Legislative Update April 15 2023

Tennessee General Assembly information, click HERE. For information on State Senators, including phone numbers and email addresses, click HERE; for House members, click HERE. For information on legislation, click HERE. Don't forget that you can now watch the Senate committee meetings and floor sessions online by going HERE; House committee meetings and floor sessions online HERE. Phone calls can go to the legislative Switchboard at 615-741-3011 or to the Toll Free number 1-800-449-8366+1 last four digits of office phone number (available online).
 

DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE IS?  
Just go HERE and you can find out!!

 

“On some positions, cowardice asks the question, it is expedient?  And then expedience comes along and asks the question—is it politic?  Vanity asks the question—it is popular? Conscience asks the question is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, no politic, nor popular—but must take it because it is right.”                        Last Sunday sermon given by  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
I am so sad to report that former House member and good friend Timothy Hill, lost his wife on Wednesday - Charity Angel Michelle Hill - 2/28/80 - 4/12/23. Timothy wrote:  "My beloved is fighting no more. Her body is no longer broken but made new!" Charity had been in really bad health for some time with infections and needing a kidney replacement.  Now she is whole and with her Savior. Please pray for this dear family as they go through this sad and dramatic change in their lives.
State Treasurer, David Lillard lost his father recently. Also, my 17 yr-old intern, Andrew McCullough, is scheduled to have his brain tumor removed on May 23rd.

 

VALIDATING US CITIZENSHIP IN ORDER TO VOTE:
SB 0137 by *Hensley - HB 0835 by *Richey , DOGGETT
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 2-2-106 and Section 2-2-141, relative to election integrity.
Election Laws - As introduced, requires the coordinator of elections to compare the statewide voter registration database with those of other relevant state agencies and county records when compiling information to distribute to the county elections commissions for purposes of purging voters who have moved; requires the coordinator 
NOTE: Unfortunately, last year, an inadvertent change was made to this law permitting the coordinator of elections to NOT ensure that the voter registration database only includes eligible U.S. citizen voters. SB137-HB835 corrects this and restores the law’s language to its original 2011 version.
STATUS:  HB835 is in the Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee  on Tuesday.
ACTION: Please contact these members and URGE them to protect the vote:
Rep. Gary Hicks rep.gary.hicks@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Mark Cochran rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Jeremy Faison  rep.jeremy.faison@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Johnny Garrett rep.johnny.garrett@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. David Hawk rep.david.hawk@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Jerome Moon rep.jerome.moon@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Sam Whitson rep.sam.whitson@capitol.tn.gov
Rep. Ryan Williams rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov
STATUS: SB137 is in Senate Finance Ways and Means on Thursday:
ACTION: Please contact these members and URGE them to protect the vote.
Sen. Bo Watson - (615) 741-3227- sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. John Stevens - (615) 741-4576 - sen.john.stevens@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Joey Hensley – (615) 741-3100 - sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Ferrell Haile - (615) 741-1999 - sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Jack Johnson – (615) 741-2495 sen.jack.johnson@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Bill Powers - (615) 741-2374 - sen.bill.powers@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Page Walley - (615) 741-2368 - sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Dawn White (615) 741-6853 sen.dawn.white@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Ken Yager - (615) 741-1449 - sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov
 

Both the bills below (SB837-HB1019 and SB102-HB158) are in the same committees as the one presented above.  When you make your contacts, please use the respective bill numbers (SB numbers to Senators; HB numbers to the House members) and ask the respective committee members to support all three of the bills.

 

 

 

PREGNANCY RESOURCE TAX CREDIT ACT

SB 0837 by *Taylor , Hensley, Pody, Crowe, Rose - HB 1019 - by *Doggett , GANT, CEPICKY, LEATHERWOOD, GRILLS, HULSEY, RUDD, CRAWFORD, MOODY, TODD, RAGAN, RICHEY, HAWK, WARNER, FAISON, BUTLER, BARRETT
Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, enacts the "Pregnancy Resource Tax Credit Act," which authorizes business, excise, and franchise tax credits for businesses that make monetary contributions to eligible nonprofit organizations that provide certain pregnancy-related services
Among other things, this bill enacts the pregnancy resource tax credit, which will be available only to a taxpayer that is a business enterprise engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities and operating as a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or sole proprietorship. The credit is equal to monetary contributions made by the taxpayer during a taxable year to an eligible charitable organization; provided, that the amount of credit that may be utilized by the taxpayer in a taxable year is limited to 50 percent of the total tax liability of the taxpayer for business, excise, and franchise taxes. Any unused credit may be carried forward in any tax period until the credit is taken; however, the credit must not be carried forward for more than five years. The credit allowed is for taxes only and is not allowed for penalty and interest.


 

PROTECTING EDUCATORS AND EMPLOYEES
SB 0102 by *Gardenhire , Bowling - HB 0158 by *Zachary , BULSO
Education - As introduced, prohibits a local education agency, public charter school, public institution of higher education, the state board of education, and the department of education from requiring an educator, employee of an LEA or charter school, faculty member, or employee of a public institution of higher education to complete or participate in implicit bias training; defines "implicit bias training"; prohibits adverse licensure and employment actions from being taken against such an individual for the individual's failure or refusal to participate in implicit bias training

 

 

FREEDOM TO SHARE ACT
SB 0862 by *Reeves - HB 1163 by *Todd , HULSEY, SHERRELL, SLATER, SHAW, LAFFERTY, DOGGETT, HOWELL, RICHEY, MOODY
Health Care - As introduced, requires the commissioner of commerce and insurance to make the standardized forms for health care insurance claims, developed by the commissioner along with the commissioner of health, available to insurance companies for free on the department of commerce and insurance's website.

