under ordinances that provide an additional layer of protection
                             and design review for designated historic properties or districts; and

                                       (B) Includes a local historic preservation commission.

                    (b) Notwithstanding this part to the contrary, local historical boards are authorized to
          contract with farmers to:

                              (1) Farm crops on land that is part of a historical site if such land is comprised
                    of five (5) or more contiguous acres; and

                              (2) Harvest hay and other such naturally grown products of the soil on land
                    that is part of a historical site if the land is comprised of fewer than five (5) contiguous
                    acres.

                    (c)(1) All proceeds received by local historical boards under subsection (b) must be
                    used for the preservation of historical sites and structures managed by such boards,
                    in accordance with state guidelines and standards issued ~Y the United States
                    secretary of the interior, as applicable.

                              (2) Local historical boards shall submit an annual report no later than
                    December 31 of each year to the Tennessee historical commission that includes
                    detailed information about all contracts entered into under this section for the
                    calendar year and how the proceeds from the contracts were used.
SB 1490
                    (d) The Tennessee historical commission shall develop contracts for use by local

          historical boards when entering into agreements under this section, pursuant to the authority
          granted to the commission in§ 4-11-103.
          SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

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         SENATE BILL NO. 1490

PASSED:  April 21, 2026

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                         \                - • RANn D ~cNALLY

                         q,,c- SPEAKER OF TH SENATE

                         CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

N \ n APPROVED this ~-.,,d day of  d :0   2026

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                      BILL LEE, GOVERNOR