Sen. Adam Lowe

Maddy summarySB 342 requires all Tennessee school board members to be elected at the same election starting in 2028, replacing staggered elections. It adjusts terms for members elected after 2025 to two-year terms to align with this change, ensuring all board members serve concurrent terms. This directly affects all local school districts in Tennessee by standardizing their election schedules and board member terms. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, to implement this election structure.

Maddy summarySB 779 requires Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to post its existing catalog of materials on source reduction and recycling on the department's public website. This administrative change directly affects the department, which must now make these resources easily accessible online. The bill does not create new policies or regulations but ensures existing waste-reduction and recycling information is publicly available without cost. The requirement applies to materials currently created by the department under existing law.

Maddy summarySB 723 prohibits weather-related companies in Tennessee from conducting specific weather modification activities, such as cloud seeding, using heat to alter weather, or releasing substances to change atmospheric conditions. It directly affects businesses offering weather modification services, including cloud seeding and atmospheric interventions. The bill defines prohibited actions in detail and treats violations as unfair or deceptive practices under Tennessee's Consumer Protection Act, subjecting offenders to related penalties. This law takes effect July 1, 2025, and focuses on preventing unregulated weather manipulation by private entities.

Maddy summarySB 447 prohibits activities like fishing or swimming near public boat launches, docks, marinas, or boats that interfere with their normal use or cause damage. It specifically bans fishing that disrupts boat launching/retrieval or swimming/fishing that blocks dock access or harms property. The bill applies directly to recreational users at public water access points and takes effect July 1, 2025. It amends Tennessee law to add these restrictions as violations subject to penalties.

Maddy summarySB 339 changes Tennessee law to extend the term length for members of historic zoning commissions from five to six years. Current commission members will complete their existing terms, but new appointments made after the bill takes effect will serve six-year terms. This procedural bill directly affects local historic zoning commissions by altering their appointment structure without creating new policy requirements.

Maddy summarySB 726 amends Tennessee law to require the Alcoholic Beverage Commission to submit its biennial report on underage drinking, drunk driving, and harmful alcohol use to both the governor and the members of the general assembly. Previously, the report was only sent to legislative members. This change adds the governor as a direct recipient of the report, ensuring the executive branch receives the same data as the legislature. The bill does not alter the report's content or create new policies - it only modifies who receives the existing biennial report. (Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57, Section 57-1-206(a), amended as of February 2025.)

Maddy summarySB 730 modifies Tennessee's public records law to allow government offices to charge requestors a fee for viewing records that require more than one hour of an employee's time to gather. It specifically permits fees after the first hour, calculated based on the employee's hourly pay rate, while keeping the initial hour free. This directly affects individuals and organizations seeking public records, particularly for complex or time-intensive requests. The bill does not change the requirement for written requests or existing fee structures for standard requests. (Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 7, Section 10-7-503)

Maddy summarySB 1226 requires all Tennessee state departments and agencies to annually post reports on their website detailing progress toward economic efficiency. This replaces the previous requirement for departments to report only during budget hearings to legislative committees. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Section 4-1-408, mandating that these reports be publicly accessible online each year. The policy change directly affects every state department and agency, making efficiency progress reports more readily available to the public without needing to attend committee meetings. The bill takes effect upon becoming law.

Maddy summarySB 913 amends Tennessee law to prohibit individuals serving on the governing board of one state university from simultaneously holding a board position at *any* other higher education institution (including private colleges). It directly affects current state university board members who also serve on another institution's board. The key mechanism requires vacating their state board seat immediately upon the bill's effective date, with the appointing authority filling the vacancy. This expands a prior restriction that only applied to public higher education boards, now covering all institutions of higher education.

Maddy summarySB 724 (Tennessee) amends state law to provide a five-day grace period for assistant district attorneys general and criminal investigators to submit overdue expense accounts. The bill changes Section 8-7-202(b) by stating that expense accounts must not be paid if submitted late, unless the employee submits the account within five days of the month's end with an explanation for the delay. This directly affects these specific public employees who manage expense reimbursements. The change takes effect June 30, 2025, and only modifies the submission deadline without altering payment eligibility rules.