Tennessee Bills

This law reorganizes court structures in Tennessee by adding new judges to specific districts and removing existing ones. It creates a new circuit court division in the 4th judicial district and a new trial court division in the 19th judicial district, while simultaneously eliminating two divisions within the 13th judicial district. The new judge for the 4th district will initially be appointed by the governor and later elected by voters, whereas the removed divisions will no longer exist. These changes modify the state's judicial code to adjust how cases are distributed and handled across these specific areas.

This bill expands eligibility for the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship to include students attending specific private nonprofit colleges that use a competency-based education model. To qualify, these schools must have a physical campus in Tennessee, maintain a state-based governing board, and hold a partnership agreement with the state established in 2013. The law also updates scholarship requirements so that students at these approved programs can maintain their HOPE scholarship status by meeting the same grade point average standards as public institutions. Effective July 1, 2024, the changes apply to scholarships awarded for the 2024-2025 academic year and all subsequent years.

This bill authorizes licensed nurses and physician assistants in Tennessee to prescribe FDA-approved buprenorphine products for medication-assisted treatment and recovery. It achieves this by amending state laws to allow these healthcare providers to prescribe the medication once they have met specific criteria and received relevant guidelines from the state board. The legislation requires that providers receive these guidelines and standards no more than ten days after they are posted on the board's website. By expanding prescribing authority to include these roles, the bill aims to increase access to treatment options for substance use disorders.

This bill prohibits individuals under 25 from purchasing or possessing firearms if they were previously adjudicated delinquent for serious offenses such as aggravated assault, animal cruelty, or threats of mass violence. It requires juvenile courts to inform young defendants of this permanent restriction before accepting a guilty plea and mandates that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation access juvenile records to enforce the ban during background checks. The law also makes it a misdemeanor for anyone under 25 with such a history to possess a firearm and bars licensed sellers from selling guns to these individuals.

This bill authorizes funding for Tennessee state government operations for the fiscal years beginning July 1, 2023, and July 1, 2024. It allocates money to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, covering expenses for salaries, facilities, legal services, and public debt. The legislation also includes provisions for emergency funds, capital projects, and specific restrictions on how appropriated money can be spent. Once enacted, this act serves as the primary budget for the state during the specified two-year period.

This bill amends numerous sections of the Tennessee Code to update state statutes in line with the annual appropriations act. Its primary action is to completely remove the Tennessee job skills program and its associated funding from the legal code. By deleting these provisions, the legislation effectively ends the state's financial support for this specific workforce training initiative. The changes take effect immediately upon becoming law to reflect the budget decisions made by the legislature.

This bill authorizes the State of Tennessee to issue up to $87.7 million in general obligation bonds to fund transportation projects. The funds are designated for the Department of Transportation to build highways, repair and replace bridges, and acquire or improve buildings and equipment. Additionally, the bill allows the state to borrow an extra 2.5% of the total amount specifically to cover the costs of issuing the bonds. Once sold, the money must be used strictly for these authorized infrastructure purposes and is backed by the state's full faith and credit.

This law requires the Tennessee coordinator of elections to actively compare the state's voter registration list with the Department of Safety database. The goal of this comparison is to identify and remove individuals who are not U.S. citizens from the voter rolls. Previously, the coordinator had the option to perform this check, but this bill changes the requirement to a mandatory action. The law takes effect immediately upon becoming official.

This bill modifies the Tennessee Criminal Injuries Compensation Act to extend the time limit for victims to apply for financial assistance after a crime. Specifically, it changes the deadline from thirty days to sixty days, giving victims more time to submit their claims for compensation. The law directly affects crime victims seeking state funds to cover losses and applies to the administrative processes within the Tennessee Code Annotated. By updating this timeline, the legislation aims to ensure that victims have a longer window to request aid without losing their eligibility.

This bill amends Tennessee laws to allow vehicle towing and storage companies to remove firearms from cars they are storing, provided the removal does not damage the vehicle. The change applies to businesses engaged in towing and storing motor vehicles, giving them the authority to secure guns left behind under specific conditions. By updating the state code, the legislation clarifies the legal framework for handling firearms in stored vehicles without requiring additional permits or complex procedures.

This bill requires landlords in Tennessee to provide tenants with specific contact details for the property manager, the owner, and maintenance services before a lease begins. The disclosure must include names, phone numbers, and email addresses to ensure tenants can easily reach the right people for legal notices, emergencies, and repairs. If a landlord fails to provide this information upon request, tenants can sue in court to force compliance and recover legal costs. The law applies to all rental agreements entered into on or after January 1, 2025.

This bill allows the Tennessee Attorney General to set their own salary and the pay for their assistants, provided the total amount stays within the budget approved by the state. The Attorney General's salary is capped at the higher of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court or a Class 1 official, ensuring their pay remains competitive with top state positions. Additionally, the law requires that all these salaries be paid out in regular installments from the state treasury rather than as a single lump sum.