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
| “On some positions, cowardice asks the question, it is expedient? And then expedience comes along and asks the question—is it politic? Vanity asks the question—it is popular? Conscience asks the question is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular—but must take it because it is right.” Last Sunday sermon given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
|
 |
FOR YOUR PAYER LIST:
It was so good to see Rep. Kevin Raper close enough to get a hug. He is looking better every day after his liver transplant. We had a senator out this week and another senator is now sick. A house member has been trying to get completely well. There are so many 'things' going around right now and with the legislature closing down soon, legislators want to be here to handle their bills and vote for or against other bills.
Speaking of 'closing down', in the Senate this week, nothing is on the calendar except the various forms of Finance, Ways and Means. In the House, it is mostly the various forms of Finance, Ways, and Means, with brief calenders for Government Ops, Private Acts, and State and Local and all the budgets have to be attended to. Yes, please be praying!!
FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS ABOUT OUR BILL, BUT THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING TO INCLUDE SMUGGLING
SB 0392 by *Taylor Johnson, White, Rose, Harshbarger
HB 0322 by *Todd Lamberth, Leatherwood, Keisling, Doggett, Russell, Atchley, Gant, Hill, Carringer, Martin B, Hulsey, Sherrell, Reneau
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: SB392, as amended, is on the Senate Floor Monday afternoon.
 |
ACTION: PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATOR AND FOUR MORE HERE (click on name, then picture to see phone number and email address) and urge each of them to vote for this important bill which goes after human traffickers who force largely minor females into “involuntary labor servitude, forced labor, trafficking for commercial sex acts, prostitution and human smuggling.”
None of these activities are something that a loving family or legitimate charitable organization would be involved in.
STATUS: HB322, as amended, is in House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee on Monday.
ACTION: Click on committee name, then picture to get phone number and email address. PLEASE urge each of them to support this effort to go after human traffickers who force largely minor females into “involuntary labor servitude, forced labor, trafficking for commercial sex acts, prostitution and human smuggling.”
None of these activities are something that a loving family or legitimate charitable organization would be involved in.
.png) |
VOYEURISM VICTIMS ACT
SB 0335 by *Yarbro , Massey, Campbell - HB 0602 by *Freeman , Hawk, Hakeem, Mitchell, Dixie, Behn, Hemmer, Powell, Gillespie, Cepicky
Criminal Offenses - As introduced, enacts the "Voyeurism Victims Act," which expands the offense of unlawful photography to include an unauthorized photograph that the defendant knew would include the unclothed intimate area of the victim or the victim engaged in sexual activity; authorizes the issuance of an order of protection for a person who has been subjected to, threatened with, or placed in fear of unlawful photography. - Amends TCA Title 28; Title 29; Title 36, Chapter 3, Part 6; Title 39 and Title 40, Chapter 2.
Click HERE and then click on SUMMARY for details
STATUS:
Passed the Senate 32-0
Passed the House 93-0
Signed by Governor, March 25, 2025
SB0335 has been assigned Public Chapter Number 62 by the Secretary of State.
‘Success sequence’ bill passes House, heads to governor’s desk for signature
By: Max Lubbers - April 11, 2025 5:00 am
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters
Sign up for Chalkbeat Tennessee’s free newsletter to keep up with statewide education policy and Memphis-Shelby County Schools.
Tennessee public schools could soon be required to teach the “success sequence” — that the keys to future success are to graduate high school; enter the workforce or pursue postsecondary education; marry, and then have children. The state joins others around the country introducing legislation around the controversial education idea.
The state House approved the bill, 73-20, on Monday, sending the legislation to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. The Tennessee Senate previously passed the bill in a 25-5 vote.
Educators would be required to teach the success sequence as part of family life education beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
Utah’s governor recently signed similar legislation into law. Several states, including Mississippi, Kentucky, Texas, and Ohio, have introduced bills related to the success sequence this year.
The success sequence was popularized in the early 2000s by researchers who argued this life path yields better economic prospects in adulthood. Critics have argued that it places a burden on individuals rather than structures that drive poverty, like access to quality education, housing, and infrastructure.
Research from conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute in 2021 found that 76% of U.S. parents support teaching the sequence.
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: On April 10, SB836 passed the Senate Floor 19-13 and was sent to the House.
HB793 passed the House Government Operations Committee 8-7 and is scheduled in House Finance Ways and Means Subcommittee on Monday.
