Tennessee Senate suspends next week’s sessions, sets interim bill-filing deadlines amid weather forecast

The Tennessee Senate voted Monday to suspend floor and committee activity for the coming week because of a forecast for inclement weather, adopting a short schedule and setting temporary filing rules for legislation.

Leader Johnson moved that, due to the forecasted conditions, "the senate will adjourn today and not be in session next week" and to suspend rules for immediate consideration of a resolution to permit the adjournment; the chamber approved the motion and adopted the resolution without objection.

The Senate also adopted a procedural motion to set bill-filing deadlines for the compressed period. Leader Johnson said: "All proposed senate legislation must be electronically submitted to the office of legal services for drafting by noon next Thursday, January 29, and then filed with the senate clerk by 5PM, Monday, February 2." He framed the Thursday electronic deadline as an intermediate step to avoid a flood of Monday morning submissions and said legal services would continue working while staff and members may be remote.

Members pressed staff capacity and timing during floor discussion. Chairman Watson and Senator Lamar asked whether legal services could meet tight timelines and how complex measures would be handled; Leader Johnson and other floor leaders said legal services would work remotely and suggested sponsors could submit a caption bill as a placeholder when a full draft needs more time.

The Senate also adopted the chamber's schedule for the week of Feb. 2, noting it will convene at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, and go into a joint convention at 5:45 p.m. for the governor's State of the State address. The Senate plans no floor session the following Wednesday and will resume regular floor business on Feb. 5.

In routine business the chamber approved multiple consent calendars and resolutions. Consent Calendar No. 1 (one memorializing resolution) passed with the clerk recording 32 ayes and no nays. Consent Calendar No. 2 (memorializing and congratulating resolutions) passed with 30 ayes; a requested item (HJR711) was bumped and one item (HJR759) was returned to the calendar because of an error. Senate Joint Resolution 5 39 was adopted on third and final consideration with the clerk recording 29 ayes and no nays.

Chairmen gave committee updates: the Transit Safety Committee announced a Feb. 20 deadline to file omnibus license-plate and bridge/road dedications; the Judiciary Committee reminded senators about limits on rolling bills and warned of a heavy docket; Commerce said it was coordinating a potential joint meeting with the Attorney General's committee for an economic report.

The Senate stood adjourned until 5:00 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, 2026.

What happens next: with the filing rules set, sponsors should coordinate with house counterparts and legal services on timing and consider submitting caption bills if full drafting time is not available. The schedule and deadlines adopted Monday will govern the chamber's activities if weather conditions remain as forecast.