Bill
HR 1373
Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2025 expands Sunshine Act coverage to TVA board deliberations, requires online meeting notices and records, with narrow exemptions.
Note on bill identity
- The materials you provided include two conflicting descriptions for H.R. 1373. The main legislative text and committee report (H. Rept. 119-140) describe H.R. 1373 as the "Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2025." The header you supplied at the top (a memorial/resolution honoring Lawrence Fitzpatrick) appears to be a different item. This summary covers the Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2025, which is the bill text and report included in your materials. If you intended the memorial resolution, tell me and I will summarize that instead.
Summary: Tennessee Valley Authority Transparency Act of 2025 (H.R. 1373)
Purpose
- To increase public transparency of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board meetings by clarifying which TVA deliberations are subject to the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. § 552b) and by requiring public notice and online publication of meeting information, while preserving narrowly tailored commercial and security exemptions.
Key provisions and changes
- Board meeting frequency: Requires the TVA Board to meet at least four times per year.
- Expanded definition of “meeting” for Sunshine Act purposes: Amends Section 2(g)(2) of the TVA Act to specify that “meeting” includes deliberations of the Board, committees, and subcommittees even when no vote is scheduled — making such deliberations subject to the open-meetings requirements of 5 U.S.C. § 552b.
- Notice requirements:
- Public announcements of meetings must include publication on the TVA Board’s website.
- The one-week prior public notice requirement for meetings may be waived for meetings designated by the Board chairman as emergency special meetings.
- Public posting of records: Requires the Board to publish on its website any information required to be disclosed under 5 U.S.C. § 552b (minutes, certifications, etc.).
- Permitted exemptions: For portions of meetings or related information, the Board may withhold disclosure consistent with § 552b for:
- Information relating to power availability requests.
- Information relating to contract negotiations (including labor relations and procurement actions) where disclosure would jeopardize the Corporation’s competitive position.
- Conforming changes preserve other statutory exemptions under the Sunshine Act.
Who is affected
- TVA Board members, committees, and staff (new transparency and publication duties).
- TVA contractors, labor representatives, and counterparties (certain negotiation-related information remains protected).
- Residents and stakeholders of the Tennessee Valley region and the general public (improved access to Board deliberations, notices, and records).
- Potentially TVA’s competitive posture is protected by the permitted exemptions.
Procedural and timeline notes
- Introduced in the House: February 14, 2025 (sponsor: Rep. Tim Burchett; cosponsors: Reps. Susie Lee and Steve Cohen).
- Committee action: Referred to House Transportation & Infrastructure; reported (amended) as H. Rept. 119-140 (June 5, 2025).
- House passage: Passed under suspension of the rules, as amended, by voice vote (June 9, 2025).
- Senate: Received and read twice; referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (June 10, 2025).
- Report includes a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate (detail not reproduced here).
Impact overview
- Increases transparency and public access to TVA Board deliberations and records by bringing more Board activity under the Sunshine Act and requiring online publication.
- Balances transparency with protections for commercially sensitive information (power availability, contract/labor/procurement negotiations) and allows for emergency meetings with abbreviated notice when necessary.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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