Rep. Ryan Williams

Maddy summaryHB 2172 changes the deadline for Tennessee's Alcoholic Beverage Commission to submit its biennial report on preventing underage drinking, drunk driving, and other alcohol-related harms. The bill shortens the submission date from February 15 to February 1 in each odd-numbered year. This amendment affects the commission's reporting schedule and requires the legislature to receive the report earlier. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 57 and Title 67, to update this requirement.

Maddy summaryHB 2290 requires fertility clinics and practitioners in Tennessee to obtain certification from the Department of Health to provide assisted reproductive technology (ART) services. It creates new rules mandating certification for ART practice, limits genetic embryo testing to chromosomal abnormalities or fatal fetal anomalies, and requires standardized consent forms explaining embryo care options. The bill defines ART using federal standards (42 U.S.C. § 263a-7) and prohibits unlicensed practice, applying directly to all ART providers in the state. These changes take effect once the certification process is established, with providers needing certification within 60 days of rule implementation.

Maddy summaryHB 2491 eliminates fraud and economic crimes fees in Tennessee counties that have implemented a $12.50 court cost. It requires district attorneys to return existing funds collected under those fees to the original county government once the new $12.50 court cost fund balances equal the old fraud fund. The bill directly affects counties using the $12.50 fee and district attorney offices holding these funds. It changes how criminal prosecution funding is allocated by redirecting resources back to local governments when the new system meets the old fund's balance.

Maddy summaryHB 2196 authorizes Putnam County and its incorporated cities (with specific population ranges) to regulate sober living homes for substance abuse recovery, provided rules comply with the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act. The bill amends Tennessee law to define eligible local governments based on 2020 census population thresholds (county: 366,200-366,300; cities: 79,800-79,900). It directly affects sober living homes operating in Putnam County and its cities by establishing their regulatory framework. The key provision ensures local regulations cannot violate federal civil rights protections for residents seeking recovery housing.

Maddy summaryHB 2204 requires Tennessee's intergovernmental relations commission (TACIR) to study state and local law enforcement officers' salaries and benefits. The study will examine how current pay affects hiring, retention, and staffing - especially in smaller cities and counties - and how state pay changes influence local departments. TACIR must complete the study using existing resources and submit a report to the governor and legislature by January 31, 2027. This bill does not change pay rates but aims to provide data for future decisions about law enforcement compensation.

Maddy summaryHB 2026 would create a new Class A misdemeanor offense for intentionally moving, altering, destroying, or removing specific survey monuments that mark property lines, historical boundaries, or land survey points. It directly affects property owners, surveyors, construction workers, and anyone who might interact with these monuments, which include items like metal pins, concrete markers, or marked trees. The law defines three types of protected monuments (property corner, historic land surveying, and geodetic control monuments) and imposes a serious misdemeanor penalty for violations. The bill, pending passage, would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 1951 creates a new Class D felony offense called "coercive suicide" for AI owners whose systems advise or encourage a user to commit suicide after the user has communicated suicidal intent. It specifically targets AI systems (including chatbots and generative AI) that generate content like text or images, requiring owners to know or reasonably foresee the risk and negligently allow access. The law applies only to AI entities, not human interactions, and takes effect July 1, 2026. This is a policy change focused on holding AI developers accountable for dangerous system outputs, not general suicide prevention.

Maddy summaryHB 2121, the "Better Spending, Better Schools Act of 2026," requires Tennessee local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to annually submit detailed spending reports to the state comptroller's office and the Department of Education by August 1. The reports must break down expenditures into specific categories like classroom instruction, student support services, administrative costs, and facility operations. The Department of Education must then publicly post these reports on the state’s school report card, alongside total state funding and local contributions for each school. This bill directly affects all Tennessee public schools and charter schools by mandating transparency in how education funds are spent.

Maddy summaryHB 2093 prevents managed care organizations (MCOs) from unilaterally ending contracts with qualified nursing facilities in Tennessee's TennCare program, except under specific circumstances. The bill gives the TennCare bureau exclusive authority to decide if a nursing facility can be terminated from the program, not the MCOs. MCOs must report concerns about facilities to the bureau instead of acting alone, and must continue services during the bureau's review. This changes how MCOs manage nursing facility contracts, ensuring only the bureau can approve terminations.

Maddy summaryHB 1892 allows housing authorities, industrial development corporations, and community redevelopment agencies in Tennessee to require property owners in designated redevelopment areas to make payments securing the agencies' bonds. These payments create a recorded lien on the property that takes priority over all existing and future mortgages or liens, treated like property taxes for enforcement. The agreement must include specific details like property description and owner names when filed with the county, and the lien remains with the land even if other debts are paid.