Rep. Timothy Hill

Maddy summaryHB 1994 requires Tennessee's Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of how local and state officials, departments, and agencies prepared for and responded to Hurricane Helene. The bill mandates that all relevant agencies assist TACIR and requires a final report with findings and recommendations - including potential new legislation - by January 31, 2027. This report must be submitted to the relevant legislative committees overseeing state and local government. The bill directly affects state and local entities involved in disaster response planning and execution. It creates a structured process to identify lessons learned from Hurricane Helene for future disaster preparedness.

Maddy summaryHB 1992 creates a formal administrative link between the Doe Mountain Recreation Authority and Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation for support functions like staffing, while keeping the Authority fully independent for all other operations. The bill changes staff employment rules so Authority employees are treated as state employees for benefits, pay, and retirement under state laws. It also requires the Authority to undergo audits by the state comptroller's office, similar to how the Department of Environment and Conservation is audited, and mandates annual public reporting of financial activities. This bill directly affects the Doe Mountain Recreation Authority, its staff, and the state's oversight of its finances.

Maddy summaryHB 1995 changes Tennessee's third-grade retention policy from mandatory to optional. It allows public schools and charter schools to choose whether to retain a third grader who hasn't demonstrated basic reading or English language arts skills, based on grades or test results, instead of requiring retention. The bill removes the current mandatory requirement and applies to the 2025-2026 school year and beyond. This directly affects third-grade students in Tennessee public schools who may no longer be automatically retained if they don't meet reading benchmarks.

Maddy summaryHJR 809 proposes a constitutional amendment to Tennessee's Article II, Section 28, allowing counties and municipalities to make property tax collection optional for all real property or specific property types through a two-thirds vote of their local legislative body. If approved, local governments could offer alternative payment plans like advance payments or deferred payments (with property liens) instead of standard annual taxes. The amendment requires any option to not collect taxes to apply uniformly across the entire county or municipality. This is a proposed change to the state constitution, not an existing law, and remains under review by the State & Local Government Committee.

Maddy summaryHB 1278 creates a $200 million Hurricane Helene disaster recovery fund to assist counties and households affected by flooding from Hurricane Helene. The fund provides fixed grants to counties based on 2020 census population ranges (e.g., $15 million for counties with 17,900-18,000 residents) for infrastructure repairs and general flood-related expenses. It also allocates $100 million for direct household assistance to cover property repairs, replacement of personal items, rent, and utilities, distributed through county offices based on need. Funds must remain dedicated to recovery efforts and cannot revert to the general state budget.

Maddy summaryHB 1283 changes Tennessee election law to require county election commissions to retain voter purge records for three years instead of two. This applies to records of voters removed from registration rolls, affecting local election offices responsible for managing voter databases. The bill does not address voter identification requirements for non-citizens, as the title may suggest, but solely modifies the retention period for purge records. It was enacted as Public Chapter 394 on May 13, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1281 prohibits Tennessee school districts from excusing students to attend off-campus religious moral instruction courses (called "released time courses") unless specific safety checks are completed. It requires instructors and organizations offering these courses to undergo Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) criminal background checks, with results shared with school districts. School districts must review these checks, notify parents about results, and ensure only individuals with "satisfactory" checks (no convictions for certain offenses) have contact with students. The law, effective July 1, 2025, directly affects school districts, religious organizations providing such courses, and parents of participating students.

Maddy summaryHB 1280 creates a $250 million "medical expense relief fund" within Tennessee's general fund to help the next of kin or estate of a decedent who was enrolled in TennCare at the time of death pay their unpaid medical debt and expenses. The Department of Human Services would administer the fund, setting application procedures, eligibility criteria (considering debt amount and need), and determining whether grants go to next of kin, the estate, or directly to creditors. Funds would be used solely for covering the decedent's medical costs, including unpaid TennCare benefits or premiums. The bill requires DHS to establish reporting mechanisms and submit annual reports to legislative committees, but it does not appropriate funds until the state budget act includes specific funding.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (not a policy bill) honoring Katie Lipford for her election as FFA East Tennessee State Vice President for 2025-2026. It recognizes her leadership role within the Tennessee FFA organization, which supports high school agriculture students through leadership development and community engagement. The resolution was unanimously adopted by the Tennessee House of Representatives on April 10, 2025, as a symbolic gesture of appreciation for her contributions to agriculture education. It does not create new laws or affect any policies or individuals beyond this recognition.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (HR 72), not a policy bill. It formally honors Peyton Woodard, a Roan Creek Elementary School student, for receiving the 2025 Good Neighbor Award from Delta Kappa Gamma's Gamma Mu chapter. The resolution recognizes her demonstrated compassion, responsibility, and community-minded behavior, which the award specifically celebrates. It has no policy impact or financial effect - its sole purpose is to publicly commend her character and achievements.