SB 113 – HB 199
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 15, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Rebecca Chandler | Email: rebecca.chandler@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
SB 113 – HB 199
SUMMARY OF BILL: Requires county health departments in contract counties to adhere
to variances issued by the Commissioner of the Department of Environment and Conservation
(TDEC) for subsurface sewage disposal systems, removing their ability to impose more stringent
local requirements. Grants the Commissioner sole authority to approve these variances and
mandates that any granted variance be filed and recorded with the county register of deeds to notify
future property owners.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• The proposed legislation removes the discretion of county health departments in contract
counties to impose more stringent requirements than those set by the Commissioner when
a variance for a subsurface sewage disposal system is requested.
• Currently, the Commissioner of TDEC grants variances in contract counties only with
support from the county health department. The proposed legislation allows the
Commissioner to grant variances regardless of county health department approval, and
requires approved variances to be recorded with the county register of deeds to notify
future property owners.
• The proposed legislation shifts decision-making authority from county health departments
to the Commissioner without introducing new responsibilities or costs to the department,
resulting in no fiscal impact on state expenditures.
• The fiscal impact on county health departments is uncertain; however, since the proposed
legislation primarily transfers variance approval authority from the health departments to
the Commissioner, any effect is assumed to be not significant.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director