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Chamber Quick Hits/Bills of Interest:
SB1373(Watson)/HB556(Capley)--Requires all written driver license examinations to be administered in English only -- SB1373/HB556
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/11/2025
Position: Opposed
SB419(Hensley)/HB5(Bulso)--Doubles caps on noneconomic damages in civil suits -- SB419/HB5
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Civil Justice Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Opposed
SB995(Bailey)/HB1034(Alexander)--Bans noncompete agreements -- SB995/HB1034
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Commerce and Labor Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Opposed
SB132(Walley)/HB149(Gant)--Establishes a regulatory framework for solar energy facilities in the state -- SB132/HB149
Senate: 1/16/2025 Refer to Senate Energy, Ag., & Natural Resources Committee
House: 1/28/2025 Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
Position: Opposed
SB664 (Taylor)/HB612(Vaughan)--Water Pollution -- SB664/HB612 expands from wetlands to all areas that an aquatic resource alteration permit may apply to the areas for which the department of environment and conservation is required to exempt from compensatory mitigation an amount of are equal in size to the area for which mitigation would not be required if the permit application qualified for coverage under a general permit, if the only factor that disqualifies an application for an aquatic resource alteration permit form having the activities for which a permit is sought covered under a general permit is the size of the area that the permit will apply to.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee
House: 2/5/2025 Assigned to s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
Position: Support
SB670(Taylor)/HB541(Vaughan)--Water Pollution -- SB670/HB541 prohibits the department of environment and conservation from applying criteria that will result in the classification of real property as a wetland, or otherwise regulating real property as a wetland, unless the property is classified as a wetland under federal law.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee
House: 2/5/2025 P2C, caption bill, held on desk - pending amdt.
Position: Support
SB880(Reeves)/HB896(Todd)--Administrative Procedure (UAPA) -- SB880/HB896 prohibits a state agency from disseminating, proposing, or finalizing any regulatory action for a substance, mixture, or chemical related to drinking water, water pollution control, hazardous substances, contaminated site remediation, air quality, or solid or hazardous waste handling unless the regulatory action is based upon the best available peer-reviewed scientific and technical information.
Senate: 2/26/2025 Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Energy, Ag, and Nat. Resources Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Support
SB885(Reeves)/HB1133(Boyd)--Taxes -- SB885/HB1133 allows nuclear energy production facilities to seek pollution control tax credits for certain machinery and equipment.
Senate: 3/6/2025 - Placed on Senate Energy, Ag., and Nat. Resources Committee calendar for 3/12/2025
House: 3/6/2025 - H. Placed on Consent Calendar for 3/10/2025
Position: Support
SB1033(Bowling)/HB1112(Fritts)--Air Pollution -- SB1033/HB1112 designates the intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight, or supplying or otherwise providing the chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus required for the conduct, as a Class A misdemeanor; makes other changes related to investigations and enforcement related to weather modification.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Energy, Ag., and Natural Resources Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on Cal. Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee for 3/11/2025
Position: Monitoring
SB207(Johnson)/HB1325(Lamberth)--Farmland Preservation Fund-- SB207/HB1325 establishes a grant program within the Farmland Preservation Fund, administered by the Department of Agriculture, allowing farmland and forestland owners to place their property under permanent conservation easements managed by qualified entities. Governmental entities are not eligible to participate.
Senate: 3/4/2025 Recommended for passage, refer to Senate Calendar Committee
House: 2/25/2025 Sponsors added
Position: Support
SB32(Bailey)/HB477(Vaughan)-- Bonus depreciation on excise tax-- SB32/HB477 permits taxpayers to elect 40% bonus depreciation deduction on eligible assets purchased on or after January 1, 2026, applied in the year of purchase of excise tax calculations. If applicable federal depreciation percentage exceeds 40%, taxpayers may use the higher federal rate.
Senate: 3/4/2025 Placed on Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Calendar for 3/11/2025
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Support
SB317(Lowe)/HB471(Zachary)--Agents of foreign entities-- SB317/HB471 prohibits individuals from acting as agents of hostile foreign principals without first filing a registration statement with the Tennessee Ethics Commission. It also mandates that foreign-supported political organizations register with the Commission, providing specific required information as part of the registration process.
Senate: 3/4/2025 Placed on Senate State and Local Government Committee Calendar for 3/11/2025
House: 2/05/2025 Assigned to s/c Public Service Subcommittee
Position: Monitoring
SB686(White)/HB148(White)-- Completion Grants-- SB686/HB148 establishes the Tennessee Promise Completion Grant Special Account within the state treasury, dedicated to providing completion grants to eligible Tennessee Promise scholarship recipients. It also makes permanent a four-year pilot program created by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to award these grants to qualifying students.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Education Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025
Position: Support
SB1154(Crowe)/HB1236(Zachary)--SNAP waiver-- SB1154/HB1236 requires the Department of Human Services to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service to prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for purchasing candy and soft drinks.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Health & Welfare Committee.
