House Bill 1632 aims to amend the Tennessee Code Annotated regarding the drycleaner environmental response program. The bill introduces new definitions, including "recently abandoned," "registered facility," and "wholesale distributor," to clarify the types of facilities involved in the program. It also modifies existing definitions, such as the "drycleaner environmental response fund," and expands the scope of contamination to include soil gas vapor. The bill outlines the responsibilities of the commissioner, including developing remediation strategies, managing the fund, and establishing guidelines for prioritizing petitions from registered facilities seeking access to the fund.

Additionally, the bill sets forth registration requirements for drycleaning facilities and recently abandoned facilities, including annual fees and compliance with operational standards. It establishes penalties for non-compliance and clarifies the liability protections for owners or operators of registered facilities, provided they meet certain conditions. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, ensuring that the necessary regulatory framework is in place to manage environmental responses related to drycleaning operations effectively.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 68-217-102, 68-217-102(5), 68-217-102(10), 68-217-102(13), 68-217-102(14), 68-217-105, 68-217-106, 68-217-107, 68-217-108, 68-217-111