Tennessee Senate Bills

Controlled Substances - As introduced, changes from January 1 to January 15 the date by which the medical cannabis commission must submit its annual findings and recommendations to the general assembly. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 9; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 43; Title 49; Title 50; Title 53; Title 63; Title 67 and Title 68.

Abortion - As introduced, states that the report a physician is required to submit to the commissioner of health after performing an abortion may be submitted electronically. - Amends TCA Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 55; Title 62; Title 63 and Title 71.

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Jeremy Pippin, Dodson Branch School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Kayla Shouse, Homestead Elementary School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Amanda Nealon, North Springs Middle School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Katy Wyatt, Cumberland County High School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Amber Phillips, Gainesboro Elementary School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Leann Davis,Woodland Park Elementary School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Katy Jo Harrison, Jackson County High School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Shelia Stafford, Jackson County Middle School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Koundi Thompson, White County High School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Kimberly Lewis, White County Middle School Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Hailey Dickerson, Smith County Middle School Teacher of the Year -

Funeral Directors and Embalmers - As introduced, establishes organic human reduction as a legally permissible method to dispose of human remains, with oversight by and pursuant to rules promulgated by the board of funeral directors and embalmers. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 11, Chapter 6, Part 1; Title 62, Chapter 5; Title 63 and Title 68.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, lowers the standard for the use of deadly force to protect property; specifies that deadly force does not include the display of a weapon, the brandishing of a weapon, or the use of force in circumstances that do not result in death or serious bodily injury. - Amends TCA Title 39.

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Todd Skelton, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Advisory Board -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Dane Scism, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Advisory Board -

Sexual Offenses - As enacted, provides that when the victim of a sexually oriented crime is a minor, the consent of a parent or guardian is not required for the victim to receive a forensic medical examination. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 38 and Title 39.

Public Officials - As enacted, prohibits an individual holding an elected office of a local government from holding another elected office in this state at the same time; grandfathers individuals holding more than one office presently until the terms expire; clarifies that such prohibition does not apply to an office in a political party's state executive committee. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 8.

Insurance, Health, Accident - As enacted, expands the definition of a health benefit plan; requires a health benefit plan that amends, renews, or delivers a policy of coverage on or after January 1, 2026, and that provides coverage for prescription contraceptives, to provide coverage for a 12-month refill of contraceptives obtained at one time by an insured person. - Amends TCA Title 56 and Title 71.

Education - As introduced, deletes an antiquated section, which required the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee to, by December 15, 2014, perform a study on the economic feasibility of creating and utilizing a statewide comprehensive energy policy and submit its final report to the energy task force of the house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Firefighters - As introduced, increases from one year to two years post the duration of employment, the period of which a criminal background required as a condition of employment as a paid or volunteer fire protection personnel, or applicant for such position, must be maintained by the employer. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 38; Title 50 and Title 68.

Consumer Protection - As introduced, authorizes the attorney general and reporter to submit the required annual report regarding the activities of the consumer affairs division in the office of the attorney general and reporter to the general assembly electronically. - Amends TCA Title 29; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 47.

Local Education Agencies - As enacted, requires each LEA and public charter school to administer the Presidential Fitness Test to students to assess their strength, endurance, and flexibility. - Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, defines "criminally negligent conduct,” as used in the offense of criminally negligent homicide, to include failing or refusing to render aid to another person who is unconscious or in need of medical care and the person failing to act knows or reasonably should know that the unconsciousness or need for medical care occurred after the consumption of any controlled substance. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Juries and Jurors - As enacted, requires a breastfeeding mother to be excused from jury service upon submitting to the jury coordinator a written request to be excused and a supporting medical statement from a licensed physician or a certified professional midwife. - Amends TCA Title 22, Chapter 1 and Title 22, Chapter 2.

Holidays and Days of Special Observance - As enacted, designates February to be observed as "Tennessee Songwriters Month." - Amends TCA Section 15-2-129.

Public Records - As enacted, specifies that certain bank account information of individuals held by a state agency is confidential. - Amends TCA Section 10-7-504.

Business and Commerce - As enacted, authorizes a private entity that is engaged in business with the public and accepts cash payments to round off all figures used in the transaction amount to the nearest nickel, if exact change is not available; authorizes a financial institution that provides currency in exchange for a payment instrument received to round off all figures used in the transaction amount to the nearest nickel, if exact change is not available. - Amends TCA Title 9; Title 45; Title 47, Chapter 50; Title 47, Chapter 18 and Title 67.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) - As enacted, exempts disaster grants administered by TEMA from statutory requirements related to procurement, except that the state retains the right to inspect places of business and audit books and records for compliance. - Amends TCA Section 58-2-109.

Corporations, Not for Profit - As enacted, establishes the county where a public benefit or mutual benefit corporation has the corporation's principal office or, if the corporation does not have a principal office located in this state, the corporation's registered office, as a venue for a proceeding by the attorney general and reporter to dissolve the corporation; establishes additional locations as venues for proceedings to dissolve a corporation by the attorney general and reporter or other authorized parties. - Amends TCA Title 48, Chapter 64.

Driver Licenses - As enacted, removes present law that prohibits a person from being denied a commercial driver license, or being deemed medically unqualified to operate a motor vehicle, based on the failure to meet motor safety carrier regulations because of a medical history or clinical diagnosis of diabetes mellitus currently requiring insulin, but whose medical history indicates that the insulin controls the diabetes to the extent that the condition is not likely to cause any loss of ability to control a motor vehicle. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50, Part 4.

