Update/Memo
Session is in full swing. With all bills filed, lawmakers have started reviewing all proposed measures. Committees ran throughout the week, and Thursday both chambers came together in a joint convention to confirm new members to the State Election Commission. Senate leadership is hoping to have session gaveled out by the beginning of May, although House leadership may want it to extend through mid-May. This week saw further movement on a number of bills that we are tracking, including:
*A bill that requires the commissioner of environment and conservation to issue a permit for the installation of a subsurface sewage disposal system to any person unable to connect to the public sewer system from a moratorium, and requires the permit holder to discontinue service to the subsurface sewage disposal system and connect to the public sewer system within 90 days of the moratorium being lifted (SB178/HB165), was deferred until Feb. 27 in the Senate Energy, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, and was taken off notice in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.
*A bill that adds committing or intending to commit a felony, theft, or assault in a construction that is not open to the public into the definition of burglary (SB83/HB125) was referred to the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, but failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Weekly Bill Tracker: (View/Download/Print PDF)
Calendar Report
Week of February 18, 2019
Mon 2/18/19 2:00pm – House Hearing Rm I, House Government Operations Committee Regular Calendar
MEMBERS: CHAIR M. Daniel (R); VICE CHAIR I. Rudder (R); R. Williams (R); M. Stewart (D); J. Sexton (R); J. Reedy (R); J. Ragan (R); W. Lamberth (R); J. Lafferty (R); D. Howell (R); G. Hardaway (D); C. Halford (R); B. Dunn (R); K. Camper (D); K. Calfee (R)
| 1. | HB1467 Daniel M. | GOVERNMENT REGULATION: UAPA – effects administrative rules and regulations have on small businesses. Requires an agency to submit an estimate to the members of the government operations committees of the senate and the house of representatives prior to filing a rule or regulation with the secretary of state. Orders the estimate to include implementation costs incurred by all small businesses over three years, number of small businesses affected by the regulation, reasoning upon which the estimate is based and all information used in determining the estimate. Prohibits the agency from promulgating a regulation that will cost equal to or greater than $3,000,000, unless there is authorizing legislation or a germane modification to reduce costs below the $3,000,000 threshold. Does not apply to institutions of higher education, emergency rules, or regulations required by federal mandate. SB1329 – B. Watson – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate Government Operations Committee. |
Tue 2/19/19 10:30am – House Hearing Rm II, House State Committee
HEADER: The committee will hear presentations from David B. Rausch, the Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, and from Ryan Haynes and Clay Byrd with the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of TN. MEMBERS: CHAIR K. Keisling (R); VICE CHAIR R. Eldridge (R); C. Todd (R); R. Tillis (R); R. Staples (D); J. Shaw (D); B. Sanderson (R); B. Ramsey (R); J. Powell (D); H. Love Jr. (D); M. Littleton (R); J. Lafferty (R); B. Hulsey (R); G. Hicks (R); D. Hawk (R); C. Halford (R); A. Farmer (R); R. Bricken (R); B. Beck (D)
| 3. | HB57 Hulsey B. | COMMERCIAL LAW: Registration exemptions for charitable organizations. Increases from over $30,000 to over $50,000 the amount of gross contributions that must be raised or received from the public by a charitable organization in order to trigger registration and reporting requirements with the secretary of state. SB232 – J. Lundberg – 01/31/19 – Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee. |
| 5. | HB99 Tillis R. | PUBLIC EMPLOYEES: Authorizes comptroller to investigate Class A and B felonies related to private funds under certain conditions. Authorizes the comptroller to investigate Class A and B felonies involving private funds in regards to public interest, if requested by the attorney general and reporter or the district attorney general if held in conjunction with an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. SB238 – J. Lundberg – 02/01/19 – Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee. |
Tue 2/19/19 11:00am – Senate Hearing Rm I, Senate State & Local Government Committee
HEADER: The committee will hear a presentation about the Driver’s License Revocation and Impact on Local Jails by the TN County Services Association. MEMBERS: CHAIR S. Dickerson (R); VICE CHAIR R. Briggs (R); 2ND VICE CHAIR T. Gardenhire (R); E. Jackson (R); B. Kelsey (R); S. Reeves (R); D. White (R); K. Yager (R); J. Yarbro (D)
| 7. | SB359 Haile F. | LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Recording of annexation resolutions and deannexation ordinances. Requires municipalities to record annexation resolutions and deannexation ordinances with the register of deeds in affected county or counties. HB362 – M. Cochran – 02/05/19 – Referred to House Property & Planning Subcommittee. |
| 10. | SB196 Kelsey B. | PROFESSIONS & LICENSURE: Expands the Right to Earn a Living Act. Requires entry regulations, public service restrictions, and statutes to be clearly apparent and shaped to fulfill a legitimate public health or safety objective. Allows individuals to bring civil action on relevant licensing authorities that failed to meet standards. HB261 – M. Daniel – 02/01/19 – Referred to House Business Subcommittee. |
