Tennessee General Assembly information, click HERE. For information on State Senators, including phone numbers and email addresses, click HERE; for House members, click HERE. For information on legislation, click HERE.
Don't forget that you can now watch the Senate committee meetings and floor sessions online by going HERE; House committee meetings and floor sessions online HERE.
Phone calls can go to the legislative Switchboard at 615-741-3011 or to the Toll Free number 1-800-449-8366+1 last four digits of office phone number (available online).
 

DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE IS?  
Just go HERE and you can find out!!

LIVE VIDEO

FOR YOUR PRAYER LIST:
It was so good to see that Rep. Kevin Raper is back after his liver transplant. Understandably, he is wearing a mask, but let's continue to pray that his healing will continue uninterrupted. One of our legislators had some heart surgery, but I understand he is doing well, and another one has had a bad case of laryngitis. In addition, let's remember all those who lost family members, who had tornado damage, flood damage (maybe more to come),etc.
It is expected that we will have only two more weeks in the Legislature.  It is really unfortunate that there is such a rush to get out, so prayers for the legislators who will be making all these decisions.

Frances Artthur Student Eagle Leader

ANOTHER SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS: 
Our Student Eagles had an amazing March!! Only two groups were able to meet this month due to various scheduling conflicts, but we had full participation in shadowing legislators at the capitol. Forty students shadowed legislators for a day!! Thirty-four were there on the 26th, one on the 25th, and the balance on the 11th. While this was incredibly exciting, having 34 students in one day was incredibly stressful. I could not have done it at all without having a few parents involved.  The biggest problem was making sure that we had all of our students collected by the end of the day. 

As we move toward the end of the 2025 Legislation Session, will you help us by making a donation for our expenses? Of course, you understand we cannot do this without your help.  We NEED and appreciate your partnership. 

NOTE: We are now at the place where the respective Wednesday floor sessions begin again to deal with all the bills that have come through the committee process. There are only four full committees left in the Senate and seven in the House if I counted right. The race is one to 'get out of Dodge' and go home.

Gwen Adams Ex.Dir.

 In 2022, I learned that many unaccompanied minors were being turned over to child traffickers. I was shocked and shared this link with Bobbie, hoping efforts in DC worked to stop it. Sen. Rick Scott, Colleagues Demand Hearing to Investigate Biden Administration’s Inhumane Treatment of Migrant Children
    It's appalling that there are now over 300,000 missing unaccompanied minors. Human trafficking has become the largest source of income for cartels, exceeding drugs and arms. 
 Our bill (see below) increases TN's ability to fight the cartels smuggling children and adults (largely girls and women) for human trafficking, making it worth the 5 hour drive to volunteer with Bobbie. 
We sought input from the TN Attorney General, the District Attorneys across TN, the TBI, and Vanderbilt added hospital care.  Tennessee will lead the country with the first legislation specifically targeting those smuggling victims of trafficking, and it's a strong bill equipping TN law enforcement as they fight cartel activities. 

NOTE:  I know,  I know -- this is getting tiring. Same song, third verse: the Committee didn't get to our bill last week, so we are on the calendar this week, in House Judiciary, Tuesday morning at 9:00am.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO INCLUDE SMUGGLING
SB 0392 by *Taylor, Johnson, White, Rose, Harshbarger, Lowe, Seal
HB 0322 by *Todd, Lamberth, Leatherwood, Keisling, Doggett, Russell, Atchley, Gant, Hill, Carringer, Martin B, Hulsey, Sherrell, Reneau, Stinnett, Moon, McCalmon, Alexander, Powers, Reedy
Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates the offense of human smuggling; creates the offense of harboring or hiding, or assisting another in harboring or hiding, within this state an individual who the person knows or should have known has illegally entered or remained in the United States; authorizes the attorney general to take certain actions against a person or organization who commits or is about to commit a human trafficking offense or an aggravated human trafficking offense. - Amends TCA Title 39
STATUS: We have added some more co-sponsors, and we have had to make a small change to the 'amendment that makes the bill', which you can read HERE. 
HB322 is scheduled in the House Judiciary AGAIN - and this is their last meeting!! I believe that if we GET TO it, it will pass.  Please click on the committee name then the pictures to find the phone number and email addresses. Please encourage them to SUPPORT the bill and just pray that it does pass!!
SB392 is scheduled in Senate Judiciary next week, which is the last meeting. I think we have the votes in this committee too, but please click on the committee name, then the picture to get phone number and email. Please contact the members with encouragement and pray that there will NOT be any interruptions.

