Utilities, Utility Districts - As enacted, clarifies that prior to the acquisition of assets of a natural gas utility regulated by the Tennessee public utility commission by a new owner or any other change in control of such assets, the commission has exclusive authority to approve the acquisition or change in control, including the assignment of franchise rights, upon a finding by the commission that such transfers of assets or control is in the public interest. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 65; Title 68 and Title 69.

SB 717 requires Tennessee public utilities (like water, gas, and electric providers in counties or cities) to let customers choose their own contractors for installing utility infrastructure, rather than forcing customers to use the utility’s own services. Utilities may still set reasonable construction and material specifications but cannot mandate specific vendors or manufacturers. The bill also sets a 30-day timeline for utilities to review customer plans (capping fees at $1,000) and automatically approves plans if reviews exceed this timeframe or fees are too high. This directly affects residential and business customers of Tennessee utilities who want to hire independent contractors for new installations.