Senate Bill (item number 2) as amended would establish an African American Cultural and Historical Grant Fund administered by the Tennessee Historical Commission to support capital projects that preserve, rehabilitate or highlight sites and institutions that reflect the contributions and history of African Americans in Tennessee.

Sponsor Senator Akbari (as introduced in committee) described examples of sites the fund is intended to support, including the Claiborne Temple (Memphis), the Alex Haley House and Museum (Henning), Beale Street Historic District (Memphis), Fisk University galleries (Nashville), the Mecklemore House (Franklin), Eliza Harris Park (LaGrange), Fort Pillow State Historic Park (Henning), Green McAdoo Cultural Center (Clinton), Ida B. Wells Plaza (Memphis) and the National Museum of African American Art (Nashville). The bill as amended requires the Tennessee Historical Commission to establish guidelines for award criteria and to administer the fund from legislative appropriations, gifts, grants and donations.

Committee members debated a finance amendment (finance amendment number 1, drafting code 79‑50) that removes the resolution component and attaches a fiscal note (meaning the fund would require appropriation and thus be considered in the budget). The sponsor objected to the fiscal note but accepted the committee posture. The amendment was adopted by voice vote and the committee moved the bill to the general subcommittee for finance/budgetary consideration.

Ending: The bill as amended creates the statutory framework for the fund but does not yet include specific appropriations; the committee placed the bill in the general subcommittee so funding can be considered.