Tennessee Bills

HB 528 adjusts Tennessee's bail bond fee rules by setting a minimum premium fee of 5% and maximum of 10% of a bond's face value (e.g., $125-$250 on a $2,500 bond). It directly affects individuals using bail bonds (defendants or their families) and professional bondsmen/insurance agents who set these fees. The bill amends three sections of Tennessee law to establish this new 5-10% fee range, replacing previous rules that only capped fees at 10% or allowed higher rates in certain cases. The changes take effect July 1, 2025, and represent a concrete policy shift in pretrial release costs.

HB 335 requires utility district board commissioners in Tennessee to serve without pay, but allows per diem payments of up to $500 per meeting for no more than 12 meetings annually, as approved by the board through a formal resolution. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee law (TCA Titles 2, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 66, and 67) to implement this compensation rule statewide. It directly affects all utility district board members across Tennessee, including those in Sullivan County. The key mechanism is a strict cap on both the number of paid meetings and the per-meeting payment rate, standardizing compensation for these local government positions.

HB 457, now law as Public Chapter 371, amends Tennessee election procedures to enhance security and transparency. It requires county election commissions to publish the location of provisional counting boards and prohibits them from tabulating marked ballots submitted online or using internet-connected voting machines. The bill also adds a provision allowing commissions to notify petitioners of defects in their documentation. These changes directly affect county election commissions and impact how voting is processed and secured in Tennessee elections. The law focuses on preventing internet-related vulnerabilities in the voting process.

HB 1180 allows adoptive parents seeking to adopt multiple siblings (who share at least one biological parent) to file a single adoption petition instead of separate ones, unless a court orders otherwise for the children's best interest. It directly affects adoptive parents and courts handling sibling adoption cases in Tennessee. The bill requires courts to issue a written finding if separate petitions are needed and mandates that clerks charge only one filing fee for the combined petition. This simplifies the process and reduces costs for families adopting multiple related children.

HB 665 requires every public Tennessee senior high school to allow military recruiters access during lunch periods at least once a month to discuss military career and education opportunities with students. It also mandates an additional monthly session for students who have specifically expressed interest in military careers. The bill directly affects public high school students and school administrators by creating a structured schedule for military recruitment access. This policy change amends Tennessee’s education code to formalize recurring, scheduled recruitment opportunities within school settings.

HB 1360 expands Tennessee's definition of child abuse to include minors under 18 who witness abuse of another child or domestic violence within their immediate family or household. It directly affects children in foster care due to abuse by requiring two specific conditions before reunification with a parent: the parent must complete their responsibilities in the permanency plan, and the child must receive mental health counseling. The bill amends Tennessee Code Sections 37-1-102 (defining abuse) and adds a new provision to Title 37 governing foster care reunification. These changes create concrete requirements for family reunification processes, focusing on parental accountability and child mental health support.

HB 85 increases Tennessee's required physical activity for elementary students from 130 minutes per school week to 40 minutes per school day. It mandates Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to provide two 30-minute activity periods daily - morning and afternoon - excluding time spent in physical education classes or using electronic devices. The bill specifies that activity must include unstructured outdoor play when weather permits and prohibits withholding activity as punishment. This directly affects all elementary students in Tennessee public schools, effective July 1, 2025.

HB 302 creates a new traffic safety offense in Tennessee: parking, leaving, or stopping a vehicle on a street or highway to block traffic while attempting to solicit, negotiate, or complete an employment transaction with someone nearby. This directly affects drivers who use public roads for job-related interactions, such as street-based hiring. The bill amends traffic laws to classify this as a Class C misdemeanor (Class B if causing an accident), with a first-offense warning required. It takes effect July 1, 2025, and aims to prevent traffic obstruction for employment negotiations.

HB 506 requires every school operated by a Local Education Agency (LEA) or public charter school in Tennessee to ensure at least one full-time employee at each school receives annual training in seizure safety and first aid. This applies to all public and charter schools, excluding school nurses who already have specialized roles. The bill also provides legal protection: trained employees and schools won't be liable for injuries resulting from their actions unless it involves willful misconduct or gross negligence. The law takes effect on July 1, 2025.

HB 762 establishes rules for using certified facility dogs to support witnesses, especially victims, during court testimony to reduce stress and improve testimony accuracy. The bill sets specific standards for dogs (including training, health checks, and $500,000 liability insurance) and handlers (requiring legal procedure training), and requires courts to approve their use via a motion before proceedings. During testimony, dogs must wear visible identification, handlers must stay visible to the witness (outside jury view), and courts must inform juries that the dog’s presence doesn’t affect the case. Courts must also take steps to minimize jury visibility of the dog during testimony.

HB 1361 amends Tennessee law to allow Johnson City to set specific hours for alcohol sales within its designated downtown district. It changes the maximum extension period for licensees to sell alcohol from 30 days to 45 days under Section 57-4-304(a). This directly affects businesses holding alcohol licenses in Johnson City's downtown area, giving the city more flexibility to regulate operating hours. The bill makes a concrete policy change to existing licensing rules without altering broader state alcohol laws.

HB 1227 amends Tennessee higher education laws to affect public universities and students seeking technical training. It adds the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s executive director to the formal selection process for public university presidents and chancellors, removes an expiration date for this rule, and allows the commission to delegate certain approvals to the executive director. The bill also expands eligibility for the Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant to cover more non-degree credentials like industry certifications and apprenticeships. Additionally, it revises reporting requirements for the commission and mandates public forums for finalist candidates in leadership searches.