Tennessee House Bills

State Government - As enacted, designates the Rhododendron and the Fall-O-Dendron festivals of Roan Mountain as the official Rhododendron and the Fall-O-Dendron festivals in this state in recognition of the festivals' contributions to the preservation of the heritage, history, and beautiful landscapes of this state. - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 8 and Title 9.

Taxes, Real Property - As enacted, provides that a collecting official or the division of property assessments is not required to request documentation verifying the income of an elderly person seeking tax relief if the applicant is at least 80 years old and meets certain other requirements. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 5, Part 7.

Public Funds and Financing - As introduced, extends from 30 to 45 days, the period within which the commissioner of economic and community development and the comptroller must make a written determination approving or declining an allocation of tax increment revenues for a period longer than 20 years in the case of an economic impact plan, or 30 years in the case of a redevelopment plan or community redevelopment plan. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9 and Title 67.

Health, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the department to make available and require educational materials on blood lead level testing for a pregnant woman who receives vouchers for the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and children. - Amends TCA Title 37; Title 49; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Tullahoma - Subject to local approval, allocates 3.8 percent of each annual operating budget, but not less than $1.5 million, to the maintenance of streets and roads within the city limits of the City of Tullahoma. - Amends Chapter 553 of the Acts of 1903.

Local Government, General - As introduced, requires a local government to approve, deny, or identify deficiencies in a development application, development plan, or a site inspection submitted by a developer within 30 days; requires changes in contracts between local governments and contractors or developers to be in writing; requires a local government to release a contractor or developer from its required bond within 30 days of receiving a determination from an independent inspector that the contractor or developer has completed all work required by the contract; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 7.

Education - As introduced, terminates the dyslexia advisory council and directs the advisory council for the education of students with disabilities to advise the department of education on matters related to dyslexia; terminates the energy efficient schools council and creates an office of energy efficient schools within the department; expands student eligibility for an individualized education account; revises other various provisions of law related to education. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 5, Chapter 21; Title 8, Chapter 50, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 10, Part 14; Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 11, Part 8; Title 49, Chapter 13; Title 49, Chapter 15, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 16, Part 2; Title 49, Chapter 17; Section 49-2-203; Title 49, Chapter 3, Part 1; Title 49, Chapter 5, Part 4; Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 10; Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 16; Title 49, Chapter 50, Part 18; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 15; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 22; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 23; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 34; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 42; Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 81; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 2; Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Section 68-204-110.

Niota - Subject to local approval, rewrites the charter of the City of Niota. - Amends Chapter 48 of the Private Acts of 1919; as amended and rewritten.

Safety - As enacted, enacts the "Riley Gaines Women's Safety and Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 37; Title 41; Title 49 and Title 68.

Taxes, Real Property - As enacted, establishes the process for property tax assessment and valuation of multi-unit rental housing that receives a federal, state, or local incentive based on low-income renter restrictions. - Amends TCA Title 7; Title 13; Title 48; Title 49; Title 67 and Title 68.

Shelby County - Subject to local approval, changes the conditions under which the occupancy tax will no longer be levied; changes the allocation of the revenue from the occupancy tax if the tenant of the indoor sports facility no longer occupies such facility. - Amends Chapter 131 of the Private Acts of 1969; as amended.

Housing - As introduced, establishes the community workforce housing innovation pilot program to be administered by the Tennessee housing development agency; authorizes the agency to provide loans to an applicant for construction or rehabilitation of workforce housing in each of the three grand divisions; requires the housing to be affordable to natural persons or families whose total annual household income does not exceed 150 percent of area median income; prioritizes projects that set aside at least 80 percent of units for workforce housing. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 53; Title 13; Title 48, Chapter 101, Part 3; Title 56 and Title 67.

Benton County - Subject to local approval, updates the system for the management of county finances, including, but not limited to, budgeting, investment oversight, debt management, and cash management oversight. - Amends Chapter 541 of the Private Acts of 1939; as amended and rewritten.

