Sen. Jeff Yarbro

Maddy summarySB 808 authorizes Tennessee state employees with at least 12 months of full-time service (working 1,600+ hours annually) to take up to 15 hours of paid leave each year for volunteer work with community organizations, schools, or nonprofits. Employees must get supervisor approval, provide 14 days' notice, and submit written verification within 7 days of use. The leave is separate from sick or annual leave, doesn’t carry over if unused, and excludes part-time, temporary (<6 months), seasonal, or emergency staff. Employers cannot retaliate against employees using this leave or count it toward disciplinary actions.

Maddy summarySB 1418 establishes the "Tennessee Mental Health Volunteer Alliance Act," creating a statewide database of licensed mental health professionals who can volunteer to provide free counseling services at schools or public facilities within 24 hours after a traumatic event like a school shooting or disaster. The Department of Mental Health manages the database, verifies professional credentials, and coordinates volunteer requests submitted by school officials specifying their needs. The bill allocates $250,000 annually for database operations, travel reimbursement at federal rates, and unspent funds roll over to the School Safety Fund for purchasing safety equipment. This directly affects schools, students, and staff by enabling rapid mental health support after crises, while mental health professionals gain a structured pathway to volunteer.

Maddy summarySB 1262 prohibits sending by mail a fake check or its image for advertising purposes, even if labeled "not real." It directly affects advertisers who use such deceptive materials in physical mailings. The bill amends Tennessee law to require the Department of Financial Institutions to enforce this rule and create necessary regulations, with violations treated as unfair practices under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025, applying to all mail-based advertising using fake checks after that date.

Maddy summarySB 1259 clarifies that "neglect" under Tennessee law does not apply when a parent or caregiver allows a child (whose basic needs are met and who is old enough to understand risks) to engage in specific independent activities. These include walking, biking, or running to school; going to nearby parks or stores; playing outside; or being home alone for a brief time. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 37-1-102 and 39-15-401 to explicitly exclude these activities from the definition of neglect. This change directly affects parents, guardians, and child welfare authorities by reducing legal concerns around common, age-appropriate childhood independence.

Maddy summarySB 1207 requires lobbyists in Tennessee to list every specific bill or legislative measure they are paid to support or oppose in their registration statements with the Ethics Commission. This directly affects professional lobbyists who work on legislative advocacy, adding transparency about which bills they influence for compensation. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 3, Chapter 6, by adding a new disclosure requirement to existing registration forms. It does not change lobbying compensation rules but mandates that lobbyists publicly identify the exact legislation they represent financially. The bill was introduced in the Tennessee Senate on February 6, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 315, the "Workers Need Child Care Act," creates a dedicated child care infrastructure fund within Tennessee's state general fund to support new licensed child care centers. The Department of Human Services will distribute grants from this fund to nonprofit organizations specifically for establishing new child care agencies across the state. Key provisions include limiting administrative costs to 5% of funds annually, requiring unspent money to carry forward year-to-year (not revert to general funds), and mandating annual reports on fund usage. This legislation directly affects nonprofit child care providers seeking to expand services, aiming to align child care access with workforce development needs.

Maddy summarySB 313 requires Tennessee school districts and public charter schools to adopt policies for managing classroom libraries (materials teachers use in their classrooms for assigned students) and school libraries. It removes the requirement for schools to list classroom library materials on their website, focusing the website posting rule only on school library collections. The new policies must include procedures for parents to review classroom library materials multiple times per year and prevent teachers from including inappropriate materials in classroom libraries. This bill clarifies transparency requirements while establishing a framework for parental involvement in classroom resources.

Maddy summarySB 316 removes a requirement that the Tennessee governor must get approval from the state legislature before making decisions about expanding optional enrollment in TennCare (the state's Medicaid program). This change directly affects the governor's authority to manage Medicaid expansion without needing legislative authorization. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 71 by deleting Section 71-5-126, which previously mandated this approval process. The key provision simplifies the decision-making process for Medicaid program expansion by eliminating the need for the General Assembly's prior consent.

Maddy summarySB 1330 updates Tennessee's contractor licensing laws by removing outdated definitions of "contractor" and obsolete penalty references from multiple statutes. It specifically deletes outdated language in Section 62-6-136(b) that referenced other obsolete sections (§62-37-114 or §62-37-127). The bill affects contractors and licensing enforcement by streamlining the legal text to reflect current standards. This is a procedural update to remove redundant or outdated statutory language without changing licensing requirements.

Maddy summarySB 1261 requires Tennessee health insurance companies, including TennCare and pharmacy benefits managers, to follow strict rules when using artificial intelligence (AI) for healthcare decisions like approving treatments. It mandates that AI tools must base decisions on individual patient medical history and provider recommendations - not just group data - and cannot replace licensed doctors in determining medical necessity. Insurers must disclose AI use in their policies, regularly review AI performance, and ensure patient data is handled securely under HIPAA. The law prohibits AI from discriminating or causing harm and treats violations as unfair claims practices, allowing patients to sue for damages.