Sen. London Lamar

Maddy summarySB 1598, the "Freedom from Medical Debt Act," requires Tennessee's state treasurer to contract with a nonprofit to repay medical debt for eligible residents. It directly affects Tennessee residents with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or those owing medical debt equal to 5% or more of their annual income, provided the debt has been outstanding for over 120 days. The bill mandates that healthcare providers cannot report medical debt to consumer credit bureaus after July 1, 2026, and requires nonprofits to purchase debt at fair value while removing negative credit reporting upon repayment. The state treasurer is not liable for payments, and the nonprofit handles all financial obligations.

Maddy summarySB 1990, the "Stop Rent Rigging Act," prohibits rental property owners and managers in Tennessee from using or facilitating algorithmic tools that coordinate pricing across multiple properties. The bill bans software or data services that collect rental data from two or more landlords (excluding affordable housing programs), analyze it, and recommend prices or lease terms to them. It also prohibits landlords from adjusting their own rents based on such recommendations. The law, effective July 1, 2026, targets coordinated pricing practices that reduce competition in the residential rental market.

Maddy summarySB 1770 prevents divorce proceedings in Tennessee from being delayed solely because one party is pregnant. It requires courts to either determine paternity or have both parties agree on whether the other party is the parent of the unborn child. If paternity is confirmed, the court must also establish a parenting plan and child support order. This bill directly affects couples navigating divorce during pregnancy by streamlining the process and ensuring parental responsibilities are addressed promptly.

Maddy summarySB 1991, the "Junk Fee Prevention Act," prohibits businesses from using deceptive pricing practices that hide mandatory fees in Tennessee. It requires businesses to display the total price - including all mandatory fees - clearly before payment, disclose fee portions upfront, and avoid misleading subtotals or adding fees after selection. The law directly affects businesses in banking, travel, hotels, delivery services, ride-sharing, and car rentals, while protecting consumers from hidden charges that inflate costs. Key provisions ban practices like advertising low prices without total cost disclosure, charging unreasonable early termination fees, or presenting fees in small print. The act takes effect July 1, 2027, with exemptions for taxes, disclosed delivery fees, and bona fide errors.

Maddy summarySB 2001, "The Tennessee Safe Stores and Staffed Stores Act," mandates staffing and transaction rules for large drug and food retail stores using self-checkout. It requires stores over 15,000 sq. ft. (food) or 85,000 sq. ft. (with 10% food sales) to maintain a 1:4 ratio of staffed to self-checkout stations, limit self-checkout to 15 items per transaction, and prohibit age-restricted or security-tagged items (like alcohol, tobacco, or tagged merchandise) from being purchased via self-checkout. Stores must post clear signage about customer rights and assign employees to monitor self-checkout operations continuously. Violations can result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per employee per day, with protections against retaliation for employees reporting noncompliance.

Maddy summarySB 2000 allows Tennessee elected officials (officeholders) to use leftover campaign funds to purchase home security equipment (like cameras or alarms) and monitoring services for their personal residences. The bill amends Tennessee campaign finance law (TCA Title 2, Chapter 10) to explicitly permit this new use of unspent campaign money. It directly affects current and future officeholders who have campaign funds remaining after elections. The change expands the allowable purposes of campaign funds beyond traditional election expenses to include home security for the officeholder's personal residence. This is a policy change to the rules governing campaign fund usage, not a new funding source.

Maddy summarySB 401 ensures minors enrolled in Tennessee's TennCare Medicaid or CoverKids program remain eligible until age 18, starting July 1, 2026, without requiring rechecks of their eligibility. The bill prohibits the TennCare division from removing minors from coverage except in specific cases like parental request, death, moving out of state, income exceeding limits, or enrollment fraud. The TennCare director must submit a federal waiver request by December 31, 2025, to implement this change. This directly affects minors under 18 currently covered by these programs, guaranteeing continuous healthcare access through age 18.

Maddy summarySB 43 allows Tennessee counties to ban handgun carry without permits within their borders by passing a resolution. If a county adopts such a resolution, it must post clear notices in public areas to inform residents and visitors. The bill directly affects county governments (which can choose to implement the ban) and people within those counties (who would then need a permit to carry handguns). It modifies existing law to remove the exception for permitless carry in counties that pass such resolutions, while requiring notice posting as a key mechanism. The policy change would give counties local control over handgun carry rules within their boundaries.

Maddy summarySB 1802 requires Tennessee's Department of Safety to create a blue envelope for drivers with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The envelope will hold essential documents like a driver's license, vehicle registration, and contact card, and include communication guidelines to help law enforcement officers interact effectively with these drivers. Starting January 1, 2027, individuals with these disabilities can request the envelope at driver services centers or county clerk offices. The bill directly affects drivers with developmental or intellectual disabilities and law enforcement officers during traffic interactions.

Maddy summarySB 1801 automatically restores voting rights for people released from prison after serving a sentence for a "serious crime" (as defined by Tennessee law), without requiring a pardon or special conditions. It directly affects individuals convicted of such crimes who have completed their sentences or been discharged from custody. The key provision requires county election commissions to accept prison discharge documents as proof of restored voting rights, replacing previous requirements for gubernatorial pardons or court orders. This change applies to people released after the bill takes effect, streamlining the process for rejoining the electorate.