Sen. Joey Hensley

Maddy summarySB 156 prohibits Tennessee National Guard members from being deployed to federal active duty combat unless the U.S. Congress has declared war or taken specific action under the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 15) to call them for executing federal laws, repelling invasion, or suppressing insurrection. It defines "active duty combat" as participating in armed conflict, performing hazardous duty in foreign states, or using "instrumentality of war." The bill allows the governor to still deploy Guard members under Title 32 for domestic civil support missions within the U.S. and territories. This directly affects all Tennessee National Guard members and requires the governor to ensure compliance with the new restriction.

Maddy summarySB 194, the "Unborn Child Protection Act of 2025," bans the mailing or delivery of abortion-inducing drugs into Tennessee. It defines "abortion-inducing drugs" as medications intended to terminate a pregnancy (like mifepristone or misoprostol used for that purpose), excluding drugs like misoprostol prescribed for stomach ulcers. The bill creates strict civil liability, requiring anyone who mails/delivers such drugs into Tennessee and causes an unborn child's death to pay $5 million in damages. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting drug distributors, pharmacies, and medical providers handling these medications.

Maddy summarySB 5 requires Tennessee's Department of Safety to redesign driver licenses and photo IDs for noncitizens with legal status (lawful permanent residents and qualified noncitizens) so they have a distinct visual appearance - using a unique colored background - compared to licenses issued to U.S. citizens. This applies to standard licenses, instruction permits, intermediate licenses, and temporary permits for noncitizens. The redesigned licenses will maintain identical driving privileges and identity verification uses as current licenses, with implementation required by January 1, 2026. Noncitizens who later provide proof of U.S. citizenship will receive standard-issue licenses.

Maddy summarySB 6, the "Tennessee Illegal Immigration Act," requires Tennessee law enforcement agencies to request immigration detainers for individuals they hold who are unlawfully present in the U.S. If federal authorities (ICE) do not take custody within the detainer's timeframe, agencies must transport the person to a sanctuary city within 700 miles of their location. The bill mandates that agencies report detention and transportation costs to the Department of Revenue, which must seek federal reimbursement. If federal reimbursement is not received within 30 days, the state must withhold a portion of collected federal fuel taxes to cover these costs.

Maddy summaryThis Tennessee law clarifies how employers determine if an employee is an undocumented immigrant for hiring purposes. The bill specifies that an individual is considered an illegal alien only if they lack legal permanent residency or federal work authorization at the specific moment they are employed. By defining "illegal alien" strictly based on status at the time of employment, the legislation removes ambiguity regarding past immigration history. This change directly affects employers in Tennessee who must verify worker eligibility under federal immigration rules. The amendment becomes effective on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis law requires the Tennessee coordinator of elections to actively compare the state's voter registration list with the Department of Safety database. The goal of this comparison is to identify and remove individuals who are not U.S. citizens from the voter rolls. Previously, the coordinator had the option to perform this check, but this bill changes the requirement to a mandatory action. The law takes effect immediately upon becoming official.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Dr. Benjamin Mauck Act, creates new criminal offenses for assault and aggravated assault specifically within healthcare facilities in Tennessee. It directly affects individuals who commit violent acts against others in hospitals, clinics, or other medical settings. Under the new law, causing bodily injury or engaging in extremely offensive contact like spitting in a healthcare facility is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a mandatory $5,000 fine and at least 30 days in jail. If the assault results in serious injury, death, involves a deadly weapon, or includes strangulation, it becomes a Class C felony with a mandatory $15,000 fine and a minimum 90-day jail sentence. The bill defines a healthcare facility using the same legal definition found in existing state statutes regarding health insurance.

Maddy summaryThis Tennessee law allows schools to issue temporary teaching permits for individuals to lead physical education classes in elementary schools. Previously, the state code required these classes to be taught only by licensed teachers with a specific physical education endorsement or by a physical education specialist. By removing certain restrictions in the education code, the bill expands the pool of eligible instructors who can fulfill this requirement during the 2024-2025 school year and beyond. The change aims to provide more flexibility in staffing elementary physical education programs while maintaining the requirement that instructors be properly authorized.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows county trustees, municipal tax collectors, and other taxing entities in Tennessee to accept partial payments for overdue property taxes, including electronic transfers and bank payments. To implement this, officials must file a detailed plan with the state comptroller at least 30 days before starting, which must describe their accounting methods and confirm that partial payments will reduce the principal tax, interest, fees, and court costs on a pro-rata basis. The law also requires these entities to maintain internal controls to ensure all payments are recorded correctly and specifies that partial payments do not remove the tax lien on the property. While the bill does not change the due date for taxes, it clarifies that interest will only accrue on the remaining unpaid balance after a partial payment is applied.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution honors Maggie Browning, a 2024 graduate of Forrest High School, for being named a Top Ten Senior. The bill formally commends her academic achievements, including graduating summa cum laude and earning State Honors Graduate status, as well as her participation in various extracurricular activities. It expresses the General Assembly's appreciation for her success and extends best wishes for her future studies at Georgetown College. No new laws or policies are created by this measure; it serves solely as a ceremonial recognition of a specific student's accomplishments.