Sen. Jack Johnson

Maddy summaryThis resolution confirms Governor Bill Lee's appointment of Annie Dockery to Tennessee's English Language Arts Standards Recommendation Committee, as required by Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-1-312(b). It directly affects Annie Dockery, who will serve on the committee until December 31, 2025, to advise on state English language arts curriculum standards. The bill is procedural - confirming an existing appointment under state law - rather than creating new policy or affecting broader legislation. No substantive changes to education standards or funding are included.

Maddy summarySB 1079 requires developers (called "declarants") to hold the first 10% of a condo buyer's deposit in a state-licensed escrow account until construction is complete. Developers can access these funds only if they provide a surety bond or letter of credit guaranteeing full repayment to the buyer if construction delays prevent unit delivery. Deposits exceeding 10% may be used for actual construction costs (like materials and labor), but not for salaries, commissions, or advertising. The law applies to new condo contracts signed or amended on or after July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1299, now law in Tennessee, modifies ignition interlock device requirements for drivers convicted of DUI offenses. It allows individuals to schedule calibration, monitoring, or inspection appointments within a two-week window before or after their original date (instead of strict on-time appointments), and permits courts to reinstate driver’s licenses if the sole noncompliance was missing a calibration appointment and no other license suspensions exist. The bill also adds provisions for military service members deployed outside Tennessee for over 30 days, enabling temporary tolling of ignition interlock usage periods with proof of deployment. These changes take effect April 11, 2025, and apply directly to drivers required to use ignition interlock devices.

Maddy summarySJR 113 is a procedural resolution confirming Governor Bill Lee's appointment of Rick Spell to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center advisory board. It requires the General Assembly to formally approve this appointment, as mandated by Tennessee law (TCA § 49-9-501), which specifies the governor appoints five members to the board and the legislature must confirm them. Spell, a Memphis Athletic Foundation president and University of Memphis accounting graduate, will serve until June 30, 2028. This resolution does not create new policy but completes a required confirmation step for an existing appointment.

Maddy summarySB 1272 makes several changes to Tennessee education laws, primarily affecting school districts, educators, and students. It prevents schools from using student performance data for accountability grading if a student enrolls mid-year (less than 50% of the school year), while allowing data from students who attended 50% or more to count. The bill also limits annual funding cuts for school districts to 5% and adjusts reporting deadlines for school enrollment data. Additionally, it modifies parental leave policies for educators and updates requirements for virtual school enrollment and immunization reporting. These changes aim to refine accountability systems and resource allocation within Tennessee's public education framework.

Maddy summarySB 1310 streamlines charter school expansion in Tennessee by creating a formal replication process for existing charter schools to open new campuses in the same district. It also establishes a new pathway allowing charter school sponsors to apply directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission for approval after a local school board has denied their application three times within three years. The bill sets a 90-day deadline for the Commission to approve or deny applications, with automatic approval if the deadline passes, and requires written denial reasons with a 30-day window for sponsors to correct deficiencies. This affects charter school sponsors, local school boards, and the Commission, shifting authority to the state Commission for certain new charter school approvals under specific conditions.

Maddy summarySB 1281 modifies Tennessee law to require the Megasite Authority of West Tennessee to deposit interest earned from water and wastewater system investments into a dedicated account. This interest income, which previously might have reverted to the general fund, must now be carried forward annually without being returned to the state's general budget. The bill directly affects the Megasite Authority's financial management of its utility systems and ensures these funds remain available for future operations. It is a procedural change to Section 64-9-107 of the Tennessee Code, effective April 24, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 799 requires Tennessee's statewide political parties to use primary elections for nominating candidates for all partisan offices held at August or November elections. This applies to all parties statewide, with a limited exception allowing counties that used non-primary methods in 2022 or 2024 to continue that approach under specific conditions. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Title 2 to establish this primary election requirement for party nominations. It became effective April 24, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.

Maddy summarySB 113 amends Tennessee law to give the state Department of Environment and Conservation commissioner authority to issue variances (exceptions) for subsurface sewage disposal systems, overriding stricter local requirements in certain cases. It directly affects county health departments implementing these systems and property owners needing sewage solutions. The key provision allows the commissioner to grant variances that supersede local rules, while requiring these variances to be recorded with the county register of deeds. This change streamlines state oversight for sewage systems without requiring local approval.

Maddy summarySB 1086 creates a Class B misdemeanor for operating a vehicle in Tennessee with an out-of-state driver license deemed "invalid" under the law. It specifically targets licenses issued by other states *exclusively* to undocumented immigrants, defined as those with distinctive markings showing they are not issued to U.S. citizens or legal residents. The bill requires the Tennessee Department of Safety to publish and update a list of such invalid license classes by December 2025. This law directly affects drivers holding these specific out-of-state licenses, making their use for driving a punishable offense starting January 2026.