ACTION: Click on the link above, then the picture, then you will see the phone number and email address to contact the committee members and urge them to vote yes.
 |
DRIVER LICENSES AND ILLEGAL ALIENS:
SB 1086 by *Johnson - HB 0749 by *Reeves , Atchley, Butler, Capley, Keisling, Todd, Zachary, 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. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50.
STATUS: SB1086 passed the Senate Floor 26-6; HB0749 passed the House Floor 68-21 and will soon go to the Governor for his signature.
 |
LIMITING GOVERNOR'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT POWERS:
SB 0027 by *Pody , Bailey, White - HB 0324 by *Grills, Hulsey, Warner, Burkhart, Capley
Governor - As introduced, prohibits orders, proclamations, or rules issued by the governor under the governor's emergency management powers from contravening, suspending, or conflicting with a provision of the Tennessee Constitution; restricts governor's ability under such powers to suspend certain procedural provisions of a law, order, rule, or regulation. - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 58, Chapter 2.
You can click HERE, then on SUMMARY for more information.
STATUS:
SB0027 passed the Senate 27-3-2.
HB324 Passed the House 77-16.
RETURNED BY GOVERNOR WITHOUT SIGNATURE April 3, 2025, but the bill still becomes law!!
Tennessee governor signs expansion of 'Right to Try' for terminally ill patients
by Meagan O'Halloran Thu, April 10th 2025 at 6:28 PM Updated Fri, April 11th 2025 at 2:52 PM
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Last month, Governor Bill Lee signed off on the expansion of a 2015 law, informally known as the "Right to Try" law, that affords more rights to those who are terminally ill or suffering from life-threatening diseases.
Tennessee, along with Arizona, Nevada, Louisiana, Maryland, and Mississippi all have what’s called "Right to Try" laws on the books which allow patients to access individualized, cutting-edge investigational treatments as a last resort option despite FDA regulations. Most of these therapies are explored out of the country and patients would be allowed to bypass FDA regulations to continue that care from the comfort of their home.
This legislative session, Tennessee lawmakers pushed for even more coverage with the "Right to Try 2.0" law which would extend these permissions to also allow tailored genetic profiles and treatment options when all other courses of action have been exhausted.
RIGHT TO TRY
SB 0436 by *Reeves - HB 1198 by *Kumar
Drugs, Prescription - As introduced, adds mandating the use of biosimilar drugs as a cost-saving measure the bureau of TennCare may implement; adds that a health carrier, health benefit plan, or utilization review organization may require a patient to try a biosimilar product prior to providing coverage for the equivalent branded prescription drug; requires the TennCare pharmacy advisory committee to consider as a factor the use of biosimilar drugs in the committee's recommendation to the bureau of TennCare on any drugs to be added to the state preferred drug list
STATUS:
SB346 passed the Senate 30-1
HB1198 passe the House 92-1
Signed by the Governor April 11, 2025
TN House passes amended bill to regulate hemp industry, ban hemp flower in state
by: Tori Gessner
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — In a last-minute switch, Tennessee lawmakers in the House passed a bill aiming to regulate the hemp industry, in part, by essentially banning hemp flower in the state.
The House version of the bill, sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) would create regulations on the hemp industry, including packaging, testing, and licensing requirements. The Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) would become the regulatory group for the hemp industry.
Many lawmakers and those in the hemp industry agreed with the regulation proposals.
However, during the final debate on the House floor, an amendment filed by Rep. Mark Cochran (R-Englewood) and adopted by lawmakers added a ban on hemp products with more than .3% TCHA, the chemical compound in hemp that, when burned, turns into THC, the same intoxicant found in marijuana.
“It’s difficult for law enforcement to discern between [hemp flower] and marijuana. When smoked, it’s highly intoxicating, and if you were to take a drug test, there’s no discernible difference between did you just smoke marijuana or THCA,” Cochran said.
The amendment would align with federal law and the Senate’s version of the bill.
However, lawmakers, including some Republicans, pointed out it would essentially ban the natural form of hemp in the state and encourage people to ingest the synthetic version instead.
“We’re not stopping intoxicants. We’re only keeping intoxicants that are not natural,” Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) said. “You’re not voting on a bill to do away with people getting high. You’re voting on a bill to do away with people getting high naturally. You’re making it to where they can get high through chemicals now.”
.png)
.png)
.png)
