Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
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The 113th General Assembly has adjourned for 2023, and it was a very successful year. We have taken measures for Tennessee to be a better place to live, work and to raise a family. I will go over some of the laws passed this session that deal with healthcare. Training Bonus for EMS - EMS personnel must receive from the board of emergency medical services a pay supplement of $800 for completing the 40-hour in-service training course in addition to their regular salary. Effective January 1, 2024....
7 Session of the 113th General Assembly The 113th General Assembly has adjourned for 2023, and it was a very successful year. We have taken measures for Tennessee to be a better place to live, work and to raise a family. 2023/2024 Budget Highlights The $55.6 billion, no-debt budget addresses the needs of all Tennesseans while advancing efforts to strengthen families, bolster safety, improve education, create new opportunities for economic development and modernize transportation. The...
Expanding financial assistance to disadvantaged students / Public Chapter 1018 — A new law will expand the Ben Atchley Grant, which was established in the 1990s to provide financial assistance to disadvantaged students. The measure allows for-profit, private postsecondary institutions that are accredited and domiciled in Tennessee to be able to provide the grant to its students. Just one college in the state, South College, which has locations in Knoxville and Nashville, meets these criteria. Th...
Education is a top priority each year. The 2022-23 fiscal year budget includes the largest increase in K-12 education funding in Tennessee’s history. With an additional $1 billion in K-12 funding, Tennessee is investing a total of $6.5 billion in K-12 education. This includes $750 million for the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act, along with $125 million to increase teacher salaries. $1 billion investment in new, annual recurring education funding Through the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA), replaced t...
COVID-19 liability protection / Public Chapter 1117 — Extends for one year the Tennessee Recovery and Safe Harbor Act of 2020 – which provides COVID-19 liability protection to businesses, schools, churches and other entities – Effective June 2022 to July 1, 2023. Consumer protection for subscription services / Public Chapter 803 — To ensure consumers are able to cancel online subscription services, a new law requires businesses that allow someone to sign up for a service or subscription online to provide a clear way to end or cancel the sub...
COVID-19 liability protection / Public Chapter 1117 — Extends for one year the Tennessee Recovery and Safe Harbor Act of 2020 – which provides COVID-19 liability protection to businesses, schools, churches and other entities – to July 1, 2023. Became effective June 1, 2022 Consumer protection for subscription services / Public Chapter 803 — To ensure consumers are able to cancel online subscription services, a new law requires businesses that allow someone to sign up for a service or subscription online to provide a clear way to end or cancel t...
Removing roadblocks to obtain a Commercial Driver License / Public Chapter 992 - To help alleviate the shortage of truck drivers in Tennessee, this law expands eligibility for Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs) and creates a program within the Department of Safety to enable qualifying incarcerated individuals who will return to society to receive a CDL prior to or after their release. It lowers the minimum age from 21 years old to 18 years old for people who can qualify for a CDL to drive in Tennessee. In addition, the law increases the...
Cracking down on drive-by shootings / Public Chapter 1136 — To impose stricter penalties on criminals who engage in drive-by shootings, a new law requires that a person convicted of aggravated assault that involved the use or display of a deadly weapon be punished one classification higher than otherwise provided by law if the violation was committed by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle. Effective July 1, 2022. New offenses for heinous crimes / Public Chapter 1062 — Criminals who commit particularly heinous, worst-of-the- wor...
Increasing penalties for boating under the influence / Public chapter 910 - To help keep Tennessee waterways safe, a new law increases penalties for boating under the influence. Called “Nicholas’s Law,” it makes a boating under the influence conviction equal to that of driving under the influence for the purpose of determining whether the offender is a repeat offender. In other words, if someone is convicted of boating under the influence and is later convicted of driving under the influence, they could be punished the same as if they were...
Restitution for children of victims of DUI / Public Chapter 1056 — In the event a parent of a minor child is killed by an intoxicated driver, requires the convicted offender to pay restitution in the form of child maintenance to each of the victim’s children until each child reaches 18 years of age and has graduated from high school or the class of which the child is a member has graduated. The bill requires the court to determine a reasonable payment after considering factors including the fina...
Truth in Sentencing / Public Chapter 988 – To protect victims of crime and provide true accountability for those who commit crimes, a new law requires a person convicted of certain offenses to serve 100% of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release. It ensures criminals convicted of eight different offenses would have to serve 100% of their sentence undiminished by any sentence reduction credits for which the person is eligible or earns. These eight offenses include: attempted first degree murder, second degree murder, v...
Human trafficking: Public Chapter 1089 - To crack down on criminals who traffic children, a new law will expand the criteria for what qualifies as Class A felony offense of trafficking for a commercial sex act. Under the new law, a trafficker will be charged with a Class A felony if the victim is under the age of 18. Under previous statute, the victim had to be under 15 for the Class A felony charge to apply. It also creates a Class A felony offense of aggravated trafficking for a commercial sex act, and requires those convicted to serve 100% o...
Human Trafficking Prevention Training: Public Chapter 842 – Under a new law, the Department of Correction, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Department of Human Services must work with a nonprofit charitable organization to provide mandatory training to the appropriate personnel on the identification, intervention, prevention and treatment of human trafficking victims. The training must be selected by the Human Trafficking Advisory Council and administered annually starting in 2023. Effective January 1, 2023 Impr...
