Tennessee Bills

This bill increases the penalty for drag racing in Tennessee from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. It directly affects individuals who engage in illegal drag racing on public roads or highways. The key provision amends state law to classify the offense as a more serious felony crime, which carries heavier potential punishments than the previous misdemeanor charge. This change applies to any drag racing incidents that occur on or after July 1, 2024.

This bill increases the mandatory annual continuing education requirement for Tennessee county commissioners from seven to eight hours. It allows the University of Tennessee's county technical assistance service to provide this training and requires the state comptroller to publicly report on each commissioner's training completion. Counties are authorized to offer a $600 stipend to commissioners who successfully finish the required training each year. Additionally, the law makes commissioners ineligible for re-election or appointment if they fail to meet these training standards.

This bill establishes a new Medicaid buy-in program in Tennessee specifically designed for working individuals with disabilities who wish to maintain health insurance coverage while employed. To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old, meet federal disability standards, and work full-time or part-time, but they are exempt from resource and income tests that typically limit access to such programs. The program allows participants to pay monthly premiums to receive medical assistance, which can supplement existing employer-sponsored insurance, and includes protections like a grace period for temporary job interruptions and the ability to continue coverage for six months after an involuntary job loss. Additionally, the legislation authorizes the state to use savings from federal block grants to fund the initiative and permits the exclusion of certain retirement accounts from eligibility calculations.

This Tennessee bill changes how the Bolivar Energy Authority fills empty seats on its Board of Directors. Instead of the mayor making these appointments, the existing board members will select new directors, who must then be approved by the city council. The bill also sets specific time limits for filling vacancies and requires a two-thirds vote from the city council to officially approve the law. If the city council does not give this final approval, the changes will not take effect.

This law allows the cities of Memphis and Nashville to change how they spend money collected from hotel and motel taxes, provided they do not alter the specific purpose for which the tax was originally set up. Previously, these cities were restricted to using the funds only for the designated use defined in the state code, but this change permits them to reallocate the revenue for other local needs. The bill applies specifically to existing hotel occupancy taxes in these two municipalities and does not affect other cities or types of taxes.

This bill establishes a new annual privilege tax for motor vehicles owned by residents of Cheatham County, excluding farm equipment and state-maintained roads. The tax requires vehicle owners to pay specific fees based on their vehicle type, such as $50 for passenger cars and varying amounts for different truck classes, with exemptions for disabled veterans, wheelchair users, and certain government vehicles. Collected by the county clerk alongside state registration fees, the revenue is distributed to fund local schools, education debt service, and highway maintenance. The legislation also repeals previous private acts that had authorized similar taxes in the county.

This bill rewrites the city charter for Morristown, Tennessee, replacing its existing governing rules with a new set of provisions. The new charter establishes a city council composed of a mayor and six council members elected by local voters. It also grants the city broad powers to own property, manage public utilities like water and electricity, and operate public school facilities. The legislation is specific to Morristown and requires local approval before it can take effect.

This bill proposes changing how revenue from Shelby County's hotel occupancy tax is distributed, requiring local approval from the Shelby County legislative body to take effect. Starting in Fiscal Year 2026, the funds would be split between the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the county to cover debt payments and operating costs for a new sports arena. The plan includes specific percentages for each recipient, a mechanism to refund the county if tax revenues fall short of required amounts, and two new seats on the Convention and Visitors Bureau board for county officials.

This bill requires health insurance plans in Tennessee to cover prostate cancer screenings for high-risk men without charging deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. It specifically mandates coverage for African-American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer starting at age 40, while also covering all men aged 50 and older. The law applies to most private and public health insurance policies but includes an exception for high-deductible plans until the minimum deductible is met. Effective July 1, 2024, the act aims to improve early detection rates by removing financial barriers to screening for at-risk populations.

This bill modifies Tennessee laws governing industrial development corporations to specifically support minority-owned, locally-owned, small, and women-owned businesses. It requires these corporations to establish neighborhood advisory committees that provide feedback to help promote and fund the targeted businesses. The state Department of Economic and Community Development will cover all startup costs for five years and reimburse operating expenses for four years to help these new entities get off the ground.

This bill clarifies that teaching topics related to sexual activity is generally not age-appropriate for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. It prohibits schools from including such instruction in family life curricula for these younger students. However, the law explicitly allows educators to teach children how to detect, intervene in, prevent, and treat child sexual abuse and human trafficking. The provision aims to distinguish between general sexual activity education and specific safety training for minors.

This bill, known as the Representative Mike Carter Act, requires law enforcement officers to give a written notice to alleged victims when a defendant is released on bail with a GPS monitoring device. The document explains how the tracking technology works, what risks and limitations exist, and the victim's rights to participate in or refuse the monitoring system. It also informs victims that their discussions with the judge about these restrictions are not private and allows them to request specific areas where the defendant should be excluded. The law applies to cases involving certain criminal offenses and takes effect on July 1, 2023.