---
type: "Bill"
title: "Water Pollution - As enacted, defines \"system of incentives\" to include regulatory flexibility recognizing increased environmental performance and enhanced water quality under specified permitted activities through permit conditions pursuant to duly promulgated rules. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7, Chapter 35; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69."
description: "Water Pollution - As enacted, defines \"system of incentives\" to include regulatory flexibility recognizing increased environmental performance and enhanced water quality under specified permitted activities through permit conditions pursuant to duly promulgated rules. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7, Chapter 35; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "112"
identifier: "SB 790"
citation: "Tennessee SB 790 (112)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Water Pollution"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Grills", "Walley"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 36
vote_count: 8
first_action: "2021-02-09"
last_action: "2021-05-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a51eecf7-cb7a-4f35-b209-a296dd2d0afd"
source_url: "http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0790&GA=112"
source_hash: "d0859df65cf30b951792b8fd10bbbceb2475391fb82acb07935aedfd7f1f5ea6"
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 790 (112) — Water Pollution - As enacted, defines "system of incentives" to include regulatory flexibility recognizing increased environmental performance and enhanced water quality under specified permitted activities through permit conditions pursuant to duly promulgated rules. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7, Chapter 35; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0081** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/HA0081.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0054** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0054.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/SB0790.pdf)

## Votes

- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/14/2021 Passed (1) — **90–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2021 4/8/2021 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee 3/17/2021 — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee 3/9/2021 (4) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- HOUSE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/29/2021 (3) — **0–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/15/2021 Passed (1) — **31–0** (pass) · upper
- SENATE ENERGY, AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE: Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0 3/10/2021 Passed — **9–0** (pass) · upper
- FLOOR VOTE: 3/15/2021 Passed (2) — **31–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Grills — primary (person)
- Walley — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-02-09** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-10** Introduced, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2021-02-10** Filed for introduction `introduction, reading-1`
- **2021-02-11** Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee
- **2021-02-22** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2021-02-24** Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-24** P2C, ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee -- Government Operations for Review `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-03** Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/10/2021
- **2021-03-03** Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/9/2021
- **2021-03-09** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-10** Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0
- **2021-03-10** Placed on cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/17/2021
- **2021-03-11** Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/15/2021
- **2021-03-15** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-03-15** Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
- **2021-03-15** Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2021-03-15** Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0054)
- **2021-03-17** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Government Operations Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-03-18** Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.
- **2021-03-24** Placed on cal. Government Operations Committee for 3/29/2021
- **2021-03-29** Rec. for pass; ref to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-04-07** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/8/2021
- **2021-04-08** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2021
- **2021-04-14** Enrolled and ready for signatures
- **2021-04-14** Passed H., Ayes 90, Nays 0, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2021-04-14** Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0081) `amendment-withdrawal`
- **2021-04-14** Subst. for comp. HB.
- **2021-04-14** Comp. SB subst.
- **2021-04-14** Sponsor(s) Added.
- **2021-04-20** Signed by Senate Speaker
- **2021-04-21** Signed by H. Speaker
- **2021-04-22** Transmitted to Governor for action.
- **2021-04-28** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2021-05-04** Effective date(s) 4/28/2021
- **2021-05-04** Pub. Ch. 263
- **2021-05-04** Comp. became Pub. Ch. 263

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a51eecf7-cb7a-4f35-b209-a296dd2d0afd`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).