Tenn. Code Ann. § 13-3-101 (2026)

• (a) The department of economic and community development may create and establish planning regions and define the boundaries respectively of such planning regions. Any such planning region may, in accordance with the boundary definition made by the department, be composed of the territory of a single county or of two (2) or more contiguous whole counties or of a part of a county or of contiguous parts of two (2) or more counties or of one (1) or more counties, together with a part or parts of another county or other counties or any other territory as designated and defined by the department whether the boundaries thereof conform to any existing boundary or boundaries of a county or counties of other political subdivision or subdivisions or do not so conform.

• (b) The department may create and establish a regional planning commission of any planning region created and defined under this section, with members selected in accordance with subsections (c)-(h); however, if the planning region consists of a single county, the members of the regional planning commission are to be selected according to provisions of subsection (i).

• (c)
  • (1) The number of members of any such commission shall be determined by the commissioner, but shall not be less than five (5) nor more than fifteen (15).
  • (2) The commissioner may designate, as members of a regional planning commission, persons who are members of county legislative bodies or of boards of aldermen or commissioners or other municipal legislative bodies; provided, that the members of the regional planning commission, so designated from county and municipal legislative bodies shall be less in number than a majority of the commission, and that not less than a majority of the members of the commission shall hold no salaried public office or position whatever, excepting offices or faculty memberships of a university or other educational institution.
  • (3) Each person shall be nominated in writing by the chief elected officer of any county having a metropolitan form of government, the county mayor of any other county, or the chief elected officer of any municipality lying inside of the boundary of the planning region before being designated by the commissioner.
  • (4) All nominations must be received by the department within thirty (30) days after the creation of a new regional planning commission or within thirty (30) days after a position is vacated on an existing commission. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a member of any commission is authorized to continue to serve until the member's successor has been nominated and approved as stated herein.
  • (5) In making such appointments, the commissioner shall strive to ensure that the racial composition of each regional planning commission is at least proportionately reflective of the region's racial minority population.

• (d)
  • (1) Except as provided in subdivision (d)(2), the county or municipal legislative body of a local government participating in a regional planning region may establish the compensation for each member nominated by the respective unit of local government. All reimbursement for travel expenses shall be in accordance with the comprehensive travel regulations as promulgated by the department of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general and reporter.
  • (2) If members of such commission also serve as the zoning board for any county which has adopted zoning, such members may be compensated in an amount to be fixed by the county legislative body of such county and may be allowed necessary traveling and other expenses while engaged in the work of or for the commission or the zoning board.

• (e)
  • (1) The term of any member designated from a county or municipal legislative body shall be coterminous with such member's then term as a member of such county or municipal body.
  • (2) The terms of appointed members, as distinguished from members designated from a county or municipal legislative body, shall be four (4) years, except that the terms of three (3) of the members first appointed to any regional commission shall be one (1), two (2) and three (3) years respectively.

• (f) The commissioner may remove a member of such a commission for cause specified in writing served on the member and after hearing, of which such member shall be given not less than fifteen (15) days' written notice.

• (g) Any vacancy in the membership of such a commission shall be filled by the commissioner for the unexpired term, except that if such vacancy is filled by designation from a county or municipal legislative body, the term of the member so designated shall be coterminous with such member's then term as member of such body.

• (h) Authority granted under this section to the commissioner or to the department shall be exercised with the approval of the local government planning advisory committee.

• (i)
  • (1) In the event the boundaries of an existing planning region, as determined by the department of economic and community development, conform to the existing boundaries of a single county, the members of the regional planning commission for that region shall be appointed by the county mayor, subject to confirmation by the county legislative body.
  • (2) The number of members of any such commission shall be determined by the county legislative body, but shall not be less than five (5) nor more than fifteen (15).
  • (3) The composition of such regional planning commission, the compensation of its members and the terms of service are subject to the same restrictions as stated in subdivision (c)(2) and subsections (d) and (e).
  • (4) Any vacancy in the membership of such regional planning commission shall be filled through appointment by the county mayor, subject to confirmation by the county legislative body.
  • (5) The county legislative body may remove a member of such a commission for cause specified in writing served on the member and after hearing, of which such member shall be given not less than fifteen (15) days' written notice.
  • (6) A member of any such regional planning commission who is serving on the date this provision becomes effective may continue to serve for the term to which that person was appointed.
  • (7) In the event that a county and a municipality or municipalities lying within such county, pursuant to local agreement, statute, or otherwise, participate jointly in a planning region, then members of the planning commission for such a region shall be selected and governed according to subsections (c)-(h).

