Sen. Jack Johnson

Maddy summarySB 1075 (enacted as Public Chapter 513) amends Tennessee law to expand the definition of "machine gun" to include parts designed solely for converting firearms into machine guns. It upgrades the felony classification for machine gun possession, manufacture, or sale from Class E to Class C and reclassifies certain firearm ammunition offenses. The bill also makes defendants ineligible for parole if convicted of aggravated assault involving a firearm used from a motor vehicle. These changes directly affect individuals possessing machine guns or specific firearm-related offenses in Tennessee, with the law taking effect upon enactment.

Maddy summarySB 1089 increases the mandatory court fee amount from $1.00 to $2.00 per municipal court case that must be forwarded by municipal court clerks to the state treasurer. The funds are specifically designated to cover administrative costs for training and continuing education programs for municipal court judges and clerks. This change, effective July 1, 2025, modifies Tennessee law (TCA Titles 16 and 17) to provide additional funding for judicial and clerical professional development. The bill directly affects municipal court operations and the administrative office of the courts, with no changes to the fee structure for case participants.

Maddy summarySB 1313 changes Tennessee property development law by establishing a property owner's rights upon *submitting* a development plan or building permit, rather than waiting for local government *approval*. This affects developers and local governments, as it secures rights for three years starting from the submission date. The law requires plans to substantially comply with local ordinances, fixes development standards in place at submission for the entire vesting period, and shifts key terms from "approval" to "submission" throughout the code. The bill is now enacted (effective July 1, 2025), streamlining the timeline for project certainty.

Maddy summarySB 1084, the "Dismantling DEI Departments Act," prohibits Tennessee state agencies, counties, cities, metropolitan governments, and public universities from maintaining or authorizing offices or departments focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The law voids all existing DEI-related mandates, policies, programs, and enforcement actions by these entities. It directly affects all public sector organizations in Tennessee by requiring the elimination of DEI offices and related initiatives. The bill became effective May 9, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.

Maddy summarySB 207 creates a new "farmland preservation fund" within Tennessee's state budget to support the long-term protection of agricultural and forested land. The fund provides grants to help farmers and foresters place permanent conservation easements on their property - legal agreements that prevent development while allowing farming or forestry activities. These grants can be awarded directly to landowners or to qualified nonprofit organizations (like 501(c)(3) groups) that hold the easements, with requirements including proof of the easement agreement and ongoing agricultural use. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture will manage the fund, and unspent money will carry forward annually instead of reverting to the general budget.

Maddy summarySB 1068, now the "Modernization of Towing, Immobilization, and Oversight Normalization (MOTION) Act of 2025," revises Tennessee's vehicle towing and abandonment laws. It clarifies definitions for terms like "abandoned motor vehicle" (e.g., unattended on public property >10 days, in disrepair >3 days, or parked illegally on private property without consent) and "curbstoning" (unlicensed sales of used vehicles, defined as selling >5 vehicles yearly without a dealer license). The bill also establishes a "motor vehicle portal" for electronic tracking and updates rules for towing companies, commercial parking lots, and garagekeepers. This law directly affects towing services, vehicle owners, unlicensed used car sellers, and property managers handling abandoned vehicles.

Maddy summarySB 1233 modifies Tennessee's criminal justice reporting requirements by changing Section 39-16-202(a)(1) to require written reports of certain offenses instead of oral reports. This directly affects law enforcement and court personnel who handle these reports, mandating written documentation for specific criminal offenses. The bill makes no substantive changes to criminal penalties or procedures, only altering the format for submitting initial offense reports. It became effective July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1273 requires Tennessee's Department of Education to create a plan to close the Achievement School District (ASD) by the start of the 2026-2027 school year, releasing all schools currently assigned to the ASD before that date. It mandates the department to replace the ASD model with a new intervention system for schools identified as "priority schools." The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, to implement these changes. The law became effective May 9, 2025, with related implementation dates set for July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1090 allows Tennessee uniformed law enforcement officers to wear military decorations (such as medals, service medals, or badges) earned from the U.S. armed forces, Tennessee National Guard, or State Guard during specific periods: the week before Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the days of those holidays, and the day immediately after. The bill amends Tennessee law to permit this temporary display, which directly affects law enforcement personnel during these observances. Employers may still prohibit wearing such decorations if they determine it poses a safety hazard to officers or the public. This is a procedural change focused on ceremonial recognition, not substantive policy.

Maddy summarySB 1274 updates Tennessee's environmental fee structure and regulates coal combustion residuals (like ash from power plants). It increases fees for regular landfill permits ($10,000) and annual maintenance ($15,000), while excluding coal ash disposal units from these charges. The bill requires new liners and caps for coal ash disposal facilities (except for specific uses like agricultural or engineering applications) and allows the Department of Environment and Conservation to recover regulatory costs for coal ash units through capped fees. These changes directly affect power plants, waste management facilities handling coal ash, and environmental regulatory programs.