Sen. Richard Briggs

Maddy summarySB 364 replaces Tennessee's "Community Schools Act" with the "Tennessee Full Service Community Schools Act." It creates a new framework where local school districts (LEAs) partner with community organizations to integrate services like health care, mental health support, and family engagement into schools. The bill establishes a grant program administered by the University of Tennessee starting in 2026, requiring LEAs to form formal partnerships with community partners and demonstrate long-term sustainability to receive funding. This directly affects school districts, community organizations, and students/families by mandating coordinated access to educational, health, and social services through schools.

Maddy summarySB 367 amends Tennessee election laws to enhance voter registration verification and voting procedures. It requires monthly checks of voter databases against federal/state databases (like the SAVE program) to confirm U.S. citizenship, and creates a process where registered voters can challenge others' registration qualifications in writing with a hearing. The bill also mandates that voters who register by mail or online must vote in person for their first election with ID proof, unless they're on the permanent absentee list or in an address confidentiality program. Additionally, it requires optical scanners to handle hand-marked ballots without unreadable codes and saves digital ballot images at 600 DPI for public review after elections. These changes directly affect all Tennessee voters, election officials, and the registration/voting process.

Maddy summarySB 711 reduces the deadline for Tennessee insurance companies to submit rate changes and policy documents from 30 to 21 days before they take effect. This directly affects insurers offering personal risk insurance (like auto or home policies) that must file with the Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 56-5-105 and related titles to implement this shorter filing timeline. It makes no changes to the content of filings, only the required submission window.

Maddy summarySB 2284 requires every local tourism development authority in Tennessee to submit an annual report detailing their business affairs and transactions to the state Department of Tourist Development. This bill directly affects all local tourism development authorities, which manage tourism promotion and funding at the community level. The key provision mandates these authorities to file comprehensive reports on their financial activities and operations annually. The bill amends Tennessee Code (specifically Titles 5, 6, 7, and 67) to implement this reporting requirement, which takes effect upon becoming law.

Maddy summarySB 1925 would allow Tennessee public employees who are foster parents or kinship caregivers to take up to five paid workdays annually for court appearances or counseling sessions related to a foster child's placement. This leave must be separate from existing sick or annual leave and counts toward the state's federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) obligations. To qualify, employees must have worked full-time for the state for at least 12 consecutive months with eligible entities (e.g., state agencies, universities, or certain boards). The bill, introduced in January 2026 and set to take effect July 1, 2026, directly affects eligible state workers caring for foster children.

Maddy summarySB 1923 requires anyone appointed to a county board of zoning appeals in Tennessee to have lived in that county for at least 12 months prior to appointment. This bill amends specific sections of Tennessee law (Titles 5, 6, 7, 12, and 13) to establish this residency requirement for zoning board members. The change directly affects individuals seeking appointment to these local zoning boards, ensuring they have a minimum connection to the community they serve. The bill does not alter zoning rules or development standards, only the eligibility criteria for board membership.

Maddy summarySB 1621 requires Tennessee's Department of Human Services to allocate a minimum of $16,000 annually from vocational rehabilitation funds to support accessible information services for blind residents. This includes maintaining access to services like the National Federation of the Blind newsline, which provides critical resources for employment and education. The bill mandates that these funds be used to sustain existing accessible information programs and support outreach activities, such as consumer education and employer engagement. It also requires the department to document funding sources and ensures the funds can draw down federal matching dollars. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 1924 removes a specific provision in Tennessee law that allowed legislative speakers to appoint certain senators or representatives (those whose districts included a central business improvement district as of January 1, 1999) as automatic board members for regional authorities or special districts. This technical amendment to Tennessee Code (Title 7, Title 9 Chapter 21, and Title 67) eliminates the option for speakers to make these appointments. The change directly affects officials in districts with central business improvement districts established before 1999, removing their automatic eligibility for board positions. The bill is procedural, focusing on correcting a specific appointment rule rather than creating new policy.

Maddy summarySB 1759 requires Tennessee's Department of Correction to permanently retain a copy of each inmate's officially verified risk and needs assessment for the entire duration of their incarceration. This applies to all inmates under the department's supervision, mandating that these assessments be kept on file without expiration. The bill amends Tennessee law (Title 41) to establish this record-keeping requirement, ensuring consistent access to assessment data throughout an inmate's time in custody. It does not change assessment criteria, inmate programs, or release procedures - only the retention of existing assessment records.

Maddy summarySB 2272 would have expanded Tennessee's eminent domain law to include sidewalks, public greenways, bicycle lanes, pedestrian ways, and proper slope development as "public use" for transportation projects like roads and bridges. This change would have directly affected property owners near such infrastructure by broadening the circumstances under which governments could seize land for these specific features. The bill amended Tennessee Code Annotated Section 29-17-102 to add these provisions to the definition of "public use." The bill was introduced in February 2026 but was withdrawn before becoming law.