SB 651 revises how Tennessee calculates property tax relief for eligible disabled veterans who own their primary residence. The bill changes the formula so that tax relief is determined by multiplying the assessed value (25% of the first $175,000 of a home's market value) by the standard local property tax rate, rather than an adjusted rate. This change applies to tax years beginning July 1, 2025, and directly affects disabled veterans qualifying for this property tax exemption. The policy update simplifies the calculation method without altering the $175,000 property value threshold.
SB 695 converts Tennessee's temporary school safety grant pilot program into a permanent statewide two-year program (2025-2027) for school safety alert systems. It removes the previous limit on how many schools can receive grants, allowing more public, charter, private, and church-related schools to apply annually. Grants remain capped at $8,000 per school and must be distributed across Tennessee's three grand divisions to ensure geographic diversity in funding. The program funds mobile panic alert systems approved by the education and safety departments, with reports required for the General Assembly by 2026 and 2027.
SB 898 creates a pilot program to improve maternal health care for pregnant TennCare recipients diagnosed with hypertension or diabetes through remote patient monitoring. The program provides participants with devices to track blood pressure and glucose levels, transmitting data securely to healthcare providers for real-time monitoring and support during pregnancy and up to three months postpartum. Administered by the Bureau of TennCare, it requires at least 300 participants across multiple counties and mandates that a technology vendor (selected by the bureau) deliver devices, provide training, and coordinate with healthcare teams. The pilot must be operational within 180 days of contracting with a managed care organization and technology vendor.
SB 719 adds William R. Moore College of Technology as an eligible institution for Tennessee’s Wilder-Naifeh technical skills and reconnect grants. It allows students at this college to receive grants covering the average tuition and fees at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), minus other gift aid like Pell Grants. The bill specifies the college must meet criteria including 75+ years in Tennessee, Council on Occupational Education accreditation, and offering bachelor’s degrees via articulation agreements. This change applies to the 2025-2026 academic year and beyond, directly affecting students enrolled in its certificate or diploma programs.
SB 1391 requires the Tennessee Department of Health to create a grant program reimbursing school districts, public charter schools, private schools, and emergency medical responders for purchasing anti-choking devices (like choking prevention tools) starting July 1, 2025. The program covers one device per school cafeteria or emergency vehicle, with a total funding cap of $500,000. It mandates annual reports to the legislature on grant usage and expires on July 1, 2028. The bill does not allocate funds itself - actual spending depends on future legislative appropriations.
SB 706, the "TennCare Network Reporting Reform Act," requires Tennessee's Medicaid program (TennCare) to publicly report specific data about service access starting in 2026. It directly affects TennCare beneficiaries, particularly those using disability waiver programs like CHOICES and Employment and Community First CHOICES, by making system performance data accessible. The bill mandates annual publication of metrics including appointment wait times, time between service approval and receipt, service utilization rates, and network adequacy data, broken down by service type, county, and demographics. This data must be published on TennCare's website in a downloadable CSV format for public transparency.
SB 612 establishes a $5 million annual fund to provide grants to local school districts and public charter schools for digital career and technical education (CTE) programs. The grants support acquiring, retaining, or expanding digital courses that include lesson plans, videos, interactive activities, and assessments. The Tennessee Department of Education will manage the fund, set application rules, and require schools to report on program effectiveness. Unspent funds carry forward annually, and the bill requires separate annual appropriations to fund the grants.
SB 1352 requires Tennessee's Department of Environment and Conservation to create a public website tool by January 2026 that shows facilities reporting toxic releases under federal law. The tool will let residents search by address to see nearby facilities within five miles and get alerts about new construction projects that may require reporting. It must update within 10 business days when new data arrives from the EPA's toxic release inventory. This helps Tennessee residents easily access location-specific information about industrial sites that report pollution data.
SB 686 makes Tennessee's Tennessee Promise completion grants a permanent program, directly affecting students who received Tennessee Promise scholarships and need additional support to complete their degrees. It creates a dedicated state treasury account for these grants, allowing unspent funds to carry forward annually instead of reverting to general funds. The bill specifies that completion grants can be funded from the new special account or unspent funds from another state grant program, with a $250,000 annual cap on funds from the latter source. Starting in 2025-2026, it also requires colleges to assign coaches to participating students and ensures Pell-eligible students can receive up to $1,000 per semester in completion grants.
SB 826 would exempt real estate appraisers from Tennessee's business tax on their services. The bill amends the state's business tax code (TCA Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 7) to add a specific exemption for "services furnished by persons engaged in the appraisal of real estate or real property." This change removes a tax burden currently applied to appraisal services provided by licensed professionals. It directly affects real estate appraisers who provide property valuation services to clients like homeowners, buyers, and sellers.
SB 681 would increase property tax relief for disabled veteran homeowners in Tennessee by raising the taxable value threshold from $175,000 to $250,000. This change directly affects veterans with disabilities who own homes, allowing them to receive tax reimbursement on a larger portion of their home's value. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-5-704 to adjust this threshold, meaning more of a home's value would be exempt from property taxes under the relief program. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee and would take effect July 1, 2025, if passed.
SB 1095 exempts the first $20 of the sales price for tangible personal property (like everyday items) when paid with physical cash, including gold and silver coins. It directly affects consumers making small cash purchases, reducing their sales tax burden on the initial $20 of each transaction. The exemption does not apply to other taxes (such as those on vehicles or specific services) or payments made with credit/debit cards. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and would require retailers to adjust cash transaction tax calculations for eligible purchases.
