Senate Bill 2248 and House Bill 2560 aim to amend the Tennessee Code Annotated to establish the Department of the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA) and define its operational structure. The bills introduce a new part within Title 4 dedicated to TEMA, detailing the department's powers, duties, and the continuation of existing contracts and policies. They also clarify the roles of the commissioner and the department in coordinating emergency management efforts statewide. Key amendments include replacing references to the "Tennessee emergency management agency" with "department of TEMA" and updating terminology to reflect the new structure.

Additionally, the bills propose specific changes to various sections of the Tennessee Code, such as substituting "the director" with "the commissioner" in Section 58-2-904(e) and consistently updating references to TEMA throughout multiple sections. A new subdivision under Section 4-29-249(a) is also created to formalize the establishment of TEMA. These legislative changes are designed to enhance the state's emergency management framework, ensuring effective coordination and response during emergencies, with the act set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 58-2-104(c), 58-2-104
Amended with HA1064 -- 04/14/2026: 58-2-104(c), 58-2-104, 4-3-101, 4-3-111, 4-3-1017(a)(1), 4-3-1017, 4-29-250(a), 4-29-250, 9-4-215(a), 9-4-215, 9-4-216, 16-3-818(a)(18), 16-3-818, 39-13-902, 39-17-1315(a)(1)(A)(ii), 39-17-1315, 55-8-199(d)(4), 55-8-199, 58-1-114, 58-2-101, 58-2-103(a)(1), 58-2-103, 58-2-103(a)(2), 58-2-106, 58-2-107, 58-2-107(k), 58-2-108, 58-2-109, 58-2-110, 58-2-111, 58-2-113, 58-2-114, 58-2-115, 58-2-116, 58-2-118(a), 58-2-118, 58-2-121, 58-2-123, 58-2-124, 58-2-127, 58-2-501(b), 58-2-501, 58-2-601, 58-2-602, 58-2-603, 58-2-802, 58-2-804, 58-2-805, 58-2-808(c), 58-2-808, 58-2-809(b), 58-2-809, 58-2-810, 58-2-904(e), 58-2-904, 58-2-905, 58-8-111(f), 58-8-111, 58-8-112, 58-8-113, 58-9-104(2), 58-9-104, 62-2-109(c)(3), 62-2-109, 65-15-114, 68-202-104(c), 68-202-104, 68-212-311, 71-4-2103(a), 71-4-2103
Amended with HA1064, SA1034 -- 04/21/2026: 58-2-104(c), 58-2-104, 4-3-101, 4-3-111, 4-3-1017(a)(1), 4-3-1017, 4-29-250(a), 4-29-250, 9-4-215(a), 9-4-215, 9-4-216, 16-3-818(a)(18), 16-3-818, 39-13-902, 39-17-1315(a)(1)(A)(ii), 39-17-1315, 55-8-199(d)(4), 55-8-199, 58-1-114, 58-2-101, 58-2-103(a)(1), 58-2-103, 58-2-103(a)(2), 58-2-106, 58-2-107, 58-2-107(k), 58-2-108, 58-2-109, 58-2-110, 58-2-111, 58-2-113, 58-2-114, 58-2-115, 58-2-116, 58-2-118(a), 58-2-118, 58-2-121, 58-2-123, 58-2-124, 58-2-127, 58-2-501(b), 58-2-501, 58-2-601, 58-2-602, 58-2-603, 58-2-802, 58-2-804, 58-2-805, 58-2-808(c), 58-2-808, 58-2-809(b), 58-2-809, 58-2-810, 58-2-904(e), 58-2-904, 58-2-905, 58-8-111(f), 58-8-111, 58-8-112, 58-8-113, 58-9-104(2), 58-9-104, 62-2-109(c)(3), 62-2-109, 65-15-114, 68-202-104(c), 68-202-104, 68-212-311, 71-4-2103(a), 71-4-2103, 4-29-249(a), 4-29-249