HB 22
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
December 23, 2024
Fiscal Analyst: Justin Billingsley | Email: justin.billingsley@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 22
SUMMARY OF BILL: Requires a governing body subject to the Open Meetings Act to reserve
a period for public comment on any matter that is germane to the body’s jurisdiction, regardless of
whether such matter is an item on the agenda of the public meeting.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-44-112(a), a governing body shall, for each public
meeting, reserve a period for public comment to provide the public with the opportunity to
comment on matters that are germane to the items on the agenda for the meeting. Certain
disciplinary hearings and meetings for which there are no actionable items on the agenda
are excluded from this requirement.
• Additionally, Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-44-112(b) authorizes a governing body to put reasonable
restrictions on the period for public comment, such as the length of the period, the number
of speakers, and the length of time allotted to each speaker.
• Requiring a governing body to reserve a period for public comment on items that are
germane to the body’s jurisdiction, regardless of whether such matter is an item on the
agenda of the meeting, will result in no significant fiscal impact to state or local
government.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director