Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 82.

Present law establishes general provisions regarding the election of commissioners for a utility district under the Utility District Law of 1937 (including that generally have three commissioners), and contains several exceptions to the general provisions. This bill adds the following to those provisions:<br /> <br /> (1) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the membership of the board of commissioners for any multi-county natural gas utility district whose present service area primarily lies within the boundaries of Anderson County and Campbell County must be as provided below;<br /> <br /> (2) On January 1, 2022, board membership from Campbell County will be increased by one member giving such county two members on the board. In order to stagger the terms of the member appointed under this provision and the rotating member appointed under item (3) below, the member appointed under this provision will serve an initial term that expires on January 1, 2023, at which time a new member will be appointed from Campbell County. Following the expiration of such initial term, such member will serve a four-year term that begins on January 1 and terminates on December 31, four years later; and<br /> <br /> (3) On January 1, 2022, board membership will be increased by the appointment of a second member, thereby bringing the total number of members on the board to five. This second member is to be selected from either county as a rotating member who resides in one of the two counties served by the utility district. In order to stagger the terms of the rotating member appointed under this provision and the member appointed under item (2) above, the rotating member's initial term will expire on January 1, 2024, at which time a new member will be appointed from the other county served by the utility district, with subsequent terms of such member to rotate accordingly between the two counties. Following the expiration of the rotating member's initial term, the rotating member will serve a four-year term that begins on January 1 and terminates on December 31, four years later.<br /> <br /> This bill sets out in detail the process for the new members, including that the mayor of the county from which a new member is to be appointed will select a person from a list of candidates submitted to the mayor and the nomination will be subject to a vote by the county commission of the applicable county. This bill also sets out the process for filling a vacancy.<br /> <br /> This bill also provides that a contract entered into or renewed after July 1, 2021, for the sale of natural gas to a natural gas utility district described in this bill must not, and it is against public policy for such a contract to, contain a clause that prohibits the district from lawfully selling natural gas to other municipalities or governmental entities.<br />