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SB 1298

Railroads - As enacted, changes, from the governor to the commissioner of safety, the authority to whom a railroad company may apply to and who commissions an agent or employee as a railroad police officer. - Amends TCA Section 65-6-133.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026)

SB 1298 shifts the authority to commission railroad police officers from the Governor to the Commissioner of Safety, effective immediately.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 85
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Bill Summary · SB 1298

Summary of Bill: SB 1298 (Session 114) — Tennessee

Purpose and intent

  • The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 65-6-133 to change which state official has the authority to accept applications and commission railroad police officers (agents, servants, or employees) for railroad companies operating in Tennessee.
  • Specifically, it shifts the authority from the Governor to the Commissioner of Safety (Department of Safety).

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 1: § 65-6-133(a)

    • Replaces the word “governor” with “commissioner of safety.”
    • Meaning: Railroad companies may apply to the Commissioner of Safety, rather than the Governor, to commission certain company personnel as railroad police officers.

  • Section 2: § 65-6-133(b)

    • Replaces references to “governor” with “commissioner” (i.e., the appropriate managerial authority within the state for commissioning railroad police officers is now the Commissioner of Safety).

  • Section 3: Effective date

    • The act becomes effective upon becoming a law (no separate delayed effective date).

Affected parties and scope

  • Railroad companies operating in Tennessee that seek to have agents, servants, or employees commissioned as railroad police officers.
  • State agencies previously involved: Office of the Governor (as the commissioning authority) and the Governor’s office.
  • New commissioning authority: Commissioner of Safety (Department of Safety).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative history indicates a standard flow: introduction, committee consideration, passage, and signing into law.
  • The fiscal note indicates:
    • No significant impact on state revenue or expenditures.
    • The Department of Safety already has comparable authority to commission peace officers for other entities (e.g., Office of Homeland Security and Tennessee Valley Authority); the department can absorb the additional workload within existing resources.
  • Implementation: After enactment, railroad companies would submit applications to the Commissioner of Safety instead of the Governor.

Fiscal considerations

  • Fiscal impact: Not significant.
  • Administrative impact: The DOS is expected to manage the added workload without needing new resources.

Bottom line

SB 1298 relocates the authority to commission railroad police officers from the Governor to the Commissioner of Safety. This aligns railroad police commissioning with the department’s existing authority to appoint peace officers for other state entities, is not expected to affect state revenue or staffing significantly, and takes effect immediately upon the law’s enactment.

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

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