Representative David Byrd; District 71 Capitol Hill Update

 

March 10, 2022



Legislation supporting foster youth services advances - The Government Operations Committee this week unanimously passed legislation aimed at enhancing the support system for youth in foster care.

House Bill 2145 expands eligibility for Extension of Foster Care (EFC) Services, a wraparound services program for young adults still in DCS custody when they turn 18. House Bill 2145 is scheduled for consideration in the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee on March 9.

Committee advances bill that identifies convicted human traffickers - Republican legislation that would make it easier for law enforcement to identify individuals convicted of human trafficking advanced out of the House Transportation Committee this week.

House Bill 2573 would require a person convicted of human trafficking to obtain a driver’s license or photo identification license that includes a designation on it that would enable authorities to identify their conviction. State Rep. Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski, told members of the subcommittee on Tuesday that the bill gives law enforcement the opportunity to ask additional questions and further investigate in situations such as traffic stops.

House Bill 2573 now moves on to the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee for consideration.

Republicans advance bill to keep obscene materials out of public-public schools - A Republican proposal to prevent obscene materials from being available to students in K-12 public school libraries in Tennessee advanced out of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee this week.

House Bill 1944, as amended, would prohibit a local education agency (LEA) or public school, including charter schools, from allowing “obscene materials or material harmful to minors” to be made available to students in school libraries. The legislation would also require every board of education and public charter school in the state to adopt a policy that allows a student’s parent or legal guardian to report any obscene material in a school’s library to their local director of schools for a review.

House Bill 1944 now moves on to the full House Criminal Justice Committee for further discussion.

Residency requirement bill gets committee approval - The House Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee this week advanced Republican legislation that would add a residency requirement for congressional candidates in Tennessee.

House Bill 2764, as amended, would require a candidate for U.S. Senate to have lived in Tennessee for at least three years prior to the date of the election in order to qualify for the race. Candidates for the U.S. House would have to live in the district they are seeking to represent for at least three years in order to qualify. If approved, the legislation would take effect Nov. 9 and would not apply to incumbent members of Congress. A companion version of the bill was approved by the Senate chambers earlier this week. However, it would become effective as soon as it was signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee. House Bill 2764 will now head to the House Local Government Committee for consideration.

House Bill 2194 expands the state’s Litter Grant Program to nonprofit organizations, law enforcement and local governments to participate in litter clean-up campaigns. It creates an avenue for nonprofit groups and their volunteers to raise money for their mission. The bill expands the program to include waterways and shorelines. It authorizes the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to award the grants from funds already generated by tax on beer and bottled soft drinks. “Litter impacts us all because it hinders road safety, hurts the health of our environment and it sends an unintentional message that citizens don’t care about their neighborhoods. This legislation will directly help communities tackle this preventable problem and improve quality of life,” said Assistant Majority Leader Ron Gant, R-Piperton. Roadside litter is a huge burden to the state financially and ecologically, costing taxpayers approximately $15 million each year, according to TDOT.

The Litter Grant program is available to all 95 counties. According to TDOT, the program is responsible for the removal of an average 11,573 tons of trash each year.

Bill filed to strengthen state’s anti-stalking laws - Republicans have introduced legislation to strengthen Tennessee’s anti-stalking laws and further protect residents from being unknowingly tracked.

According to House Bill 2802, a person would be guilty of stalking if they used an electronic tracking or Global Positioning System (GPS) device to secretly monitor the location of an individual and/or their property without their consent. “The goal of this bill is to provide another way to help protect people, their property and their privacy,” Grills added. There were nearly 1,600 reported cases of stalking in Tennessee during 2020, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s most recent annual report. House Bill 2802 would not prevent law enforcement from using an electronic tracking device during an ongoing criminal investigation.

The House Transportation Subcommittee advanced the Hannah Eimers Memorial Tennessee Roadside Safety Hardware Act on Tuesday, March 1. House Bill 1663 requires the Department of Transportation (TDOT) to monitor the United States Secretary of Transportation’s implementation of crash testing measures and methods for verifying the testing outcomes. The bill requires independent pass/fail determination, with the goal being that TDOT will follow the testing requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation. TDOT will require robust safety testing of crash cushions and guardrails located on public highways and roads.

The bill is named after 17-year-old Hannah Eimers, who was tragically killed in November 2016 in a car crash involving a guardrail on Interstate 75 in McMinn County. There was no independent safety testing of the guardrail that killed Eimers. While that particular guardrail design has since been replaced throughout Tennessee, the bill ensures there is adequate safety testing moving forward.

Disabled license plates – Passed by the House Transportation Committee this week, House Bill 2318 requires the design of disabled license plates to incorporate the color scheme, base design and details used on the standard registration and license plate. By integrating the standard Tennessee registration plates with disabled license plates, House Bill 2318 brings the state into compliance with the most integrated setting regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. House Bill 2318 has been referred to the House Calendar and Rules Committee. The Senate version passed unanimously on Feb. 24. Should the bill become law, it becomes effective Jan. 21, 2023.

The Tennessee House of Representatives honored Joker, a law enforcement K-9 officer from Bradley County, on Thursday, March 3. Joker was shot multiple times while attempting to apprehend suspects after responding to an auto burglary last year. He spent nine days in intensive care at an animal hospital in Chattanooga before being released. Joker returned to work in December and tracked down three suspects on his first day back. State Rep. Mark Hall, R-Cleveland, introduced Joker’s Law to strengthen the penalty for anyone who harms a law enforcement or service animal in Tennessee.

As always, I am truly humbled and honored to be your voice on Capitol Hill. If there is ever any issue I can assist with, please reach out to my office by calling 615-741-2190 or emailing me at [email protected]

 

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