• (j)
  • (1) Each planning commissioner shall, within one (1) year of initial appointment and each calendar year thereafter, attend a minimum of four (4) hours of training and continuing education in one (1) or more of the subjects listed in subdivision (j)(5). At least one (1) hour of the annual education requirement shall concentrate on the rights of private property owners and the relationship of those rights to the public planning process.
  • (2) Each full-time or contract professional planner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the planning commission shall, each calendar year, attend a minimum of eight (8) hours of training and continuing education in one (1) or more of the subjects listed in subdivision (j)(5). A professional planner who is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) shall be exempt from this requirement.
  • (3) Each of the individuals listed in subdivisions (j)(1) and (2) shall certify by December 31 of each calendar year such individual's attendance by a written statement filed with the secretary of such individual's respective planning commission. Each statement shall identify the date of each program attended, its subject matter, location, sponsors, and the time spent in each program. A professional planner who is a member of the AICP shall be exempt from this requirement.
  • (4) The legislative body of a county in a single county regional planning commission, or the legislative bodies of the counties in a multiple county planning commission, or the legislative bodies of the county and the municipality in a joint municipal and county planning commission shall be responsible for paying the training and continuing education course registration and travel expenses for each planning commissioner and full-time professional planner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the planning commission.
  • (5) The subjects for the training and continuing education required by subdivisions (j)(1) and (2) shall include, but not be limited to, the following: land use planning; zoning; flood plain management; transportation; community facilities; ethics; public utilities; wireless telecommunications facilities; parliamentary procedure; public hearing procedure; land use law; natural resources and agricultural land conservation; economic development; housing; public buildings; land subdivision; and powers and duties of the planning commission. Other topics reasonably related to the duties of planning commission members or professional planners or other administrative officials whose duties include advising the planning commission may be approved by majority vote of the planning commission prior to December 31 of the year for which credit is sought.
  • (6) Each local planning commission shall keep its official public record originals of all statements and the written documentation of attendance required to comply with these provisions for three (3) years after the calendar year in which each statement and appurtenant written documentation is filed.
  • (7) Each planning commissioner and each professional planner or other administrative official whose duties include advising the planning commission shall be responsible for obtaining written documentation signed by a representative of the sponsor of any training and continuing education course for which credit is claimed, acknowledging the fact that the individual attended the program for which credit is claimed. A member of the AICP shall be exempt from this requirement.
  • (8) If a planning commissioner fails to complete the requisite number of hours of training and continuing education within the time allotted by this subsection (j) or fails to file the statement required by this subsection (j), then this shall constitute a cause for the removal of the planning commission member from the planning commission.
  • (9) The legislative body of a county in a single county regional planning commission, the legislative bodies of the counties in a multiple county planning commission or the legislative bodies of the county and the municipality in a joint municipal and county planning commission may, at any time, opt out of this subsection (j) by passage of a resolution or ordinance, as appropriate; provided, that for a multiple county planning commission or joint municipal/county planning commission, all governmental entities included in such multiple or joint planning commission must pass the resolution or ordinance in order to opt out of this provision. Further, any such legislative bodies that have opted out may, at a later date, opt in by passage of a resolution or ordinance in the same manner required to opt out.

Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 456,s 4, eff. 5/20/2013.

Acts 1935, ch. 43, § 9; mod. C. Supp. 1950, § 3291.15 (Williams, § 552.15); Acts 1972, ch. 542, § 13; 1976, ch. 806, § 1(137); impl. am. Acts 1978, ch. 934, §§ 7, 16, 36; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 13-201; Acts 1982, ch. 619, § 1; 1983, ch. 442, §§ 7, 8; 1993, ch. 135, § 1; 1993, ch. 394, §§ 1, 2; 1995, ch. 98, §§ 1, 2; 1995, ch. 501, § 10; 1996, ch. 977, § 1; 1999, ch. 93, § 1; 2002, ch. 862, § 2; 2003, ch. 90, § 2; 2009, ch. 47, §§ 1-3.