Rep. Jason Powell

Maddy summaryHB 1288 creates a new School Safety Grant Fund within Tennessee’s state general fund to provide financial support for schools that have experienced shootings or firearm-related incidents. The fund, administered by the Tennessee Department of Education, provides grants to local school districts and public charter schools to strengthen prevention, response, and reduction efforts related to school shootings. Grants prioritize schools based on documented need, including prior firearm incidents, availability of school resource officers, and financial resources. Schools must use these funds exclusively for school safety initiatives, and the Department must submit annual reports on grant allocations to education committees starting in 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 2169, the "Electric Grid Resilience, Transparency, and Planning Act," requires Tennessee's local electric utilities serving at least 10,000 customers to publicly share detailed planning and performance data. Key provisions include annual reports on outage patterns, vegetation management plans, and 10-year grid resilience plans outlining hardening strategies like undergrounding or automation. Utilities must also publish after-action reports following major outages and maintain minimum emergency communication standards (e.g., hourly updates during crises). The bill focuses on increasing transparency and accountability for grid reliability, directly affecting city and county utility providers across Tennessee.

Maddy summaryHB 2213, the "Anti-Retaliation for Reporting Unsafe Work Act," prohibits Tennessee employers from firing, demoting, or threatening to report an employee's immigration status because they reported unsafe working conditions, wage theft, or other labor violations. It directly affects workers who report workplace issues and requires employers to provide remedies like reinstatement, back pay, and punitive damages for violations. Key provisions include creating a legal cause of action for affected employees, modifying the burden of proof in retaliation cases, and allowing recovery of attorney fees. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, applying to claims arising after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 2211, the "Safe Access to Schools and Child Services Act," prohibits Tennessee public schools, government agencies, and other child-serving entities from requiring disclosure of a child’s immigration status for enrollment, attendance, or services. It directly affects children under 18 and covers public schools, state departments, local governments, and public utilities. The law explicitly allows compliance with federal immigration law or court orders, clarifying it does not restrict cooperation with federal authorities when legally required. This bill amends Tennessee Code sections related to education, health, and government operations to implement this policy.

Maddy summaryHouse Joint Resolution 997 is a ceremonial resolution honoring Nashville SC for winning the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship - their first national title and the first professional sports championship won by a Tennessee team. It recognizes their victory over Austin FC (2-1) on October 1, 2025, after defeating multiple teams in the tournament, and highlights their qualification for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The resolution formally congratulates the team, players, coaches, and staff for their achievement and extends best wishes for future success. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new laws or policies but serves to publicly acknowledge the team's historic win.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (HJR 955) honoring the YMCA of Middle Tennessee for its 150th anniversary. It recognizes the organization's history since 1875, its community programs across 12 Tennessee locations, and its role in supporting youth, families, and wellness. The resolution has no policy impact or funding changes - it simply expresses the General Assembly's formal appreciation. It directly affects the YMCA of Middle Tennessee as the recipient of this symbolic recognition.

Maddy summaryHB 2214 prohibits distributing AI-generated "electoral deepfakes" (fake videos or audio falsely depicting candidates) within 90 days of a state or local election if the creator knows or should know it deceives voters. It requires clear, prominent disclosures like "AI-generated" for altered content, with specific visibility rules for images, videos, and audio. Exceptions cover news broadcasts (if they acknowledge authenticity questions), satire, and publishers who explicitly state the content is not real. Violators face civil fines up to $10,000 for repeat offenses, $5,000 for intent to cause harm, or $1,000 for other violations. The law directly affects anyone distributing election-related content, including social media users, campaigns, and media outlets.

Maddy summaryHB 2003, the "School Mental Health Transparency Act," requires Tennessee's Department of Education to compile and publish a statewide list of mental health resources for students, including geographic locations and availability limitations. Public schools must then use this list to create their own school-specific resource lists and share them annually with parents/guardians (starting 2026-2027) or directly with eligible students, while also posting the lists on school websites. The bill mandates no new staffing or funding, clarifies that listing resources doesn't endorse them, and requires the department to consult multiple state agencies like health and children's services when building the initial list. This directly affects all Tennessee public schools, students, and their families by standardizing access to mental health support information.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally honors the Wright Middle School Mariachi Ensemble and its director, Maikel Rodriguez, for their cultural contributions and achievements. It specifically recognizes their performance as the opening act for Jason Isbell at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium in October 2025, their national recognition, and their role in celebrating diversity through music education. The resolution has no policy impact - it is purely ceremonial, expressing commendation without creating new laws or allocating funds. It directly affects the students, director, and school community by providing official state recognition of their work.

Maddy summaryHB 2492 requires Tennessee's Department of Finance and Administration to create rules governing how businesses round cash transactions to the nearest five cents ($0.05). The rules must prevent practices that systematically favor sellers, mandate clear itemization on receipts showing subtotals, rounding adjustments, and final totals, and follow standard administrative procedures. This directly affects businesses handling cash payments, such as retailers and service providers, by changing how they process and display rounded transactions. The bill takes effect upon becoming law, with implementation using existing department resources.