Sen. Todd Gardenhire

Maddy summarySB 254 requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to submit an annual report by February 1st on the effectiveness of diverting offenders from state prisons. The report must be sent to the House Criminal Justice Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, and Fiscal Review Committee. This bill amends Tennessee law to establish this specific reporting requirement for diversion programs, focusing on how well they reduce prison populations. It directly affects the Department of Correction (which must file the report) and the three legislative committees (which will review it). The bill is procedural and does not change diversion program rules or funding.

Maddy summarySB 2543 shortens the deadline for prison staff to report certain offenses to local prosecutors. It changes Tennessee law to require wardens or chief administrative officers in penal institutions to notify the district attorney general within three business days (instead of five) when specific crimes occur inside prisons. The bill amends Section 39-16-202(a)(1) of the Tennessee Code and affects all state penal institutions. This is a procedural change focused on streamlining reporting timelines for criminal incidents within correctional facilities.

Maddy summarySB 1656, known as "Matthew Davenport's Law," prohibits the possession, manufacture, delivery, or sale of Kratom (defined broadly to include derivatives and synthetic versions), with penalties ranging from a Class A misdemeanor for simple possession to a Class B felony for selling to minors. It requires toxicology testing for Kratom in cases of suspected drug overdose deaths (via medical examiners) and in specific medical scenarios like neonatal abstinence syndrome (via treating physicians). The law also mandates adding Kratom to the state's official drug definition for workplace testing. It takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySJR 618 proposes changing Tennessee's constitutional requirement for judges. Currently, judges must have lived in the circuit or district for one year before election; this amendment would require residency in the *specific county* of the court they will serve for one year instead. The change directly affects candidates running for judicial positions in Tennessee's county courts. This is a procedural constitutional amendment, not a law changing current court operations.

Maddy summarySB 2334 allows Tennessee local governments with at least $20 million in annual revenue to choose any construction project delivery method (like design-build, design-bid-build, or construction manager at-risk) for projects costing over $5 million. It requires these governments to select contractors through a competitive process and confirms existing local rules authorize such selections. The bill directly affects counties, cities, utility districts, and other local entities meeting the revenue threshold. It does not change existing requirements for smaller projects or governments below the revenue limit. The law would take effect upon enactment.

Maddy summarySB 1775 amends Tennessee's open meetings law to require additional local governing bodies to publish meeting agendas in advance. It specifically adds public school boards (local education agencies) and other local bodies with decision-making or funding authority to the list of groups required to provide public notice. The key change is expanding the existing requirement in TCA § 8-44-110 to include these new entities, ensuring their meeting agendas are available to the public before meetings occur. This directly affects school boards and similar local bodies that make binding decisions or handle public funds.

Maddy summarySB 1654 requires Tennessee's comptroller of the treasury to publish an annual summary of audit findings for state and local government entities on the comptroller's website. This makes key details from government audits publicly accessible, directly affecting the comptroller (who must now share the reports) and residents (who gain easier access to oversight information). The bill amends specific sections of Tennessee law to mandate this online publication, ensuring transparency without changing the audit process itself. It focuses on making existing audit results more available rather than altering how audits are conducted.

Maddy summarySB 1659 amends Tennessee sentencing laws to add 12 new aggravating factors that juries must consider when sentencing defendants convicted of rape of a child or aggravated rape of a child. Key provisions include factors like the defendant being in a position of trust (e.g., teacher or caregiver), prior convictions involving minors, filming the crime, using substances to influence the victim, or the offense being especially heinous. The bill directly affects defendants in these specific child sexual assault cases by making certain circumstances mandatory for sentencing consideration. It also removes a prior mitigating factor (victim participation/consent) that applied to child rape cases and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 1479 requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to coordinate with the Department of Safety to help inmates released after serving a felony sentence obtain driver licenses or photo ID licenses if they had a valid license before incarceration. It automatically extends the expiration date of a driver license that expired during incarceration or within six months after release by six additional months. The bill also mandates a data-sharing agreement between the two departments to streamline this process and ensures licenses expired solely due to incarceration are treated as valid for reentry. This applies specifically to inmates discharged from prison who plan to live in Tennessee and had a driver license in good standing prior to incarceration.

Maddy summarySB 815 extends the deadline for Tennessee municipalities to submit cost summaries for economic development projects from 30 to 45 days before the end of the fiscal year. This change applies specifically to requests for allocations of sales and use tax revenues, requiring municipalities to provide these summaries with supporting documentation certified by their chief financial officer. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 7, Chapter 40, Section 7-40-104(c)(1), to implement this extension. It directly affects local governments managing tourism or retail development projects funded through these tax allocations.