On May 19, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed HB 1913 into law. The bill introduces a REINS-style requirement for agency rulemaking, under which the legislature must approve of proposed rules exceeding a cost threshold. The bill also requires rulemaking agencies to seek feedback from trade organizations that would be affected by a proposed rule, and to include this feedback in a required fiscal impact statement. Tennessee is the second state to enact a REINS-style law in 2026 (after South Dakota), and the 11th state to do so since 2010.
The bill was introduced in the Tennessee House of Representatives on Jan. 22. It passed the House 76-16 on April 13, with four Democrats joining 72 Republicans in voting yes, and 16 Democrats voting no. It passed the Tennessee Senate 24-4 on April 16, with 24 Republicans voting yes and one Republican joining three Democrats in voting no. The bill was delivered to Gov. Lee for signature on May 7.
What does the law do?
