Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As enacted, revises the "Convention Center Authorities Act of 2009" as the "Convention Center and Agricultural Exposition Authorities Act." - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 89. C, the official text

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      State f/JeMWSsee

                             PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 984

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 2613

                                                       By Massey, Briggs

                                           Substituted for: House Bill No. 2320

                                                        By Wright, Davis

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 89, relative to convention center
          authorities.

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

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-101, is amended by deleting the
section and substituting instead:

                    This chapter is known and may be cited as the "Convention Center and Agricultural
          Exposition Authorities Act."

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-102(a), is amended by adding the
following to the end of the subsection:

          For purposes of this chapter, "convention center facilities" include agriculture exposition
          facilities and related facilities.

          SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-103(1), is amended by deleting the
subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (1) "Authority," "convention center authority," or "agriculture exposition authority"
          means any public corporation organized pursuant to this chapter;

          SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-103(10), is amended by deleting the
subdivision and substituting instead:

                    (10) "Project" means:

                              (A) Any land, improvement, structure, building, or part of a building composed
                    of facilities for conventions, public assemblies, conferences, trade exhibitions, or
                    other business, social, cultural, scientific, and public interest events, along with any
                    associated hotel accommodations; transportation infrastructure; tourism, theatre,
                    retail business, and commercial office space facilities; parking facilities or any other
                    structure or facility constructed, leased, equipped, renovated, or acquired for any of
                    the purposes set forth in this chapter, and also includes, but is not limited to, parks,
                    greenways, open spaces, roads, streets, highways, curbs, bridges, flood control
                    facilities, and utility services, such as water, sanitary sewer, electricity, gas and
                    natural gas, and telecommunications that are constructed, leased, equipped,
                    renovated, or acquired as a supporting system or facility for any of the purposes set
                    forth in this chapter; provided, that any such supporting system or facility is dedicated
                    for public use; and

                              (B) Includes agricultural exposition facilities, including exhibition buildings and
                    facilities, together with all associated facilities and supporting systems; provided, that
                    any such supporting system or facility is dedicated for public use;
SB 2613

         SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-104, is amended by deleting the
language "convention center authority" and substituting instead "convention center authority or
agriculture exposition authority".

         SECTION 6. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-105(a)(1), is amended by deleting
the subdivision and substituting instead:

         (1) The name of the authority, which must be the convention center authority [or
agricultural exposition authority (as applicable)] of the city, county, or metropolitan
government of _ __. where the blank is to be filled in with the name of the municipality, if
the name is available for use by the authority, and if not available, then the chief executive
officer of the municipality shall designate some other similar name that is available;

         SECTION 7. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-105(a)(7), is amended by deleting
the language "convention center".

         SECTION 8. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-108, is amended by adding the
following as a new subsection:

         (d) If an agricultural exposition facility owned by an authority is leased or used by a
nonprofit organization to operate an agricultural fair at least once a year, the organization
that operates such agricultural fair may appoint an additional director to the board of directors
of the authority, with the term of such director being established by the appointing
organization, for such period as the organization has a lease or other agreement to use the
facility. If a director is appointed pursuant to this subsection (d), such director is a voting
member of the board of directors of the authority and has all rights and obligations as the
directors appointed by the municipality.

         SECTION 9. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-109, is amended by deleting the
language "convention center".

         SECTION 10. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-112(k), is amended by deleting the
language "a convention center authority" and substituting instead "an authority"; deleting the
language "convention center facilities" and substituting instead "convention center or agricultural
exposition facilities"; deleting the language "the convention center authority" wherever it appears and
substituting instead "the authority"; and deleting "convention center facility" wherever it appears and
substituting instead "convention center or agricultural exposition facility".

SECTION 11. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-115(c), is amended by deleting the

language "convention center facilities" and substituting instead "convention center or agricultural

exposition fa_cilities".     •

         SECTION 12. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-89-120, is amended by deleting the
language "a convention center authority" and substituting instead "an authority".

SECTION 13. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.

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               SENATE BILL NO. 2613

PASSED:        April 21, 2026

                                                             RANDY ~NALLY

                                            SPEAKER OF THE~ENATE

                               C./)..,;

                                        CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
                                      HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APPROVED this  /~day of        r ~ /\         2026

               ~-
                          BILL LEE, GOVERNOR