Sen. Heidi Campbell

Maddy summarySB 2625 prohibits railroad companies from blocking a railroad crossing for more than 30 consecutive minutes at locations serving hospitals, residential neighborhoods, or occupied homes (based on traffic counts). Railroad companies face $1,000 civil penalties for first violations and up to $3,000 for repeat offenses within 18 months at the same crossing. Collected penalties fund local railroad crossing improvements: 85% goes to counties/municipalities for projects on public roads, while 15% covers administrative costs. The law also removes railroad immunity for injuries caused when emergency vehicles are blocked due to violations. It takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 2624 repeals three Tennessee school choice programs: the "Tennessee Education Savings Account Pilot Program," the "Education Freedom Scholarship Act," and the "Individualized Education Act." It removes these programs from state law by deleting specific sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated (Title 49, Chapters 6 and 10). This ends the state's operation of these education savings account and scholarship initiatives, which previously allowed families to use public funds for private school tuition. The repeal takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 2503, the "Fair Access to Non-Inflated Seats (FANS) Act," regulates ticket sales to protect consumers. It prohibits resellers from selling "speculative tickets" (tickets they don’t actually own or have possession of) and bans access to presales by resellers or their affiliates. The bill also restricts resale platforms from adding excessive fees beyond the original ticket price and requires clear refund policies for counterfeit tickets or tickets that don’t match the advertised description. These rules apply directly to ticket resellers, resale platforms, and primary sellers like venues and promoters. The bill is pending in the Tennessee Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.

Maddy summaryThis resolution formally honors Brittney Desch, a Glendale Elementary School teacher selected as the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year, by congratulating her through the Tennessee General Assembly. It recognizes her dedication to education and impact on students, as stated in the resolution's "whereas" clauses. The bill is ceremonial - no new policies or funding are created - and has been fully approved (signed by the Governor on April 10, 2025). It directly affects only Brittney Desch as a symbolic gesture of recognition.

Maddy summarySB 2626 would have prohibited individuals convicted of a felony from running for public office in Tennessee, regardless of whether they received a presidential pardon. It also would have barred public employees convicted of felonies from receiving retirement benefits from any Tennessee public pension system. The bill amended multiple Tennessee Code sections to remove existing exceptions for "malfeasance in office" and establish these disqualifications for all felony convictions occurring on or after July 1, 2026. However, the bill was withdrawn on March 3, 2026, and never became law.

Maddy summarySB 2622 extends the deadline for inspecting newly installed manufactured homes in Tennessee from 20 to 25 business days after the Department of Commerce and Insurance receives the installer's report. This change directly affects home installers who must submit reports and the department responsible for conducting inspections. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 68, Section 68-126-406(e), to update the required inspection timeline. It does not alter safety standards or costs, only the administrative timeframe for inspections.

Maddy summarySB 2655 extends the time period during which an executor, heir, or other legal representative can commercially exploit a deceased person's name, photograph, voice, or likeness from 10 to 100 years after death. This change directly affects families and legal representatives managing the estate of deceased individuals, allowing them to use the person's image or likeness for commercial purposes for a longer period. The bill amends specific Tennessee Code sections (Title 8, Chapter 3; Title 47, Chapters 25 and 18) to update the statutory timeframe. The change takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 2623 amends Tennessee law to allow retail package stores in the general services district of a metropolitan government, provided the government has approved liquor sales for off-premises consumption through a local option election. The bill removes a previous restriction that excluded the general services district from where such licenses could be issued, explicitly permitting package stores there under the same conditions as urban services districts. This change applies only to metropolitan governments that have held a local option election approving liquor sales, without altering the election requirement itself. The law updates specific sections of Tennessee Code (Titles 7 and 57) to reflect this expanded licensing authority.

Maddy summarySB 2115 amends Tennessee law to expand the criminal offense of adulterating food, liquids, or pharmaceuticals to specifically include cases where the adulteration is intended to cause involuntary intoxication in a user. It directly affects individuals who intentionally add substances to consumable products (like drinks or medications) to render users involuntarily intoxicated, classifying this as a Class D felony. The bill establishes tiered penalties based on the intended harm: Class D for involuntary intoxication, Class C for bodily injury, and Class B for serious injury or death. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies to all food, beverage, or pharmaceutical products marketed for human consumption or medical use.

Maddy summarySB 2113 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to knowingly inhale, ingest, use, or possess nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") or amyl nitrite ("poppers"), directly affecting individuals who use these substances recreationally. Exceptions include medical prescriptions, manufacturing/industrial use, food preparation, or personal use by those aged 21+ (with flavoring creating a presumption against these exemptions). Businesses selling nitrous oxide illegally face license suspension for first violations and revocation for second violations. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, with courts able to require drug rehabilitation as a probation condition.