House: 3/6/2025 H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/10/2025
Position: Oppose
SB1311(Johnson)/HB1323(Lamberth)--Teacher licensure requirements-- SB1311/HB1323 encourages Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to prioritize staffing kindergarten through grade 12 teaching positions with fully licensed and endorsed personnel. If a qualified teacher cannot be secured for a vacancy, the director of the school may certify the issue to the commissioner of education, who can grant emergency teaching credentials under specified conditions. The bill also addresses teaching vacancies for courses with end-of-course exams and prohibits granting emergency credentials for special education courses. This measure is part of the Administration’s legislative package.
Senate: 3/5/2025 Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/12/2025
House: 3/11/2025 Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025
Position: Support
SB671(Taylor)/HB555(Capley)--Penalty for burglary of a conveyance-- SB671/HB555 increases the penalty for burglary of a conveyance, raising it from a Class E felony to a Class D felony.
Senate: 3/4/2025 Recommended for passage with amendment, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/12/2025
Position: Support
SB441(Bailey)/HB478(Butler)--Carrying of a firearm into an area where firearms are not permitted-- SB441/HB478 specifies that a person would not be committing an offense if they possess or carry a firearm into an area where it is prohibited, provided they immediately leave the property or store the firearm in a personal vehicle upon request by an authorized individual, in accordance with state law.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Judiciary Committee.
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Oppose
SB144(Walley)/HB969(Hawk)--Report on future transportation infrastructure-- SB144/HB969 directs the Department of Transportation (TDOT) to conduct a study on transportation infrastructure needs, costs, and funding sources for the years 2026, 2050, and 2075. It allocates tax revenue from the sale and use of new or used motor vehicles and tires to the state highway fund. The House Transportation Committee amendment requires all sales and use tax revenue from motor vehicle and tire sales to be deposited in the Highway Fund and allocates single article sales tax collections from these sales to the Highway Fund as well. TDOT is required to report its findings and recommendations to specific legislative committees by January 1, 2027, with the bill becoming effective on October 1, 2025.
Senate: 3/5/2025 Recommended for passage with amendment, refer to Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
House: 2/26/2025 Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee
Position: Monitoring
SB377(Rose)/HB548(Cochran)--Procurement Protection Act-- SB377/HB548 prohibits the public procurement of products or services from foreign adversary companies, whether directly or through third-party vendors. It bars foreign adversary companies from bidding on contracts with state agencies or political subdivisions, requiring bidders to certify they are not foreign adversaries. In cases where no reasonable alternatives exist, state agencies may enter contracts with foreign adversary companies, with pre-approval from the Department of Finance and Administration. The bill defines a foreign adversary company based on its ties to a foreign adversary government.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate State and Local Government Committee
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Public Service Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Monitoring
SB529(Stevens)/HB911(Garrett)--Clarification of consumer protection-- SB529/HB911 clarifies that the Attorney General has exclusive authority to enforce the general prohibition against unfair acts or practices under the Consumer Protection Act of 1977. It removes the requirement for a written assurance of voluntary compliance to be filed and approved by the circuit or chancery court of Davidson County.
Senate: 3/4/2025 Action deferred in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee to 3/18/2025
House: 3/5/2025 Action deferred in s/c Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee to 3/19/2025
Position: Monitoring
SB302(Harshbarger)/HB420(Rudd)--Auto-Renewal Bill-- SB302/HB420 prohibits businesses from requiring credit or debit card information for automatic renewal or continuous service offers that include a gift or trial. It defines "affirmative consent" as a clear, informed, and unambiguous agreement by the consumer to the terms of the renewal or service offer, either through written or electronic means or an affirmative action. The bill requires businesses to obtain this consent from consumers before processing automatic renewals or continuous service offers.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee.
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Oppose
SB1190(Akbari)/HB1216(Johnson)--Minimum wage increase-- SB1190/HB1216 increases the hourly minimum wage to $20.00, or the federal minimum wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, whichever is greater.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee.
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on s/c cal Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
Position: Oppose
SB418(Akbari)/HB4(Bulso)--Noneconomic damage caps for civil suits against local governments-- SB418/HB4 increases the recovery limits in actions brought against local governmental entities under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act, effective July 1, 2025. The new limits would be $750,000 for bodily injury or death of a single person, $1,500,000 for bodily injury or death of all persons in an incident, and $250,000 for property damage.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Judiciary Committee.
House: 3/5/2025 Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/12/2025
Position: Oppose
SB1263(Bowling)/HB1122(Bricken)-- Grundy County regulation of biosolids-- SB1263/HB1122 creates an exception to state biosolid regulations by allowing the legislative body of Grundy County to regulate biosolid activities within the county.
Senate: 2/12/2025 Refer to Senate Energy, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.
House: 3/5/2025 Action deferred in s/c Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee to 3/26/2025
Position: Oppose
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