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SB 787

Labor and Workforce Development, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the chief elevator inspector to perform a final acceptance inspection upon completion of the installation, modification, or alteration of a private residence elevator prior to such elevator entering service; requires a homeowner to register a private residence elevator with the department; directs the chief elevator inspector to develop and maintain a database of private residence elevators. - Amends TCA Title 68, Chapter 121.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Page Walley

Requires final inspection and registration with DLWD for private residence elevators, plus a public database and ownership-change notices.

Failed in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
#dept.of #laborandworkforcedevelopment
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Bill Summary · SB 787

Summary: SB 787 / TN 114th Session – Private Residence Elevators (Labor and Workforce Development)

Purpose and Intent

  • Establishes requirements related to private residence elevators (PRS) in Tennessee.
  • Key goal: ensure safety through a mandatory final acceptance inspection and formal registration of PRS with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD), and to create a centralized database of PRS.

Definitions

  • A “private residence elevator” is defined as an elevator:
    • Constructed for a single family or a single unit of a multi-family dwelling, and
    • Not open to the public.

Key Provisions

  1. Final Acceptance Inspection Requirement

    • The Chief Elevator Inspector must conduct a final acceptance inspection before a new PRS can be placed in service after installation, modification, or alteration.
    • This inspection must occur prior to the elevator entering service.

  2. Mandatory Registration

    • Homeowners must register their PRS with the DLWD after the final acceptance inspection.
    • Registration must be on a form provided by the DLWD.
    • Registration deadline: no later than seven days after the elevator is placed in service (per amended language in fiscal notes; the bill text notes “upon completion of the final acceptance inspection” and then “registration must be made on a form furnished by the department,” with no explicit seven-day deadline in the main bill text, but the fiscal note references seven days).

  3. Owner Change Notification

    • If ownership of a property containing a PRS changes, the new owner must inform DLWD within 60 days of acquisition.

  4. Database Creation and Maintenance

    • The Chief Elevator Inspector is designated to develop and maintain a database of private residence elevators.

  5. Effective Date

    • The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Who/What Is Affected

  • Private Residence Elevators: New regulatory oversight, including final inspections, registration, and database tracking.
  • Homeowners: Responsible for obtaining permits (construction and final inspection) and registering PRS with DLWD; must notify DLWD of ownership changes.
  • Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) and specifically the Chief Elevator Inspector: Implement final inspections, process registrations, and maintain the PRS database.
  • State Government Finances: Potential revenue from permit fees and increased expenditures for additional inspectors and related costs (see fiscal notes).

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Inspections: Final acceptance inspection must occur before PRS can be placed in service.
  • Registration Timeline: Registration required after inspection; a specified deadline appears to be within seven days of placing in service (per fiscal notes; main text references “upon completion” and “form furnished by the department”).
  • Ownership Change Notification: 60-day window to inform DLWD of ownership transfer.
  • Funding and Personnel:
    • Fiscal note anticipates two additional Elevator Inspector-1 positions beginning in FY 2026-27.
    • Estimated one-time equipment cost and annual ongoing costs for travel, vehicles, training, and Internet.
    • Anticipated annual General Fund revenue of approximately $140,000 beginning FY 2025-26 from permit fees (assumes 350 private elevators require permits annually, with $400 per elevator in permits: $200 construction permit + $200 final inspection permit).
    • Total estimated FY25-26 expenditures: about $242,600; ongoing FY26-27 and beyond: about $237,500.
  • Database: To be developed and maintained within existing resources if feasible.

Practical Impact

  • Strengthens safety oversight for PRS by ensuring an official final inspection prior to use.
  • Creates a centralized publicly accessible (via DLWD) database of PRS for accountability and monitoring.
  • Establishes a permit-based revenue mechanism to support program administration and staffing increases.
  • Requires homeowners to comply with ownership and registration requirements, integrating PRS into state regulatory systems.

Status

  • Referred actions indicate progression and committee hearings in the 2025 session, with amendments reflected in fiscal analyses.
  • As of the latest available data, the bill passed initial readings and faced committee consideration (noting recorded committee activity and a committee decision in March 2025).

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side of the bill text vs. amended fiscal notes to highlight exact changes and how they align with the final provisions.

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

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