Tennessee Bill Transfers Consumer Protection Responsibilities to Attorney General

Tennessee lawmakers recently passed HB 948, which restructures the state’s primary consumer protection regulator, the Department of Commerce and Insurance Division of Consumer Affairs. Under the new law, the Division will be dismantled, and its current responsibilities, budget, and staff will be transferred to the Office of the Attorney General. Although the majority of changes are structural only, the bill also authorizes a court to order parties to a dispute under the Consumer Protection Act to engage in pre-trial mediation. HB 948 will take effect on September 30, 2019.