1. In the legislation, human smuggling is defined as transporting one or more victims for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain. 
2. It goes after human traffickers who force largely minor females into “involuntary labor servitude, forced labor, trafficking for commercial sex acts, prostitution and human smuggling.” 
 

WRONGFUL DEATH OF A UNBORN CHILD:
SB 0419 by *Hensley -(HB 0005) by *Bulso
Remedies and Special Proceedings - As introduced, increases the amount of compensation an injured plaintiff in a civil action may receive for noneconomic damages from $750,000 to $1.5 million; increases the amount of compensation an injured plaintiff in a civil action may receive for noneconomic damages, if the injury or loss is catastrophic in nature, from $1 million to $2 million.
STATUS: See bill  AMENDED  here.
ACTION: SB419 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 6-2 and has been recommended to the Calendar Committee.
HB0005 is in House Judiciary Committee next week. You can click on the picture, which brings up the phone and the email address. This is an important bill, please contact the committee members urging him or her to vote for this legislation.
 

DRIVER LICENSES AND ILLEGAL ALIENS:
SB 1086 by *Johnson -  HB 0749 by *Reeves, Atchley, Butler, Capley, Keisling, Todd, Zachary,liocens Lamberth
Driver Licenses - As introduced, creates the Class B misdemeanor offense of operating a motor vehicle in this state with an invalid driver license; designates out-of-state driver licenses issued exclusively to illegal aliens as invalid driver licenses in this state.
  This bill provides that if a driver license is of a class of driver licenses issued by another state exclusively to illegal aliens, then such driver license is invalid in this state and does not authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle in this state.  For purposes of this bill, "driver license" includes a permit purporting to authorize the holder to operate a motor vehicle on public roadways.  The class of driver licenses described in the above provision includes driver licenses that are (i) issued exclusively to illegal aliens and (ii) contain a marking or designed in such a manner as to be easily distinguishable from driver licenses issued to residents of that state who are United States citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States or have temporary legal presence and a specified period of authorized stay in the United States
STATUS: I am SO GLAD to report that HB749 passed the House Floor 68-21.
SB1086 is on the Senate Floor Monday!!
ACTION: Please go HERE, find your Senator, click on the picture, find the phone number and/or email, and urge him or her to support this important bill.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT STUDENTS
SB 0836 by *Watson , Yager, Johnson, Stevens
HB 0793 by *Lamberth , Garrett, Capley, Butler, Todd, Martin G, Rudd, Zachary, Reeves, Lafferty, Doggett, Fritts, Cepicky
Local Education Agencies - As introduced, authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to refuse to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the United States. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 49
STATUS:  SB836 was in Senate Finance Ways and Means where it passed 7-4 and was sent to the senate calendar committee to await a day on the Senate floor.
HB793 was voted out of House Education Committee 11-7 and sent to the Government Operations Committee. That committee can make only one of three recommendations: Recommended, not recommended, or NO recommendation. 

Lee noncommittal on legislation involving immigration, schools

Bill to bar certain immigrant kids from Tennessee public schools advances in Senate

WHO, UN, WCF
SB 0263 by *Hensley - HB 0318 by *Rudd
State Government - As introduced, prohibits the enforcement and recognition of requirements

 or mandates issued by the World Health Organization, United Nations, or World Economic Forum in this state or its political subdivisions.
      This bill clarifies that the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum have no jurisdiction in this state.  This state and its political subdivisions must not be compelled to enforce, or collaborate with the enforcement of, requirements or mandates issued by the World Health Organization, the United Nations, or the World Economic Forum.
STATUS: SB263 is in Senate Finance Ways and Means next week.
ACTION: Click on the committee link, then the pictures to get phone number and emails.
STATUS: HB318 is in House State and Local Government Committee next week.
ACTION: Click on the committee link, the pictures to get phone number and emails and make your contacts.
 

