Sen. Ferrell Haile

Maddy summarySB 2133 amends Tennessee law to make intentionally starving livestock to death a Class E felony when done in a "depraved and sadistic manner" without justification. It directly affects livestock owners and caretakers who engage in such cruelty. The key provision expands the definition of "aggravated cruelty to a livestock animal" to specifically include starvation resulting in death, alongside other severe acts. This change takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies only to cases meeting the specified cruel intent.

Maddy summarySB 1584 requires Tennessee hospitals to offer influenza vaccinations (during October 1-March 1 each year) and pneumococcal vaccinations (year-round) to all inpatients aged 50 or older before discharge. This lowers the age threshold from 65 to 50 for these mandatory immunizations, directly affecting hospitals and patients in that age group. The bill amends Tennessee law to align with CDC recommendations, mandating these offers unless medically contraindicated or vaccines are unavailable. It takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to discharges during the specified flu season period.

Maddy summarySB 1495 amends Tennessee law to add Alvogen, Inc., Apotex Corp., and Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. to the list of companies the attorney general may release from pending or future opioid-related claims. The bill updates Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 20-13-203 and 33-11-103(p) to replace "Purdue Pharma L.P." with a combined list including those three new companies. This change directly affects these pharmaceutical companies by expanding the pool eligible for potential release from opioid litigation claims. The policy change modifies the legal criteria for when the state attorney general can release companies from liability in opioid cases.

Maddy summarySB 502 expands the scope of practice for licensed athletic trainers in Tennessee. It changes the definition of "athletic injury" to include any condition limiting physical activity participation (not just injuries), allowing trainers to treat such conditions under physician supervision. The bill also explicitly clarifies that athletic trainers are healthcare providers and lists specific procedures they may perform, such as blood glucose monitoring, injections, and wound closure. This directly affects licensed athletic trainers by broadening their treatment authority while maintaining requirements for physician oversight and board certification.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment would change Tennessee's election schedule for certain local officials. It would move elections for judicial officers (like judges) and most county civil officials (such as sheriffs or clerks) from the first Thursday in August to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, effective starting in 2034. Property assessors would remain on the August election schedule, with their next election in 2032. The change aims to align local elections with federal and state election dates.

Maddy summarySB 2210 increases the required notice period for victims registered in Tennessee's criminal proceedings notification system from 24 to 36 hours before any related hearing. This change directly affects victims who have registered to receive alerts about court proceedings involving their case. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-38-507(b)(1), to update the notice timeframe. The law will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 2201 allows juvenile courts in Tennessee to suspend a student’s driving privileges or prevent them from obtaining a driver’s license for up to one year if the student is adjudicated "unruly" for unlawful school absences. This applies specifically to students referred to juvenile court for truancy and found unruly under Tennessee law. The bill amends existing statutes (TCA Title 37, 49, and 55) to add driving suspension as a permitted court disposition. It directly affects students facing juvenile court for truancy-related offenses, with the policy change taking effect July 1, 2026. The measure does not alter truancy reporting requirements but expands potential consequences for adjudicated cases.

Maddy summarySB 2323 increases the annual purchase limit for over-the-counter products containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine from 43.2 grams to 61.2 grams in Tennessee. It requires pharmacies to use an electronic sales tracking system (replacing the former "NPLEx" system) to log purchases of these products starting January 1, 2012, and mandates that manufacturers of such products pay monthly fees to the system administrator beginning January 1, 2027. The bill also updates rules for pharmacy counseling, data correction procedures, and law enforcement access to the tracking system data. This directly affects consumers buying these medications, pharmacies selling them, and manufacturers producing them.

Maddy summarySB 2165 requires Tennessee's Department of Children's Services to provide foster parents with a copy of any petition to end parental rights for a child they've cared for continuously for nine or more months. The department must deliver this copy within seven days of the petition being filed or served on them. This applies to foster parents who have served as the child's physical placement for the required period and aligns with existing requirements for sharing child-related information. The bill amends Tennessee law (Sections 36-1-113 and 37-2-415) to ensure foster parents receive timely notice of legal actions affecting their foster child.

Maddy summarySB 1751 modifies Tennessee adoption law to allow courts to waive the required home study when a child has already lived with prospective adoptive parents for six months, provided the adoption is in the child's best interest. This change directly affects adoptive parents who have cared for a child in their home for six months, removing a standard requirement that previously applied to all adoptions. The bill amends specific sections of Tennessee law to add this exception while maintaining the court's authority to approve or deny the waiver based on the child's welfare. It does not eliminate home studies for all adoptions but creates a specific pathway for cases where a child has been residing with the adoptive family. The key provision requires courts to review the circumstances and confirm the adoption aligns with the child's best interest before waiving the home study.