Rep. Ed Butler

Maddy summaryHB 1844 expands safe surrender options for newborns in Tennessee by adding 24-hour ambulance stations to the list of facilities where parents can legally leave infants without legal consequences. The bill amends Tennessee Code (Sections 68-11-255) to explicitly include ambulance stations staffed 24/7 by licensed emergency medical providers, alongside existing options like hospitals and fire departments. It also updates language to require facilities to have "staff scheduled continuously on a 24-hour basis" rather than simply "being staffed." This change directly affects parents seeking to voluntarily surrender newborns, providing additional accessible, safe locations for this process.

Maddy summaryHB 2284 changes the required notice period for property owners to 10 business days (instead of 10 calendar days) before selling livestock that trespassed on their property to satisfy a judgment for damages. This directly affects property owners who have recovered damages from trespassing animals and must sell the livestock to cover the judgment. The key provision simply extends the notice period to exclude weekends and holidays, making the timeline more practical for business operations. The bill amends multiple Tennessee code sections related to real property procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 1847 requires data center owners or operators (including for new construction, expansion, or upgrades) to pay the full cost of all infrastructure needed to support the data center, including utility infrastructure like power lines, substations, and cooling systems. This includes costs for utility infrastructure upgrades necessary to serve the data center without disrupting service to existing customers. The bill also mandates that electric utilities cannot pass these infrastructure costs to residential or other commercial customers through rate increases, ensuring existing customer rates remain unchanged due to data center operations. The law takes effect January 1, 2027, and applies to contracts entered into after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 388 removes the June 30, 2028, expiration date for municipalities that continue to receive state sales tax revenue allocated under a now-repealed 2005 program (the Courthouse Square Revitalization Pilot Project Act). It directly affects eligible municipalities by making their ongoing revenue allocation permanent. The bill amends Tennessee law to delete the termination date and clarifies that the "courthouse square revitalization zone" refers to the area defined as of June 1, 2015. This is a procedural change to extend an existing financial provision, not a new policy.

Maddy summaryThis House Joint Resolution honors Coach Lamar Rogers on the occasion of his retirement after a fifty-year career at Clarkrange High School. The bill formally recognizes his achievements as the winningest girls' basketball coach in Tennessee history, noting his 1,364 career victories, eight state championships, and induction into multiple halls of fame. It directs the General Assembly to commend his contributions to high school basketball and extend best wishes for his retirement. Upon passage, a copy of the resolution is prepared for presentation to Coach Rogers without the standard legislative signatures.

Maddy summaryHB 2160 would require Tennessee counties to transition from at-large elections for county commissioners to district-based elections by the 2030 federal census. The bill prohibits counties from having a single district covering the entire county and bans the election of commissioners in at-large districts. Counties currently using at-large systems must amend their charters to create districts before the 2030 census. This directly affects Tennessee counties that currently elect their county legislative body members by the entire county rather than by geographic districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates May 13-23, 2026, as "Run for the Wall Week" in Tennessee to honor the annual motorcycle event that supports veterans and raises awareness for missing or captured service members. The resolution acknowledges the event's planned route, which includes overnight stops in Cookeville and Chattanooga to visit local veteran memorials and VA facilities. By officially recognizing these dates, the legislature formally thanks the organizers and participants who travel through the state to pay tribute to military personnel and their families.

Maddy summaryHB 2334 transfers oversight of the Elevator and Amusement Device Safety Board and the Board of Boiler Rules from the Department of Labor to the Department of Commerce and Insurance. This administrative change affects how safety standards for elevators, amusement rides, and boiler systems are managed. The bill updates Tennessee law to reflect this departmental shift and includes new definitions for amusement devices and safety equipment in Title 62. It does not change existing safety regulations but alters which state department administers the oversight.

Maddy summaryHB 1846 eliminates rollback tax liability when agricultural, forest, or open space land with a greenbelt classification is sold. The new buyer must submit a fresh application to maintain the special tax status, but the seller faces no tax penalties for the sale itself. This means buyers don't owe back taxes simply because they purchased land that previously had the greenbelt classification. The rule applies to property sales occurring on or after July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1148 removes Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and Tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCp) from the list of legally authorized hemp-derived cannabinoids in Tennessee law. This change directly affects manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of hemp products containing these compounds, as such products would no longer qualify as legal hemp under state law. The bill amends definitions to clarify that "Total THC" includes converted THCa (using a 0.877 conversion factor), and requires testing to measure potential THC after decarboxylation. Products containing THCa or THCp would now be subject to seizure and forfeiture under state law.