Guardians and Conservators - As enacted, requires a fiduciary's sworn accounting of receipts and expenditures filed annually with the court supervising a guardianship or conservatorship to include the date of the fiduciary's last contact with the person with a disability. - Amends TCA Title 34.

County Government - As enacted, requires county legislative bodies to adopt local rules of procedure within 90 days of convening a newly elected county legislative body by majority vote; requires a two-thirds vote to change such rules; specifies Robert's Rules of Order as the default rules of procedure for county legislative bodies. - Amends TCA Title 5.

Firefighters - As enacted, expands the applicability of the presumption that a firefighter's cancer was caused by the firefighter's employment to include arson investigators. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 8; Title 50 and Title 56.

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Belle Blanchard, Salutatorian, Rossville Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Grace Jacobs, Valedictorian, Rossville Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Aiden Bray, Salutatorian, Fayette Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Kayla Reeves, Valedictorian, Fayette Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Tinslee Brewer, Salutatorian, Collinwood High School -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Zali Daniels, Valedictorian, Collinwood High School -

Memorials, Recognition - Officer Thomas Wills -

Memorials, Recognition - Lieutenant Shaun Phinnessee -

General Assembly, Review Or Ratification of Rules - Ratifies and approves the amendments and revisions to the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure, as promulgated by the Supreme Court. -

General Assembly, Review Or Ratification of Rules - Ratifies and approves the amendments and revisions to the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure, as promulgated by the Supreme Court. -

Environment and Conservation, Department of - As introduced, extends from two years to 27 months the amount of time that the commissioner has to designate the boundaries of a scenic river area following the addition of a river segment to the state scenic rivers system. - Amends TCA Title 11, Chapter 13 and Title 68, Chapter 211.

School Transportation - As introduced, lowers the minimum age, from 25 to 23, that is necessary to receive an initial school bus endorsement; authorizes local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies to adopt policies prescribing the qualifications of school bus drivers in the interest of the safety and health of school pupils. - Amends TCA Section 5-8-102; Title 49 and Title 55.

Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, increases exemption to a maximum of 400 acres for certain nonprofit entities. - Amends TCA Section 67-5-212.

Traffic Safety - As introduced, enacts the "Super Speeder Accountability Act," which requires intelligent speed assistance devices to be installed on motor vehicles operated by persons convicted of certain driving offenses where speed was a factor; creates a licensing system for device providers; requires compliance-based device removal; authorizes indigent users to apply for assistance from the electronic monitoring indigency fund; makes other revisions. - Amends TCA Title 55.

Boards and Commissions - As introduced, requires the state board of cosmetology and barber examiners to create and maintain a student identification number for each applicant accruing instructional hours; prohibits the board from using a student's social security number as a public-facing identifier of the person. - Amends TCA Title 62, Chapter 3 and Title 62, Chapter 4.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, increases the penalty for arson committed at a pregnancy resource center from a Class C felony to a Class B felony; defines "pregnancy resource center" as a nonprofit organization that provides care and resources to assist women and families facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies, including providing counseling, financial assistance, food, clothing, and medical assistance to pregnant women and reimbursing social service providers who prepare adoptions throughout the state for services and programs targeting at-risk women and families with immediate and ongoing needs related to unexpected pregnancy. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 3.

Education, Higher - As introduced, adds the general assembly to the list of entities that each public institution of higher education must submit its annual foreign gifts and contracts disclosure report. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 14; Title 49, Chapter 7; Title 49, Chapter 8 and Title 49, Chapter 9.

Children - As introduced, exempts a school social worker, licensed by the state board of education, who provides preventative and developmental counseling, from having to obtain the consent of a parent of a minor prior to rendering such services. - Amends TCA Title 36, Chapter 8; Title 49 and Title 63, Chapter 1.

Education - As introduced, enacts the "Public Education Investments Act"; increases, from $50,000 to $50,290, the minimum base salary in the state salary schedule for teachers; increases from 5 percent to 10 percent the weighted allocation for a student who is a member in a school that is eligible for Title I schoolwide designation in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act; increases the amount of a Tennessee middle college scholarship by 3 percent each academic year for 10 academic years. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As introduced, requires local education agencies and public charter schools to notify the parent or legal guardian of each student enrolled in the LEA or public charter school of their right to opt their student out of receiving instruction on firearm safety; allows a school social worker licensed by the state board of education to provide certain preventative and developmental counseling services to students without first obtaining parental consent. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6 and Title 63.

School Vouchers - As introduced, allows a child with a medical condition that inhibits the child from attending school in person to receive an individualized education account to enroll in a home school program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Education - As introduced, establishes that a public institution of education may provide an opportunity or benefit exclusively to one sex through a program if the institution provides a substantially similar or reasonably comparable opportunity or benefit to the opposite sex through a different program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires, instead of encourages, LEAs and public charter schools to incorporate training in evidence-based skills training on positive behavioral interventions and supports, conflict prevention, functional behavior assessments, de-escalation, and conflict management into its behavior intervention training program; requires at least two hours of such training each school year; allows the hours of training received to be applied toward in-service training requirements. - Amends TCA Title 49.

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Dr. Phil Roe, Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Camron Rudd, Tennessee Technological University Board of Trustees -