Sen. Brent Taylor

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents Tennessee counties with charter governments from reducing a sheriff's budget below the previous year's level for essential services (like personnel salaries, benefits, and operations) without the sheriff's written approval. Sheriffs gain the authority to disapprove any budget changes that would cut personnel, operations, or capital spending below their proposed level. County legislative bodies can override a sheriff's disapproval only with a two-thirds vote. It directly affects sheriffs and county councils in charter counties regarding budget decisions for core sheriff functions.

Maddy summarySB 2195 requires Tennessee to elect participation in a federal tax credit program that allows individuals to claim tax benefits for donations to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs). The bill directs the Tennessee Department of Education to annually publish a list of qualifying SGOs operating in the state and submit this list to the federal government by January 1 each year. This enables Tennessee residents who contribute to approved SGOs to claim the federal tax credit for scholarship donations. The law applies directly to Tennessee taxpayers making qualifying scholarship contributions and aligns the state with federal requirements under Section 70411 of the federal law.

Maddy summarySB 1913 allows law enforcement in Tennessee to seize and impound vehicles used in drag racing if they have probable cause, but only for up to 72 hours. Vehicle owners must be notified in writing of the seizure and can request an administrative or court hearing within five business days to challenge it. If the seizure isn't justified, owners must be reimbursed for impoundment fees or have their vehicle released immediately. The bill does not change existing forfeiture laws for vehicles convicted of drag racing.

Maddy summarySB 717 requires Tennessee public utilities (like water, gas, and electric providers in counties or cities) to let customers choose their own contractors for installing utility infrastructure, rather than forcing customers to use the utility’s own services. Utilities may still set reasonable construction and material specifications but cannot mandate specific vendors or manufacturers. The bill also sets a 30-day timeline for utilities to review customer plans (capping fees at $1,000) and automatically approves plans if reviews exceed this timeframe or fees are too high. This directly affects residential and business customers of Tennessee utilities who want to hire independent contractors for new installations.

Maddy summarySB 674 prohibits local governments in Tennessee from creating employment rules that conflict with or exceed state or federal law. It requires all workplace terms - such as wages, hours, or benefits - to align strictly with state or federal standards, blocking cities or counties from enacting stricter requirements. This directly affects local governments, preventing them from setting higher protections for workers than what is established at the state or federal level. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 7-51-1802 and 50, clarifying state preemption over employment regulation.

Maddy summarySB 1706 (Tennessee) prevents cities and counties from requiring property taxpayers to pay the full tax bill while their property tax assessment appeal is pending before county or state boards of equalization. This bill directly affects homeowners and property owners who have filed formal disputes over their tax assessments. The key provision prohibits collecting officials from demanding full payment during the appeal process, ensuring taxpayers aren't forced to pay contested amounts before a decision is made. The change applies to all property tax appeals processed through county or state equalization boards under Tennessee law.

Maddy summarySB 2437 amends Tennessee law to allow owners or people legally in possession of FDA-approved drugs or devices deemed "adulterated" to request a "show cause" hearing electronically, rather than only by written submission. This change applies specifically to those who receive a notice requiring them to explain why their drugs or devices shouldn't be subject to regulation under Section 53-10-106. The bill updates the process for these administrative hearings to include electronic requests within 10 days of receiving the notice.

Maddy summarySB 2134 modifies Tennessee banking law to require state banks to report changes in their chief executive officers to the Commissioner of Financial Institutions within 48 hours instead of the current 24 hours. This change directly affects all state-chartered banks in Tennessee by extending the deadline for submitting such notifications. The bill amends specific sections of Tennessee Code Annotated related to banking regulations, with no other substantive policy changes beyond this reporting timeframe adjustment.

Maddy summarySB 2103 removes an outdated rule from Tennessee consumer protection law that previously required merchants to stagger the effective date for a requirement not printing more than five digits of a credit/debit card number or expiration date on receipts. The bill deletes Section 47-18-126(d), which applied to receipt-printing machines in use before 2005 or first used on/after 2005. This change affects merchants using older point-of-sale systems covered by the obsolete provision. The bill does not alter current requirements for printing card details on receipts; it simply eliminates a redundant administrative rule. The legislation is procedural and does not impose new obligations on businesses.

Maddy summarySB 2045 requires healthcare regulatory authorities in Tennessee to report quarterly to the Department of Health the number and type of disciplinary actions taken against providers who knowingly perform or offer prohibited medical procedures on minors. This applies specifically to disciplinary actions under Tennessee Code Annotated, Titles 63 and 68, Chapter 33. The bill mandates that these reports include details about violations involving minors and prohibited procedures, enhancing transparency for the Department of Health. It does not change the definition of prohibited procedures but focuses on requiring regular reporting of disciplinary outcomes. The bill directly affects healthcare providers who violate these provisions and the regulatory bodies overseeing their licensing.