Rep. Mary Littleton

Maddy summaryHB 208 designates Cheatham County's National Guard Armory as the "First Sergeant Charles Anderson Douglas National Guard Armory" to honor his service as a military veteran and advocate for the facility. The bill requires the Tennessee Department of Military to install signs or markers with this new name at the armory location. This is a ceremonial designation with no policy changes, funding impacts, or direct effects on individuals or programs. The bill passed and became law (Public Chapter 421) in May 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 314 adjusts Tennessee's maximum compensation for crime victims under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act. It requires the state treasurer to set the maximum award at 105% of the national average from all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. Virgin Islands (rounded up to the nearest $100), and publish this amount on the Treasury website by March 1 each comparison year. This change takes effect July 1 for claims filed after that date, automatically adjusting the maximum award every three years based on updated national data. The bill directly affects crime victims filing claims in Tennessee who qualify for compensation under this program.

Maddy summaryHB 761 removes a specific definition of "content harmful to minors" from Tennessee's Protect Tennessee Minors Act by deleting subsection (b)(5) of Tennessee Code Section 39-17-912. This amendment directly affects the statutory language of the law, altering how the term is defined within the code. The bill makes no new requirements or penalties but changes the existing legal framework by eliminating this definition from the statute. The change took effect upon becoming law (Public Chapter 405).

Maddy summaryHB 1351 changes the annual reporting deadline for certified recovery residences and substance abuse treatment facilities from February 15 to March 1 each year. The bill specifically amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 33-1-307(b) to update this timeline. This adjustment affects facilities required to submit annual reports to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The bill became law on May 13, 2025, as Public Chapter 406.

Maddy summaryHB 1359 modifies training requirements for new employees in Tennessee's foster care system. It amends TCA § 37-2-415(e) to require that new foster care staff receive training within 30 days of hire, removing the prior requirement for all current employees to complete training by February 1, 2010. The bill directly affects foster care agencies and the Department of Children's Services by changing when new employees must complete mandated training. This is a procedural change to staff onboarding protocols, not a new policy for foster children. The bill was enacted as Public Chapter 387 on May 13, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1357 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 37-2-411(a), to change an annual reporting deadline from "each year" to "by March 1 of each year" for child welfare-related filings. This technical amendment affects state agencies responsible for submitting annual child welfare reports under Title 37. The bill does not create new programs or funding but streamlines administrative processes by establishing a fixed March 1 deadline. It became law as Public Chapter 397 on May 13, 2025, with no substantive changes to childhood hunger initiatives beyond the reporting timeline adjustment.

Maddy summaryHB 1360 expands Tennessee's definition of child abuse to include minors under 18 who witness abuse of another child or domestic violence within their immediate family or household. It directly affects children in foster care due to abuse by requiring two specific conditions before reunification with a parent: the parent must complete their responsibilities in the permanency plan, and the child must receive mental health counseling. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 37-1-102 (defining abuse) and adds a new provision to Title 37 governing foster care reunification. These changes create concrete requirements for family reunification processes, focusing on parental accountability and child mental health support.

Maddy summaryHB 1356 requires adoption courts, health departments, child-placing agencies, and other relevant record-holding entities in Tennessee to share adoption-related records with the Department of Children's Services. This enables the department to more effectively search for family members (kinship caregivers) who could provide foster care for children. The bill amends Tennessee law to extend the deadline for agencies to process these requests from 45 to 60 days. It directly affects agencies that maintain adoption records, making it easier to locate family-based foster placements without adding new requirements for the public.

Maddy summaryHB 1355 clarifies that a biological father or alleged biological father who provides only minimal financial support (defined as infrequent, short-term, or perfunctory payments during pregnancy or when the mother had custody) is not considered a putative father. This means such minimal payments do not create legal obligations for child support or involvement in adoption proceedings. The bill also includes minor procedural changes to adoption processes and requires healthcare providers to obtain parental consent for vaccinations of minors. These provisions primarily affect biological fathers with limited financial involvement and healthcare providers treating minors.

Maddy summaryHB 1352 changes Tennessee law to classify aggravated sexual battery as a Class A felony (a more serious offense) when the victim is under 18 years old or is mentally defective, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless - previously, it was a Class B felony. The bill mandates that defendants in these cases must be sentenced within Tennessee’s Range II sentencing range (the minimum for Class A felonies), though judges may impose a higher Range III sentence if appropriate. This affects all convictions for aggravated sexual battery meeting these victim criteria and takes effect July 1, 2025.