ADULT CABARET ENTERTAINMENT
SB 1424 by *Hensley - HB 0884 by *Todd
Obscenity and Pornography - As introduced, specifies that a community or municipal center that is being used to offer adult cabaret entertainment is an "adult-oriented establishment" for purposes of regulating its hours of operation, location, and physical characteristics. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 51, Part 14.
STATUS: HB884 passed the House Judiciary Committee 16-6 and then was reset on the first available calendar in 2026!

DEFINING MEN AND WOMEN:
SB 0936 by *Rose - HB 1271 by *Cochran
State Government - As introduced, declares that the policy of this state is that there are only two sexes, a biological male and a biological female.
STATUS: SB936 passed Senate Judiciary 7-1.
HB1271 passed House Civil Justice Subcommittee 6-1. And I was very disappointed to learn that the House Judiciary Committee deferred the bill to the Second Calendar of 2026

TENNESSEE CANNABIS ACT:
SB 0809 by *Yarbro - HB 0836 by *Miller
Controlled Substances - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Cannabis Act."
STATUS: THANKFULLY, HB836 failed in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Committee 2-7.

REMOVING CRIMINAL ABORTION
SB 1189 by *Akbari - HB 1217 by *Johnson
Abortion - As introduced, deletes the offense of criminal abortion; allows for an abortion before viability of the fetus or when necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant woman
STATUS: HB 1217 failed 2-7 in House Population Health Subcommittee.

CONTRACEPTIVE FREEDOM:
SB 1010 by *Oliver - HB 1220 by *Johnson
Birth Control - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Contraceptive Freedom Act"
STATUS: HB1220  failed in House Population Health subcommittee 2-7

CLARIFYING ABORTION, ETC.
SB 0003 by *Akbari - HB 0014 by *Love
Abortion - As introduced, clarifies that the term "abortion," as defined for the offense of criminal abortion, does not include the use of contraceptives, including any device, medication, biological product, or procedure that is generally intended for use in the prevention of pregnancy, whether specifically intended to prevent pregnancy or for other health needs, or the disposal of embryos resulting from fertility treatments, including healthcare services, procedures, testing, medications, treatments, or products
STATUS: HB0014 failed in House Population Health Subcommittee 2-7-1

TOO CREATIVE NOT TO INCLUDE:

STOP ELON ACT
SB 1128 by *Yarbro - HB 1295) by *Powell
Criminal Offenses - As introduced, enacts the "Shielding Tennesseans from Oligarchic Power and Eliminating Lawless Obstruction of Necessities Act (STOP ELON Act)," which creates a new offense of interfering with an individual's or entity's receipt of a loan, grant, or financial assistance that the individual or entity is lawfully entitled to receive from the federal, state, or local government, with intent to deprive the individual of the loan, grant, or financial assistance, which is punished as theft; authorizes a victim of an offense to bring a civil action to recover the funds that the victim did not receive because of the offense.
          This bill enacts the "Shielding Tennesseans from Oligarchic Power and Eliminating Lawless Obstruction of Necessities Act (STOP ELON Act)," which establishes that a person commits an offense who interferes with the receipt by an individual or entity of a loan, grant, or financial assistance that the individual or entity is lawfully entitled to receive from the federal, state, or local government, with intent to deprive the individual or entity of the loan, grant, or financial assistance.  A violation of this bill is punished as theft.  The monetary value of property from multiple criminal acts that are charged in a single violation must be aggregated to establish value under this bill.  In addition to such criminal penalty, a victim of an offense may bring a civil action to recover the funds that the victim did not receive because of the offense.
STATUS:  SB1128 was on the Senate Judiciary Calendar; HB1295 action was deferred by the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee to the First Calendar of 2026.

STAY CONNECTED WITH BOBBIE