Sen. London Lamar

Maddy summaryThis ceremonial resolution honors Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. members for their annual "Alpha Kappa Alpha Day at the Capitol" event on February 18, 2026. It recognizes their advocacy work focused on maternal health, Black youth mental health, suicide prevention, and voter education through meetings with Tennessee legislators. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally commends the sorority’s civic engagement and legislative advocacy efforts as part of their "Transforming Midterms and Advocating for Justice" theme.

Maddy summaryTennessee's SB 1799 requires social media platforms (like Facebook or Instagram) to delete all personal information linked to an account when the account holder deletes their account. This applies to data collected directly through the platform by the account holder or other users, excluding publicly available information or de-identified data. The law creates a private right to sue platforms that fail to comply, allowing for damages, penalties, and attorney fees. It takes effect January 1, 2027, and excludes email services, cloud storage, payment platforms, and other non-social media services from its scope.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 263) urges TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid program, to cover and reimburse doula services for pregnant and postpartum individuals. It directly affects TennCare beneficiaries - particularly those in rural areas or facing health disparities - and doulas providing childbirth support. The resolution cites evidence from pilot programs like Nashville Strong Babies, which showed improved outcomes including higher breastfeeding rates, fewer C-sections, and healthier birth weights. It does not create new law but formally requests TennCare to expand coverage for these non-medical, community-based services.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the School Safety and Mental Health Act, requires every Tennessee local education agency and public charter school to hire at least one full-time licensed professional school counselor for each school. It also establishes a school safety infrastructure grant program administered by the Tennessee School Safety Center, which will provide funding to districts that meet specific eligibility requirements and demonstrate how their funds will improve safety infrastructure and align with security assessments. To qualify for grants, districts must comply with all state laws and regulations related to school safety, and any unspent grant funds must be carried forward to future fiscal years. The changes take effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1999 creates a "Clean Transition Tariff" (CTT) requiring large data centers, AI facilities, and other energy-intensive operations (with 25+ megawatts of demand or focused on data/AI/cloud computing) to pay for new clean energy infrastructure and grid upgrades needed to support their growth. The bill ensures these costs are borne solely by the large users, preventing rate increases for residential and small business customers. It establishes a voluntary tariff system approved by the Tennessee Public Utility Commission, mandating that new clean power for these facilities must be "additional" and not funded through general ratepayers. The law also requires local utilities to enforce this cost responsibility and report on large-load impacts annually.

Maddy summarySB 1998 requires large food retail stores (over 15,000 sq. ft. for primary food sales or over 85,000 sq. ft. with 10% food sales area) to display prices using physical signs or labels instead of digital screens. It prohibits stores from using personalized algorithmic pricing - setting different prices for customers based on their personal data, including protected characteristics like race, gender, or location. The bill defines "surveillance pricing" as using tracking technology to customize prices and mandates clear, visible price displays at the point of purchase. These changes aim to prevent discriminatory pricing practices and ensure transparency for consumers.

Maddy summarySB 2288 would allow Tennessee to impose tolls on specific border highways (part of the state or national defense highway system) when new vehicle lanes are added or HOV lanes are converted to user-fee lanes after July 1, 2026. It directly affects drivers using these border crossings, as tolls could apply to those facilities meeting the new conditions. The bill amends Tennessee law to explicitly include "toll" in fee definitions and creates the conditions for tolling at border crossings with infrastructure changes. The bill failed in the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee on March 4, 2026, and did not become law.

Maddy summarySB 2342, the "Tennessee Vehicle Value Protection Product Act," establishes rules for agreements that cover diminished vehicle value after accidents, total loss, or theft. It requires these agreements (sold by dealers or providers) to clearly state benefits, guarantee obligations with insurance, and prohibit dealers from making vehicle sales contingent on purchasing them. The law directly affects car buyers (contract holders), dealers, and providers by mandating transparency about costs, refunds, and coverage terms. Key provisions include requiring agreements to outline eligibility, exclusions, and procedures for claiming benefits, while ensuring insurance-backed protection if providers fail to honor contracts.

Maddy summarySB 1754 removes court fees for individuals applying to restore citizenship rights or obtain a certificate of employability in Tennessee. It eliminates the requirement for petitioners to pay costs associated with these proceedings under Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 40-29-103 and 40-29-107. The bill directly affects people seeking to regain citizenship rights after legal restrictions or those needing employment verification certificates. Key changes include deleting cost-related language in the statutes and specifying "no cost" for applicants. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 1682 requires data centers in Tennessee with more than 20 megawatts of power capacity to register with the Tennessee Public Utility Commission (TPUC). Electric and water utilities serving these registered data centers must report their usage and service rates monthly to the TPUC starting January 1, 2027. The TPUC will compile and publish this data on its website, providing public transparency about energy and water consumption at large data centers. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, with penalties for non-compliance including daily fines up to $1,000 (capped at $25,000).