SB862-HB1163 contains provisions to protect consumers who participate in sharing ministries including transparency disclosures and annual independent audits. 
Transparency is important in all areas of healthcare, and we support reasonable requirements to ensure financial solvency. 
Health care sharing is an important option for many Americans. Overly burdensome regulations will inhibit their ability to operate. Health care sharing is not health insurance.These ministries operate very differently, and 31 states and Congress have recognized that. This bill incorporates that protection into Tennessee law.
STATUS: As amended, HB1163 passed the House floor 76-17. SB862 passed Senate Commerce and Labor 8-1 and is expected to be on the Senate floor shortly. 
ACTION: Please contact these Senators and urge him/her to support this when it is on the floor.
 Lt. Gov Randy McNally - (615) 741-6806 - lt.gov.randy.mcnally@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Paul Bailey – (615) 741-3978 – sen.paul.bailey@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Janice Bowling – (615) 741-6694 – sen.janice.bowling@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Richard Briggs - (615) 741-1766 - sen.richard.briggs@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Rusty Crowe – (615) 741-2468 -  sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Todd Gardenhire - (615) 741-6682 - sen.todd.gardenhire@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Ferrell Haile - (615) 741-1999 - sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Joey Hensley – (615) 741-3100 - sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Ed Jackson - (615) 741-1810 - sen.ed.jackson@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Jack Johnson – (615) 741-2495 sen.jack.johnson@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Adam Lowe – (615) 741 -1946   sen.adam.lowe@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Jon Lundberg - (615) 741-5761 - sen.jon.lundberg@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Becky Massey - (615) 741-1648 - sen.becky.massey@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Frank Niceley – (615) 741-2061 sen.frank.niceley@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Mark Pody – 615) 741-2421 sen.mark.pody@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Bill Powers - (615) 741-2374 - sen.bill.powers@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Kerry Roberts  (615) 741-4499 sen.kerry.roberts@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Paul Rose (615) 741-1967  sen.paul.rose@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Steve Southerland (615) 741-3851 sen.steve.southerland@capitol.tn.gov,
Sen. John Stevens - (615) 741-4576 - sen.john.stevens@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Art Swann - (615) 741-0981 - sen.art.swann@capitol.tn.gov 
Sen. Brent Taylor(615) 741-3036 sen.brent.taylor@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Page Walley - (615) 741-2368 - sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Bo Watson - (615) 741-3227- sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Dawn White (615) 741-6853 sen.dawn.white@capitol.tn.gov
Sen. Ken Yager - (615) 741-1449 - sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov

 

SCHOOL SAFETY ACT OF 2023:

SB 0274 by *Johnson , Lundberg, BOWLING, GARDENHIRE, JACKSON, LOWE, MASSEY, REEVES, ROBERTS, ROSE, TAYLOR, WALLEY, WHITE, YAGER
HB 0322 by *Lamberth , COCHRAN, WHITE, GANT, GILLESPIE, SLATER, RAGAN, BUTLER, HASTON, BULSO, TERRY, LEATHERWOOD, DAVIS, RUSSELL, BRICKEN, ALEXANDER, MOON, BOYD, BURKHART, HOLSCLAW, SHERRELL, CRAWFORD, SEXTON , TRAVIS, ZACHARY, GRILLS, MARTIN B, DARBY, VAUGHAN, POWELL, FAISON, HICKS G, WRIGHT, HURT, HARDAWAY, HALE, MCCALMON, BARRETT, MARTIN G, BECK, CEPICKY, CAPLEY, HELTON-HAYNES, WHITSON, HAWK, LITTLETON, MARSH, POWERS, PARKINSON, REEDY, MOODY, WILLIAMS, WARNER, CARRINGER, CARR, ELDRIDGE, SPARKS, HICKS T, VITAL, JERNIGAN, LAFFERTY, RUDDER, KUMAR
Education - As introduced, requires the threat assessment team of each LEA to coordinate with state agencies providing services and technical assistance to local teams
FINALLY, THE DEED IS DONE:  As you will recall, on April 6, HB322 passed the House 95-4. On April 13, as amended, SB274 passed the Senate floor 33-0.

 

On the House floor Thursday, Rep. Bob Freeman  sponsored  HJR 521: A RESOLUTION to honor those venerable members of the Nashville Fire Department and Nashville Department of Emergency Communications for their response to the deadly shooting at The Covenant School.

 

Tennessee Three Voted Against School Safety Bill amid Riot, Gun Control Controversy

On the same day that State Representatives Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) were expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives, they voted, along with State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knox County), against a school safety bill that overwhelmingly passed the legislative body.

The trio and State Representative Torrey Harris (D-Memphis) were the only House legislators that voted against House Bill 0322.

The explicit purpose of that bill is to make Tennessee’s schools safer

The bill explains:

Under present law, the commissioner of education must establish a state-level safety team to assist LEAs and schools with compliance with the requirements of the SAVE Act. As part of the assistance, the state-level safety team must publish a template for use by districts in preparing their district-level safety plans and building-level emergency response plans, which template must outline the responsibilities of the LEAs and individual schools in complying. The state-level safety team must regularly review and update the template. The commissioner must appoint the members of the safety team, including a representative of each of the following: