WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SB 2004

Civil Emergencies - As introduced, authorizes a governmental entity that responded to a request for aid during an emergency by another governmental agency to request additional time to forward an itemized invoice of the reimbursable costs for the emergency aid to the requesting governmental entity. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 58, Chapter 2 and Title 58, Chapter 8.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Tom Hatcher

Allows Tennessee government agencies providing emergency aid to request extended time for submitting itemized cost invoices to requesting agencies for reimbursement.

Action deferred in Senate State and Local Government Committee to 3/24/2026
#civilemergencies
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 2004

Legislative bill overview

SB 2004 allows governmental entities that provide emergency aid to other agencies to request additional time before submitting itemized invoices for reimbursement of those emergency costs. The bill modifies Tennessee's civil emergency response statutes across multiple title codes to accommodate this extended timeline for cost documentation and billing.

Why is this important

Emergency response often requires rapid deployment of resources without time to document expenses in real-time. This bill acknowledges the practical reality that detailed cost accounting may take longer than the initial emergency response, potentially reducing administrative burden on responding agencies and preventing disputes over incomplete or hastily prepared invoices that could delay reimbursement.

Potential points of contention

  • Ambiguous timeline: The bill authorizes "additional time" but does not specify how much time is reasonable, potentially creating disputes over what constitutes acceptable delay and leaving room for inconsistent interpretation across agencies
  • Reimbursement accountability: Extended invoicing periods could complicate budget tracking and create cash flow issues for responding agencies, while also potentially allowing cost inflation or loss of documentation accuracy as time passes
  • Inequitable burden: Smaller or under-resourced governmental entities may struggle more with extended billing timelines, potentially creating disparities in how quickly different agencies recover emergency response costs

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.