Tennessee Bills

SB 1053 would allow TennCare enrollees in Part A of the Katie Beckett program (children with disabilities requiring long-term care) to access their allocated community-based care funds through health reimbursement arrangements instead of traditional service delivery. The bill requires the TennCare director to take necessary actions, including seeking federal waiver amendments, to enable this option. It directly affects families enrolled in the Katie Beckett program by expanding how they can use their state-funded care resources. The change modifies Tennessee Code Annotated § 71-5-164 to implement this flexibility in fund utilization. This is a procedural policy change focused on administrative access to existing funds.

SB 486 appropriates $25 million to fund the planning and construction of a new parking garage for legislative employees. The garage must have at least 400 spaces, attach to the Cordell Hull Building, and be used exclusively by state legislators and their staff. This bill modifies specific Tennessee Code sections to enable the funding and construction of this facility for the 2024-2025 fiscal years.

SB 417 lowers the weight threshold for felony charges related to certain fentanyl-related substances in Tennessee. It changes the law so that possessing, manufacturing, delivering, or selling 50 grams or more of fentanyl, carfentanil, remifentanil, or their derivatives triggers a Class A felony charge - down from the current 150 grams. This directly affects individuals involved in handling these substances, as it makes it easier to meet the felony threshold. The bill amends Tennessee Code §39-17-417(j)(12) and takes effect July 1, 2025.

SB 2, the "End the Grocery Tax by Closing Corporate Loopholes Act," eliminates the sales tax on groceries (food and food ingredients) for retail purchases, effective July 1, 2025. It removes a provision requiring 0.5% of grocery tax revenue to fund K-12 education and instead mandates that counties and municipalities receive funds based on reported grocery sales. The bill also adjusts the threshold for businesses to qualify for reduced tax rates on non-food items, changing the requirement from 20% of sales from "taxed groceries" to 20% of sales from groceries generally. This directly affects grocery retailers, state education funding allocations, and local government revenue streams.

SB 312 requires Tennessee's Department of Children's Services to conserve federal funds (like Social Security benefits) a child in state care is eligible for, using them for the child's future needs or special services not already provided. The department must hold these funds in specific accounts (such as 529 plans or special needs trusts) and maintain records accessible to the child at 18. It prohibits using these funds to cover general care costs for the child and mandates that fund usage complies with federal benefit eligibility rules. The bill directly affects children in state custody and their access to federally funded support.

SB 155, the "Menstrual Hygiene Products Accessibility Act," requires all Tennessee public high schools (including public charter schools) to provide free feminine hygiene products - such as tampons, pads, and menstrual cups - in all women's and girls' bathrooms, all locker rooms, and at school nurses' stations. These products must be available for student use only in eligible school buildings where instruction occurs, excluding staff-designated facilities. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and amends Tennessee Code sections related to education. It mandates this provision directly, rather than merely allowing it, and directs the state education department to provide compliance guidance.

SB 45 would add a new sentencing factor for judges in Tennessee: when sentencing an adult who committed a criminal offense with a minor, judges must consider this fact as an enhancement within the existing sentencing range. This applies regardless of whether the minor was convicted of the offense. The bill amends Tennessee law (Title 39 and Title 40) to require this consideration for all relevant criminal cases. The change would affect adult defendants in cases involving minors, making it a factor judges must weigh during sentencing decisions, but it does not alter the maximum or minimum sentences. The law would take effect July 1, 2025.

SB 177 reallocates revenue from Tennessee's 2002 sales tax rate increase (from 6% to 7%) between local governments and the state. It directs 4.6% of the additional tax revenue to incorporated municipalities for their use, while 95.4% is allocated to the state general fund for state purposes. This change modifies Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-6-103 to adjust the distribution of funds from the tax increase. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025, and does not create new taxes or alter existing tax rates.

SB 185 establishes minimum (100%) and maximum (120%) reimbursement rates for rural hospitals providing routine inpatient services to TennCare enrollees. It directly affects rural hospitals defined as those with 49 or fewer beds located in non-urban census areas. The bill requires these rates to be based on each hospital's current Medicare reimbursement rates for the federal fiscal year, rather than a fixed formula. The legislation is pending review by the Senate Finance Committee and has not yet become law.

SB 341 requires Tennessee's Department of Education to allocate funds to local school districts for hiring one full-time licensed school counselor at each high school with 600+ students in grades 10-12. This directly affects qualifying high schools and their districts, mandating that districts use these funds to employ counselors who must spend at least 70% of their time providing student counseling services. The bill specifies that funds are in addition to existing education funding and does not require districts already meeting a 1 counselor per 250 students ratio to hire additional counselors. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year if passed.

SB 188 exempts feminine hygiene products (including tampons, pads, liners, cups, and douches) from sales tax during Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday. This bill amends the state tax code to explicitly add these items to the list of exempt products under Section 67-6-393. The change takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting consumers who purchase these products during the tax holiday period. The bill defines "feminine hygiene product" as items used for menstruation or genital-tract secretions, aligning with existing tax exemption categories.

SB 330 amends Tennessee law to add the legislative librarian as a recipient of annual reports from the commissioner of correction. These reports detail transactions at state correctional facilities and are currently sent only to the general assembly. The bill makes a technical change to Section 41-1-114 of the Tennessee Code, requiring the commissioner to include the legislative librarian in the distribution list. This procedural update affects who receives the reports but does not change correction policies or funding.