The Tennessee legislature: how it works
What your state legislature controls covers the general powers. This page profiles Tennessee's legislature.
The basics
The Tennessee General Assembly is a bicameral, part-time citizen legislature: a 99-member House of Representatives serving 2-year terms, and a 33-member Senate serving staggered 4-year terms, so roughly half the Senate is up for election in any given cycle. The legislature meets in a two-year cycle called a General Assembly, split into two annual sessions. The state constitution caps it at 90 floor session days across the two-year period, plus up to 15 organizational days at the start of a new term, which keeps most legislators working other jobs alongside their legislative duties. Bills that do not pass in the first year of a General Assembly carry over to the second year rather than dying. The current General Assembly is the 114th. Its second regular session convened January 13, 2026, and adjourned sine die April 23, 2026.
Who controls it now
Tennessee has a Republican trifecta. Republicans hold 75 of 99 House seats and 27 of 33 Senate seats. Governor Bill Lee, a Republican first elected in 2018, is serving his second term, which runs through January 2027. He is term-limited and cannot seek re-election in 2026.
Where to go
- Tennessee General Assembly: https://www.capitol.tn.gov
- Bill tracking and calendars: https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov