Rep. Jeff Burkhart

Maddy summaryHB 1419 creates a fifth division of Montgomery County's General Sessions and Juvenile Courts, directly affecting Montgomery County court operations. The bill establishes a new judge position for this division, initially appointed by the county legislative body until 2026, then elected every eight years starting in 2026. It updates the presiding judge rotation to include the new division and requires the county legislative body to approve the bill by a two-thirds vote before implementation. The new division will operate with the same court powers, jurisdiction, and funding requirements as existing divisions.

Maddy summaryHB 636 amends Tennessee law to raise the minimum capital cost requirement for infrastructure development districts from $500,000 to $1,000,000. This change directly affects developers and local governments creating such districts, requiring projects to meet the higher $1 million threshold. The bill modifies specific sections of Tennessee Code (Titles 7, 9, 12, 13, 66, 67, and 68) to reflect this updated cost standard. It does not create new programs or funding but adjusts an existing eligibility requirement for infrastructure districts. The bill became law as Public Chapter 357 on May 13, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 977 allows Tennessee local governments (like cities and counties) to create supplemental bridge benefits for employees in jobs with mandatory retirement rules (such as police or fire positions) after July 1, 2025. These benefits would provide temporary income to help workers transition to full retirement benefits. The bill also modifies a retirement law provision to let governing boards set the frequency of benefit adjustments instead of requiring them annually. This gives local governments more flexibility in managing retirement programs for affected employees.

Maddy summaryHJR 595 is a ceremonial resolution honoring the West Creek High School girls' wrestling team for winning the 2025 TSSAA girls' traditional wrestling state championship - their first team title in school history. It specifically recognizes individual athletes like Mariana Bowen (three-time champion) and Irelynn Lauren (41-2 season), along with coaches and supporters. The resolution has no legal effect or policy changes; it is purely symbolic recognition by the Tennessee General Assembly. It directly affects the athletes, coaches, and school community by formally applauding their achievement. The resolution was signed into law by the Governor on April 29, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 975 allows Tennessee counties to delegate authority for setting lower speed limits on county roads to the chief administrative officer of the county highway department, provided the department employs a qualified engineer capable of conducting required traffic investigations. This directly affects county highway departments and their engineers, as they would now have the operational role in establishing speed limits when meeting the engineer requirement. The bill requires all speed limit changes to follow established traffic engineering practices and the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices), with documentation maintained by the county. It amends existing law to clarify that county legislative bodies may delegate this authority via resolution, while preserving their ultimate authority to set limits. The key mechanism shifts decision-making flexibility to highway departments with qualified engineering staff, streamlining the process for localized speed adjustments.

Maddy summaryHB 700 exempts certain real estate brokers in Tennessee from continuing education requirements. Specifically, it removes the need for brokers originally licensed before January 1, 2005, who do not supervise affiliate brokers to complete 16 classroom hours of real estate education every two years for license renewal. This change modifies Tennessee Code Annotated § 62-13-303(h)(3), directly affecting existing brokers meeting both criteria. The bill became law on April 8, 2025, as Public Chapter 122.

Maddy summaryHJR 365 is a ceremonial resolution honoring the Kenwood High School unified bowling team for winning the 2025 TSSAA Unified Bowling State Championship. It recognizes them as the first Montgomery County school to win a state championship in unified sports, highlighting their role in promoting inclusion through Special Olympics' unified sports program, which brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities. The resolution was passed by both legislative chambers and signed by the Governor.

Maddy summaryHB 978 requires utilities governed by Tennessee's Utilities' Cut-Off Procedures Act to publish their policies for discontinuing service due to unpaid bills on their websites in a publicly accessible location. This applies directly to electric, gas, water, and other utility providers operating under the specified state law. The key provision mandates that these policies be posted online - rather than only available through other channels - making them easier for customers to find. The requirement takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1075 requires Tennessee's comptroller of the treasury to report to the legislature which counties adjusted precinct lines to eliminate split precincts (where a single voting area crosses legislative district boundaries). This bill amends specific sections of Tennessee law governing redistricting procedures, focusing on transparency around local precinct boundary changes. The reporting requirement directly affects counties that modify precinct lines to comply with legislative district boundaries, ensuring voters are correctly assigned to districts without geographic splits. The bill does not change district maps or voting rules, but mandates documentation of precinct adjustments for legislative review.

Maddy summaryHB 976 (Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 66, Chapter 11) extends the notice period for spouses who do not sign home improvement contracts on jointly owned property. Specifically, it increases the time from 10 to 20 days for a non-contracting spouse to serve written notice of objection to the contractor after learning of the contract. This change directly affects married couples where one spouse signs a contract for property improvements while the other spouse owns the property (either jointly or solely), preventing the objecting spouse from being automatically deemed the agent of the contracting spouse. The bill amends existing law and takes effect July 1, 2025.