Enhancing support for foster youth Public Chapter 785 — The state will reimburse eligible relatives of foster youth to support the cost of raising the child. It also expands eligibility to ages 18-21 for foster youth transitioning from state custody to adulthood to access services. The bill goes in to effect Jan. 1, 2023 Noah’s Law Public Chapter 767 – Expedites the Amber Alert process for children in danger was approved by the General Assembly this year. It expands the criteria for issuing an amber alert by allowing a custodial parent under...
Protecting law enforcement service animals - Republican legislation that strengthens the penalty for those who harm a law enforcement or service animal in Tennessee was approved by the House chamber. Public Chapter 1106, also known as Joker’s Law, creates a Class D felony for knowingly and unlawfully killing a police dog, fire dog, search and rescue dog, service animal or police horse. The bill is named in honor of Joker, a K-9 with the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, who was seriously injured after being shot during a pursuit last year. The...
Second Amendment rights: The Tennessee House of Representatives approved Republican legislation that removes short-barrel rifles and shotguns from the list of prohibited weapons in the state. Current state law prohibits Tennesseans from possessing, manufacturing, transporting, repairing or selling the firearms. House Bill 2509 went to Gov. Bill Lee to be signed into law. Banning dangerous drugs— The General Assembly passed legislation this week banning the sale of tianeptine. Sponsored by State Rep. Mark Cochran, House Bill 2043 is marketed as...
Sales tax holiday for gun safes extended for additional year - Republican legislation that extends a tax cut making it less expensive for gun owners to safely store their firearms was approved by the Tennessee House of Representatives. House Bill 1738 exempts the purchase of gun safes and gun locking devices from state retail sales tax in Tennessee through June 30, 2023. The state’s sales tax rate is 7 percent. The legislature approved similar legislation last year. However, the tax cut was set to expire on June 30 if an extension was not a...
House approves bill protecting critical energy infrastructure - The House chamber passed legislation to protect critical energy infrastructure statewide. Sponsored by State Rep. Kevin Vaughan, R-Collierville, House Bill 2246 prevents local governments from blocking such infrastructure while preserving local zoning authority. Because energy infrastructure often crosses multiple county lines, the bill ensures local governments may not ban vital energy infrastructure that serves the needs of citizens. “Infrastructure, which includes pipelines, t...
General Assembly passes PBM reform to support independent pharmacies - The General Assembly has passed a solution that will save Tennessee’s independent pharmacies, increasing competition and lowering the overall costs of prescription drugs and devices to consumers. House Bill 2661 closes loopholes in existing law to address Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) reimbursement rates for the dispensing of prescription drugs or devices. It requires a PBM to reimburse an independent pharmacy at a rate no less than the actual cost of a drug or device d...
Republican supermajority delivers tax relief for every Tennessean - The 112th General Assembly’s $52.8 billion, zero-debt budget addresses the needs of all Tennesseans while advancing Republicans’ efforts to strengthen economic development, modernize infrastructure, improve health care and build safer communities. The Republican supermajority delivered on tax relief for Tennessee families and small businesses owners amid record-high inflation across the nation. Tennessee Republicans are com...
Republicans pass Truth in Sentencing for 28 violent crimes - The House passed legislation that provides the accountability and truth in sentencing for victims of violent crimes. House Bill 2656, sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Cookeville and State Rep. Bud Hulsey, R-Kingsport requires offenders to serve 100 percent of the sentences handed down by a judge or jury for an additional 28 violent offenses. Those crimes include attempted first-degree murder, second degree murder,...
The 112th General Assembly concluded on April 29, 2022. Below is highlights from this year’s session in funding from the $52 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Infrastructure and economic development: • $519 million in new road funding ($77 million for ECD projects included) • $100 million to complete IMPROVE Act projects • $82 million to reimburse public hospitals for uncompensated care, primarily in rural communities • $7.8 million for Rural Opportunity Grants to help communiti...
Republicans increase transparency, oversight of refugee and unaccompanied minor resettlements in Tennessee - The House chamber advanced and approved a series of bills this week that will bring more transparency and oversight to refugee and unaccompanied minor resettlements in Tennessee. House Bill 2868 requires the Tennessee Office for Refugees to submit at least a quarterly report to the department of finance and administration regarding refugee resettlement services statewide. The Tennessee...
Ag Day on the Hill celebrates Tennessee’s No. 1 industry - Tennessee Ag Day on the Hill was celebrated March 22 on the Beth Harwell Plaza and highlighted the importance of the state’s agriculture industry. Among those in attendance were Tennessee farmers, agriculture officials, legislators, Tennessee College of Applied Technology students, 4-H and Future Farmers of America members. The event coincides with National Agriculture Week and recognizes the farmers and forestland owners who are ded...
Transparency in Sentencing for Victims Act passes House chamber - The House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed the Transparency in Sentencing for Victims Act. House Bill 2657 is designed to better inform crime victims and their families about how much time an offender will serve at the time of sentencing. The proposal would require all Tennessee courts to place on the record, either orally or in writing, the estimated number of years and months to be served before a criminal is...
