---
type: "Bill"
title: "Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, revises various provisions relative to utility districts, wastewater facilities, the utility management review board, and the water and wastewater financing board; allows utility districts to sell certain appliances and heating systems with natural gas or propane component and to offer installment payment plans and financing to customers for such purchases. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 82 and Title 68, Chapter 221."
description: "Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, revises various provisions relative to utility districts, wastewater facilities, the utility management review board, and the water and wastewater financing board; allows utility districts to sell certain appliances and heating systems with natural gas or propane component and to offer installment payment plans and financing to customers for such purchases. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 82 and Title 68, Chapter 221."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "110"
identifier: "SB 159"
citation: "Tennessee SB 159 (110)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Utilities", "Utility Districts"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hensley", "Marsh"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 42
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2017-01-27"
last_action: "2017-04-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/48af1926-55ec-49bb-9849-f79bedbddac9"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0159&GA=110"
source_hash: "3f5e467d8ad18b677b8d1ad50e5871e2ff171d3c97bdebd3bc3db388dfbe77f4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tn"]
---

# Tennessee SB 159 (110) — Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, revises various provisions relative to utility districts, wastewater facilities, the utility management review board, and the water and wastewater financing board; allows utility districts to sell certain appliances and heating systems with natural gas or propane component and to offer installment payment plans and financing to customers for such purchases. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 82 and Title 68, Chapter 221.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Bill/SB0159.pdf)

## Votes

- SENATE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee 3/14/2017 Passed — **8–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/6/2017 Passed — **94–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: THIRD CONSIDERATION AMENDED 3/20/2017 Passed (1) — **26–2** (pass) · upper
- SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0 3/8/2017 Passed — **8–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Hensley — primary (person)
- Marsh — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-27** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-01-27** Filed for intro. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2017-01-30** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2017-01-30** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2017-02-01** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Government Operations Committee
- **2017-02-01** P2C, ref. to Business and Utilities Committee-- Government Operations for Review `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-03** Assigned to s/c Business and Utilities Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-02-22** Placed on s/c cal Business and Utilities Subcommittee for 2/28/2017
- **2017-02-28** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Business and Utilities Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-01** Placed on cal. Business and Utilities Committee for 3/8/2017
- **2017-03-02** Placed on Senate Government Operations Committee calendar for 3/8/2017
- **2017-03-08** Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee calendar for 3/14/2017
- **2017-03-08** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2017-03-08** Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/15/2017
- **2017-03-08** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-14** Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
- **2017-03-15** Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee for 3/22/2017
- **2017-03-15** Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2017-03-15** Rec. for pass; ref to Finance, Ways & Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-17** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar calendar for 3/20/2017
- **2017-03-20** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 26, Nays 2 `passage`
- **2017-03-20** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0088)
- **2017-03-21** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2017-03-22** Placed on cal. Finance, Ways & Means Committee for 3/28/2017
- **2017-03-22** Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Finance, Ways & Means Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-23** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2017-03-28** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2017-03-29** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/30/2017
- **2017-03-30** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/6/2017
- **2017-04-06** Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2017-04-06** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0068) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2017-04-06** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2017-04-06** Comp. SB subst.
- **2017-04-06** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2017-04-07** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2017-04-10** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2017-04-10** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2017-04-11** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2017-04-17** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2017-04-19** Pub. Ch. 129
- **2017-04-19** Effective date(s) 04/17/2017
- **2017-04-19** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 129

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/48af1926-55ec-49bb-9849-f79bedbddac9`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).