House Bill 541 aims to amend various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated concerning wetlands. A significant change introduced by this bill is the addition of a new section to Title 69, Chapter 3, Part 1, which stipulates that the department shall not apply criteria that would classify real property as a wetland or regulate it as such unless it is also classified and regulated as a wetland under federal law. This provision seeks to align state regulations with federal standards, potentially reducing the number of properties classified as wetlands at the state level.

The bill is set to take effect immediately upon becoming law, emphasizing the urgency of the changes for public welfare. By limiting state regulation to properties already recognized under federal law, the bill may streamline the regulatory process for landowners and developers while ensuring consistency between state and federal wetland classifications.