Sen. Jack Johnson

Maddy summarySB 1301 (effective April 3, 2025) clarifies that the Tennessee Advanced Communications Network (TACN) is the specific division within the Tennessee Department of Safety responsible for operating, maintaining, and overseeing the statewide P25 interoperable communications system. The bill authorizes the Department of Safety to collect fees and assessments specifically for the system's maintenance, use, and improvement, designating these as "expendable receipts" for that purpose. This bill directly affects the Department of Safety and TACN by formally defining their roles and funding mechanisms for the critical public safety communications infrastructure.

Maddy summarySB 1081 requires Tennessee's tax commissioner to create a new sales tax payment schedule allowing merchants to hold collected sales tax funds longer. This gives merchants time to offset credit card processing fees they pay on transactions, including fees applied to the sales tax portion itself. The schedule must be calculated using specific factors like last year's total sales tax collections, the percentage of card transactions, current credit card fees, and the federal funds rate. The bill aims to prevent merchants from paying fees on the state's share of sales tax without changing existing tax collection forms or processes.

Maddy summarySB 1287 removes specific requirements from Tennessee's personal responsibility plans for parents or caregivers receiving temporary assistance. It eliminates mandates that children must attend school, receive immunizations, and have health checks as part of these plans, and deletes a 20% reduction in benefits for failing to meet such requirements. The bill simplifies the plan by removing these child-focused obligations, focusing instead on work, child support, and other standard compliance measures. This directly affects low-income parents or caregivers enrolled in Tennessee's temporary assistance program. The changes take effect upon becoming law, streamlining the plan requirements without altering core work or support obligations.

Maddy summarySB 1298 changes who can authorize railroad police officers in Tennessee. It replaces "governor" with "commissioner of safety" in the law governing railroad companies' ability to commission agents as railroad police officers. This procedural bill directly affects railroad companies and the Commissioner of Safety by shifting the authority for these commissions from the governor to the Commissioner. The change is limited to the specific administrative process for authorizing railroad police officers, with no new policy or funding involved.

Maddy summarySB 1286 amends Tennessee law to allow state grants under the child care improvement pilot program to be awarded to for-profit child care agencies, not just nonprofit organizations. This change directly affects child care providers seeking state funding for establishing or improving their facilities, expanding eligibility beyond nonprofits. The key provision removes the specific requirement that grants be "explicitly provided to nonprofit organizations" in the relevant statute (TCA Title 71). The bill, now law (Public Chapter 80), simplifies access to funding for a broader range of child care agencies.

Maddy summarySB 1300 amends Tennessee law to shift responsibility for issuing proof of financial responsibility certificates from the Commissioner of Safety to the Commissioner of Revenue. The bill directly affects drivers who need to provide proof of financial responsibility (such as after an accident or for license renewal), changing which state agency handles these certificates. The key provision replaces "commissioner of safety" with "commissioner of revenue" in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55-12-139, streamlining the process under the Revenue Department. The change takes effect January 1, 2026, and does not alter the underlying financial responsibility requirements.

Maddy summarySB 1267 lowers the age at which adopted individuals can access their sealed adoption records from 21 to 18 years old. The bill directly affects adopted persons who turn 18, allowing them to request their original birth records, adoption records, or post-adoption records without waiting until age 21. Key mechanisms include amending Tennessee law to require the Department of Children's Services to release identifying information from sealed records at age 18 (instead of 21) and adding new provisions for when records can be shared - such as for abuse investigations or when a biological parent was a victim of rape/incest. The changes also update notification requirements for search requests involving minors and clarify consent rules for accessing sensitive information.

Maddy summarySB 1278 changes Tennessee state employee pay schedules by requiring pay periods to occur "no less than twice per month," replacing the previous requirement for semimonthly pay. This directly affects all state employees by allowing the commissioner of finance and administration to set specific pay dates (as long as payments occur at least twice monthly). The bill removes the fixed "semimonthly" requirement from state law, granting the commissioner flexibility to determine the exact pay schedule. The law took effect upon enactment (Public Chapter 82) and applies to all state employees covered under Title 8, Chapter 23, Part 2 of Tennessee Code.

Maddy summarySB 1303 creates two new criminal offenses in Tennessee law. It makes it illegal to intentionally block or obstruct a protective services officer (including highway patrol or law enforcement supporting them) when they need to access a location to protect a person under their care. It also prohibits refusing to leave an area where access has been restricted by such an officer to ensure the safety of the person being protected. Violations are punishable as a Class A misdemeanor, or a Class E felony if the person obstructing posed a threat to the protected individual. This law directly affects anyone who interferes with protective services officers during their duties.

Maddy summarySB 1309 raises the minimum age for judges on Tennessee's Workers' Compensation Appeals Board from 30 to 35 years and increases the maximum number of additional reappointment terms from two to three. It also requires seven years of experience for judges (up from five) and adds a provision allowing judges to impose a $50 fine for contempt in proceedings. The bill includes other adjustments, such as modifying notice requirements for injury claims and extending the effective date for certain provisions. These changes directly affect the qualifications, service terms, and operational procedures for workers' compensation judges.