Rep. William Slater

Maddy summaryHB 1493 authorizes Tennessee local historical boards to lease their owned or managed land for agricultural use, allowing farmers to grow crops on five or more contiguous acres or harvest hay on smaller parcels. All lease proceeds must be used exclusively for preserving historic sites and structures under the boards' management. The bill requires boards to submit annual reports detailing lease contracts and fund usage to the Tennessee Historical Commission. This policy directly affects local historical boards and farmers seeking land access, creating a new revenue stream for preservation efforts without altering existing land protections.

Maddy summaryHB 1881 removes outdated reporting requirements from Tennessee education laws. It deletes obsolete references in multiple code sections (Titles 4, 9, 12, 48, 49, and 67) that previously required the Department of Education to report on literacy practices, standards, and requirements. This bill directly affects the Department of Education by eliminating an administrative burden that no longer serves a purpose, without changing any actual education policies or standards.

Maddy summaryHB 1759 changes a state law requiring the Tennessee Department of Education to publish a directory of apprenticeship program contacts for each public high school. The bill delays the publication deadline from September 1 to December 1 each year. This affects the Department of Education's administrative schedule and public high schools, which must provide contact information for their apprenticeship programs. The amendment updates Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-419(c), to reflect this date change.

Maddy summaryHB 2177 modifies Tennessee's public charter school regulations. It exempts schools with less than $50,000 in combined internal school and student activity funds from conducting separate financial audits, while requiring local school districts to submit annual financial reports by October 1 to avoid per-pupil funding cuts for charter schools. The bill also updates enrollment lottery preferences to prioritize students from pre-K programs, economically disadvantaged families, and siblings of current students, and changes requirements for charter school replication applications. These provisions directly affect public charter schools and local education agencies in Tennessee.

Maddy summaryHB 1899 changes Tennessee's rules for classifying homes providing care for elderly residents. It increases the maximum number of nonrelated people allowed in a "tier 1" home for the aged from three to five, and raises the minimum number required for a "tier 2" home from four to six. This means homes with four or five nonrelated residents will now be classified as tier 1 (instead of tier 2 under current rules). The bill directly affects all residential care facilities for the elderly in Tennessee that operate under these size-based classification rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1729 updates Tennessee's homeschooling testing requirements by allowing the Classic Learning Test (CLT) to be used alongside the ACT and SAT for academic assessments. It requires homeschool parents to administer either a nationally normed test (like the CLT) or public school-approved tests in grades 5, 7, and 9, with results shared with schools and the state board. The bill also establishes remediation steps if students don't meet proficiency, including consulting licensed teachers, and permits homeschoolers to take public school advanced courses or preparatory exams (like the CLT) if space is available. This directly affects Tennessee homeschooling families by expanding testing options and academic support pathways.

Maddy summaryHB 1263 requires Tennessee's Department of Children's Services to post all adoption-related forms on its website. This affects courts, social service agencies, and individuals navigating the adoption process by making these forms easily accessible online. The bill amends Tennessee law to mandate this change, ensuring forms previously available through other channels are centralized on the department's website for public access. It does not alter adoption eligibility or procedures, only the method of form distribution.

Maddy summaryHB 1934 requires the Tennessee public charter school commission to notify the chairs of the education committees in both the Tennessee Senate and House of Representatives when a new opportunity public charter school opens in the state, including the school's specific location. This notification must occur at the time the school opens. The bill adds this reporting requirement to existing law without changing charter school rules or operations. It directly affects the commission (which must send the notice) and the legislative education committees (which receive the information).

Maddy summaryHB 1882 requires the Tennessee governor to seek legislative confirmation via joint resolution before appointing members to any state university board. It also changes the start date for all board terms to February 1 and sets six-year terms, aligning existing members' terms with this new schedule by extending them to January 31 of the following year. This bill directly affects governors, state university boards, and the appointment process for board members across Tennessee's public universities. The key change is shifting appointment authority from the governor alone to require legislative approval before a term begins.

Maddy summaryHB 1495 amends Tennessee law to increase the thresholds for adult day services to qualify for licensing exemptions. Specifically, it raises the weekly service hours from 12 to 16 and the maximum number of adults served simultaneously from 15 to 20. This change directly affects adult day care providers seeking to operate without full state licensing. The bill modifies two specific sections of Tennessee Code Annotated (71-2-402(c)(2)(A)(iii) and 71-2-402(c)(2)(D)) to implement these adjustments. The bill is currently in committee review after being introduced on January 9, 2026.