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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 226
SENATE BILL NO. 755
By Yager, Bailey, Bowling, Reeves, Southerland
Substituted for: House Bill No. 589
By Renea Jones, Grills
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 1, Part 6, relative to the agricultural
hall of fame.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 43, Chapter 1, Part 6, is amended by deleting
the part and substituting the following:
43-1-601. Creation.
There is created and established the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of fame,
governed as provided by this part. It is the intent of the general assembly that the Tennessee
agriculture and forestry hall of fame be the successor to, and a continuation of, the Tennessee
agricultural hall of fame, established by Chapter 43 of the Public Acts of 1937.
43-1-602. Board - Members.
(a) There is established the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of fame board by
transfer and expansion of the duties and responsibilities of the Tennessee agricultural hall of
fame board. The board consists of nine (9) members.
(b) Effective July 1, 2025, the existing membership of the Tennessee agricultural hall
of fame board is vacated and reconstituted as the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of
fame board, with the members of the board to be appointed as follows:
(1) The commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's designee;
(2) The senior vice chancellor of the University of Tennessee Institute of
Agriculture;
(3) The dean of Tennessee State University College of Agriculture;
(4) The president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation;
(5) The Tennessee FFA State Director;
(6) One (1) member from the middle grand division appointed by the speaker of
the house of representatives;
(7) One (1) member from the eastern grand division appointed by the speaker
of the senate;
(8) One (1) member from the western grand division appointed by the governor;
and
(9) One (1) member from the state at-large appointed by the governor.
(c) The persons appo_inted under subdivisions (b)(6)-(9) shall demonstrate significant
ties to agriculture or forestry in this state by engagement in agricultural or forestry business,
SB 755
science, or engineering or by employment or service with an entity that serves the
conservation of natural resources or betterment of farming or forestry interests.
(d) To stagger the terms of the newly appointed board members, the appointing
authorities shall r:nake initial appointments as follows:
(1) The person appointed under subdivision (b)(6) is appointed for a term of
six (6) years, which expires on June 30, 2031;
(2) The person appointed under subdivision (b)(7) is appointed for a term of
four (4) years, which expires on June 30, 2029; and
(3) The persons appointed under subdivisions (b)(8) and (9) are appointed for
terms of two (2) years, which expire on June 30, 2027.
(e) Members serving on the Tennessee agricultural hall of fame board as of June 30,
2025, may be reappointed to serve as members of the Tennessee agriculture and forestry
hall of fame board after such date.
(f)(1) Members, except as provided in subsection (d) and those appointed to
complete the term of a former member, are appointed to full six-year terms, or until
their successors are appointed.
(2) Following the expiration of the members' initial terms as prescribed in
subsection (d), all six-year terms begin on July 1, and terminate on June 30, six (6)
years thereafter. Vacancies must be filled by the respective appointing authority.
(g) The board shall elect from its membership a chair, whose term is for one (1) year.
The board may elect such other officers as it considers necessary for the efficient operation
of the board.
(h) The board is administratively attached to the department of agriculture.
(i) Five (5) members of the board constitutes a quorum.
U) All board members serve without compensation.
(k) The commissioner of agriculture shall call the first meeting of the board on or after
July 1, 2025. Subsequent meetings of the board are at the call of the chair.
43-1-603. Acceptance, admission, and induction to hall of fame - Rules.
(a) The Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of fame is under the general
supervision of the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of fame board.
(b) A person must not be admitted into the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of
fame except by written presentation to the board of the candidate's achievements in
agricultural or forestry activities and a majority vote of the board for acceptance of the
candidate into the hall of fame.
(c) Upon the advice and recommendation of the board, the department of agriculture
is authorized to promulgate rules for the efficient administration of this part, including, but not
limited to:
(1) Qualifications of candidates necessary for admission into the Tennessee
agriculture and forestry hall of fame;
(2) Nomination and evaluation procedures of candidates seeking acceptance
into the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of fame;
(3) Operational procedures necessary to conduct board business;
(4) Assessment of fees for the administration of this part; and
(5) Expenses for which the board is authorized to make expenditures, in
addition to the expenditures authorized by§ 43-1-604(b).
(d) All rules promulgated pursuant to this part must be in accordance with the Uniform
Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.
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(e) The board shall strive to admit a person to the Tennessee agriculture and forestry
hall of fame only upon a showing that the person has made a significant impact on the
improvement of agriculture or forestry in this state through agricultural or forestry business,
invention, production, science, or technology and that prior to such achievement, the person
resided in this state for a definite period of time, to be determined by the board. A person is
not eligible for admission into the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of fame until five (5)
years after the date of such person's death.
43-1-604. Gifts, bequests, and awards.
(a) For the purpose of administering this part, the board may accept and receive gifts,
contributions, and bequests of funds and in-kind goods and services from individuals,
foundations, corporations, and other organizations or institutions.
(b) Funds received by the board are to be administered for the board by the
department of agriculture and may be used solely for:
(1) Advancement and promotion of the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall
of fame;
(2) Promotion of hall of fame inductees' achievements and contributions to
agriculture and forestry in this state;
(3) Providing awards to or for inductees upon induction into the hall of fame;
and
(4) Other expenditures authorized by rule pursuant to§ 43-1-603(c)(5).
(c) Awards provided in recognition of inductees.to the hall of fame may be duplicated
only upon majority vote and approval of the board and may be housed, maintained, and
displayed only upon the oversight, administration, and approval of either the Tennessee
agricultural museum or the University of Tennessee.
43-1-605. Name exclusivity and approved use.
(a) The use of the name "Tennessee Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame" in
Tennessee to denote a hall of fame for persons with achievements in agricultural or forestry
activities shall be exclusive to the board; provided, that the use of the name may be granted
to the department of agriculture or another entity with the approval of the board.
(b) A person shall not use the name "Tennessee Agriculture and Forestry Hall of
Fame" in this state to denote a hall of fame for persons with achievements in agricultural or
forestry activities without the board's approval.
SECTION 2. All rules, procedures, and practices in effect under the creating statutes for the
Tennessee agriculture hall of fame board, formerly compiled in §§ 43-1-601 - 43-1-607, shall
continue in effect until such time as the department of agriculture or Tennessee agriculture and
forestry hall of fame board, as applicable, takes appropriate action to modify the rules, procedures,
or practices. Assets, liabilities, contracts, property, records, and unexpended balances of
appropriations or other funds employed, held by, or available to the Tennessee agriculture hall of
fame bo~rd are transferred to the Tennessee agriculture and forestry hall of fame board.
SECTION 3. The headings in this act are for reference purposes only and do not constitute a
part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is requested to
include the headings in any compilation or publication containing this act.
SECTION 4. For purposes of promulgating rules and carrying out administrative duties
necessary to effectuate this act, this act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare
requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect on July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring
it.
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SENATE BILL NO. 755
PASSED: April 7, 2025
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' RANDY"1icNALLY
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Aerr \ a,1st- APPROVED this
day of 2025
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