House Bill 1913, also known as the "Regulatory Freedom Act of 2026," amends various provisions of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to administrative rules. Key changes include the requirement for agencies to prominently publish new or amended rules on their homepage and to notify relevant trade associations at least 45 days prior to public hearings. The bill introduces a definition for "fiscal impact statement," which estimates the actual cost of compliance for new or amended rules, and mandates that agencies generate these statements for rules anticipated to have a negative fiscal effect. Additionally, agencies must compile annual reports detailing the cumulative fiscal impact of rules enacted in the previous year.

The bill also establishes new procedures for rules with significant fiscal impacts. If a rule's fiscal impact exceeds $750,000, it may be reviewed by the legislative director of the fiscal review committee for an independent assessment. Furthermore, rules with a negative fiscal impact exceeding $1 million will only take effect upon approval by a majority vote in both legislative chambers. The act allows agencies to repeal rules before their expiration, provided they notify the appropriate legislative bodies, although this does not apply to rules expected to result in significant revenue loss. Lastly, the bill outlines specific requirements for fiscal impact statements related to emergency rules, including deadlines for filing and conditions under which such rules may expire.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 4-5-203(a)(2), 4-5-203, 4-5-226, 4-5-208