House Bill 1676 and Senate Bill 1739 propose amendments to the Tennessee Code Annotated regarding the establishment and operation of the North East Tennessee Railroad Authority. The bill creates the authority specifically for the counties of Anderson, Campbell, Scott, Claiborne, Union, and Grainger, with the aim of securing economic benefits and ensuring the continuation of railroad services in these areas. The bill also modifies the membership criteria for the authority, allowing four or more of the specified counties to join by a two-thirds vote of their governing bodies.

Additionally, the bill outlines new regulations for the authority's contracting processes. It mandates that all contracts must comply with existing statutes and regulations governing county government contracting, particularly emphasizing that contracts exceeding a certain financial threshold must be publicly advertised for bids. This threshold is defined in accordance with Tennessee Code § 12-3-1212. The bill also allows for exceptions in emergency situations where immediate procurement is necessary. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 64-2-101, 64-2-102, 64-2-110