Senate Bill 1033 amends existing Tennessee law regarding weather modification by updating the responsibilities of state agencies and establishing penalties for violations related to the intentional manipulation of weather. The bill specifies that at the governor's direction, state agencies involved in various areas, including flood management and weather modification, are required to conduct studies on emergency mitigation matters. Additionally, the bill introduces new legal language that criminalizes the intentional injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals into the atmosphere for the purpose of affecting weather conditions, as well as the provision of such chemicals to others for that purpose.

The bill outlines that violations of these provisions will be classified as a Class A misdemeanor, with a significant financial penalty of $100,000 for each violation assessed by the department. Each instance of illegal weather modification or supplying chemicals for such purposes is treated as a separate violation. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to conduct occurring on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 58-2-116(a), 58-2-116, 68-201-122