Lafayette - Subject to local approval, moves the date of elections from coinciding with the primary in May to coinciding with the general election in November; increases the compensation of the council members from $100 to $150 for each council meeting and from $50 to $75 for each committee meeting; increases the annual salary of the mayor from $45,000 to $75,000; authorizes the mayor, subject to confirmation of the city council, a superintendent of streets and a superintendent of sanitation. - Amends Chapter 325 of the Private Acts of 1945; as amended.

Grundy County - Subject to local approval, creates the Southern Cumberland Plateau Regional Water and Wastewater Authority. -

Charlotte - Subject to local approval, revises various provisions of the charter of the City of Charlotte relating to its corporate powers; the city council; the city clerk; codification of ordinances; duties of mayor; city court, judge, and court clerk; and budgeting, centralized purchasing, and taxes. - Amends Chapter 154 of the Private Acts of 1955; as amended.

Human Services, Dept. of - As enacted, requires the commissioner of human services to provide the commissioner of correction with a form application for food assistance for use by inmates who are preparing for release. - Amends TCA Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 3.

Immigration - As introduced, creates a Class A misdemeanor for a person who is unlawfully present in the United States to operate a commercial motor vehicle in this state; requires the law enforcement agency of an officer who arrests a person who is unlawfully present in the United States to operate a commercial motor vehicle in this state to ensure that federal immigration authorities are notified; creates related civil actions that may be pursued by the attorney general and reporter or by a qui tam plaintiff. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50.

Real Estate Agents and Brokers - As introduced, exempts an affiliate broker or broker licensed under the Tennessee Real Estate Broker License Act from the additional licensure and classroom hours in training programs requirements for a vacation lodging service firm's designated agent; requires that vacation lodging services be under the supervision of the principal broker of an affiliate broker, broker, or firm. - Amends TCA Title 62, Chapter 13.

Local Government, General - As enacted, authorizes Putnam County and incorporated cities within the county to regulate sober living homes for recovery from alcohol, drug, and substance abuse to the extent such regulation complies with the "Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act." - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 26.

Health Care - As introduced, creates a certification requirement to practice in assisted reproductive technology; requires the department of health to create a certification process for fertility clinics and makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 29; Title 36; Title 63 and Title 68.

Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates a new offense of coercive suicide; specifies that a person or entity commits the offense of coercive suicide if such person or entity owns an artificial intelligence system and the artificial intelligence system advises or encourages a person to commit or attempt to commit suicide. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Sentencing - As enacted, enacts the "James Bardsley, Jr. Life Protection Act." - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13 and Title 55, Chapter 10.

Lottery, Corporation - As introduced, vacates and reconstitutes the board of directors of the Tennessee education lottery corporation; requires certain information maintained by the corporation to be subject to a public records request; terminates the lottery corporation on June 30, 2030. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10 and Title 49.

Taxes - As enacted, provides that an application for an exemption from property taxation for property owned by a religious, charitable, scientific, or nonprofit educational organization that is filed within 180 days after the exempt use of the property began will be effective as of the date the exempt use began, if the application is made after May 20th of the year for which the exemption is sought, but prior to the end of the year; makes other related changes. - Amends TCA Title 67.

Local Government, General - As introduced, authorizes a local government to publish certain notices electronically online for the purposes of satisfying public notice requirements. - Amends TCA Title 1, Chapter 3 and Title 8, Chapter 44.

DUI Offenses - As enacted, clarifies present law regarding the revocation of a person's driver license for an implied consent violation. - Amends TCA Section 55-10-407.

Orders of Protection - As introduced, allows a person to file a petition for a lifetime order of protection against a person who was convicted of certain offenses in another jurisdiction; provides that venue for such a petition is in the county where the respondent resides or, if the respondent is not a resident of this state, the county where the petitioner resides. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 39.

Regional Authorities and Special Districts - As enacted, vacates the present board of commissioners of each existing authority for metropolitan and regional airports, and reconstitute a new governing body; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7 and Title 42.

Education, Curriculum - As enacted, establishes a pilot program that provides grants to local education agencies to advance substance abuse and violence prevention programs. - Amends TCA Title 49.