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House and Senate Pass Budget Setting Path For Adjournment:
On Wednesday, both the House and Senate passed HB1409/SB1431, the annual budget bill that funds the state government. This year’s budget clocks in at $59.8 billion and includes several Chamber priorities, including adding another $1 billion to the Highway Fund, which will help Tennessee continue to make improvements to the state’s infrastructure, which is critical to the business community. The budget also makes significant investments in education, workforce development, and economic development programs. Be on the lookout for a more detailed readout of the approved budget from the Chamber soon.
With the budget in the legislature's rearview, all that remains before adournment is to pass bills that were behind the budget and received funding along with a handful of other bills that have not yet made it to either the House or Senate floor. Based on what we are hearing from legislative leaders, we expect that the 2025 legislative session will wrap up sometime next week, likely either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Wetlands Legislation:
The Chamber-supported wetlands legislation HB541(Vaughan)/SB670(Taylor)—designed to rein in regulatory overreach that places undue burdens on Tennessee property owners—continues to make meaningful progress through the legislative process. Thursday morning, the bill passed the House Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee with strong support (13-0), followed by approval in the full House Finance, Ways & Means Committee Thursday afternoon. The legislation has already passed the Senate and will be considered by the full House sometime next week.
This bill represents a significant step forward in our broader efforts to ensure that environmental regulations are balanced, predictable, and grounded in state authority. By addressing long-standing concerns over inconsistent and overly expansive interpretations of wetland protections, the legislation provides needed certainty to property owners.
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