| 11. | SB379 Yarbro J. | LABOR LAW: Harassment of government employee. Permits an attorney for a county, municipal, or metropolitan government to seek an injunction against a person who commits harassment against an employee of the county, municipal, or metropolitan government. Specifies that the injunction may be sought in any court of competent jurisdiction having the power to grant injunctions. HB108 – D. Jernigan – 02/14/19 – Set for House Local Committee 02/20/19. |
| 12. | SB351 Briggs R. | TAXES PROPERTY: Property tax assessments. Allows county clerks to keep oaths prescribed for assessors and deputies in electronic or digital format. Allows assessors to provide informal reviews of assessments under certain circumstances, raises cost of taxpayer appeal fees to under $10, except for certain appellants, and allows the appeals commission to delegate decision-making authority to a single member when an evidentiary record must remain open for under 30 days after the hearing. HB143 – R. Smith – 02/14/19 – Set for House Property & Planning Subcommittee 02/20/19. |
| 14. | SB355 Gardenhire T. | PROPERTY & HOUSING: Revises requirements on brownfield redevelopment projects. Requires brownfield redevelopment projects be located in mid-size and small counties, clarifies square footage qualifications, and prohibits allocations to the corporation engaged in the projects longer than 30 years. HB327 – D. Howell – 02/05/19 – Referred to House Property & Planning Subcommittee. |
Tue 2/19/19 12:00pm – House Hearing Rm II, House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR J. Reedy (R); J. Chism (D); J. Clemmons (D); C. Halford (R); A. Holt (R); B. Hulsey (R); C. Todd (R)
| 1. | HB809 Kumar S. | TAXES PROPERTY: Expands definition of agricultural land for purposes of greenbelt property tax program. Expands definition of agricultural land for purposes of greenbelt property tax program to include two noncontiguous tracts of land within same county totaling at least 15 acres and split only by public or private road. Broadly captioned. SB886 – F. Niceley – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee. |
Tue 2/19/19 12:00pm – House Hearing Rm III, House Safety & Funding Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR T. Weaver (R); D. Carr (R); D. Howell (R); L. Lamar (D); J. Potts (D); L. Russell (R)
| 11. | HB263 Carr D. | TRANSPORTATION VEHICLES: Removes driving restrictions on antique motor vehicles. Removes weekend and federal holiday driving restrictions for antique motor vehicles and allows them to be used for general transportation any day of the week if they are not driven more than 5,000 miles annually. SB283 – F. Haile – 02/01/19 – Referred to Senate Transportation & Safety Committee. |
Tue 2/19/19 3:00pm – House Hearing Rm III, House Business Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR C. Johnson (R); J. Chism (D); C. Doggett (R); T. Hill (R); C. Hurt (R); D. Wright (R)
| 2. | HB757 Marsh P. | PROPERTY & HOUSING: Limits recovery of a real property owner who prevails in action challenging validity of lien. Limits recovery of a real property owner who prevails in an action challenging the validity of a lien to only liens filed against certain residential units. SB1172 – A. Swann – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee. |
| 5. | HB295 Carr D. | PROFESSIONS & LICENSURE: Certification for electrical inspects contracted by local or state government. Requires electrical inspectors employed by a local or state government to be certified by the state fire marshal and for this certification to be completed every three years. Declares that certain electrical inspectors contracted under the commissioner of commerce and insurance to be certified on and after January 1, 2020. SB1190 – D. White – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee. |
| 6. | HB1088 Bricken R. | PROFESSIONS & LICENSURE: Application of licensure expedited for military spouses. Deletes requirement that spouses armed forces service members of the United States be actively employed in a profession when moving to this state in order to have their licensure application expedited. Broadly captioned. SB1327 – J. Bowling – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee. |
Tue 2/19/19 4:30pm – House Hearing Rm II, House Civil Justice Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR M. Carter (R); B. Beck (D); M. Curcio (R); M. Daniel (R); J. Garrett (R); D. Howell (R); J. Towns Jr. (D)
| 3. | HB350 Shaw J. | TAXES PROPERTY: Property purchased by a county at a tax sale. Provides immunity to a county in suit based in contract or restrictive covenant when the county purchases property in a tax sale. Removes county’s liability for the payment of any fees or assessments pursuant to any contractual right held by a non-governmental entity to such fees or assessments secured by property purchased by a county at a tax sale. SB1263 – D. Gresham – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee. |
| 4. | HB33 Boyd C. | JUDICIARY: Service of process. Adds a private process server to the list of individuals authorized to personally serve a copy of a warrant or summons on behalf of a landlord in an action for forcible entry and detainer to regain possession of such landlord’s real property. SB401 – J. Stevens – 02/06/19 – Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee. |
Wed 2/20/19 11:00am – House Hearing Rm III, House Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR A. Holt (R); J. Deberry Jr. (D); P. Hazlewood (R); G. Hicks (R); M. Hill (R); S. Lynn (R); B. Ogles (R); C. Sexton (R); J. Shaw (D)
| 1. | HB722 Coley J. | TAXES BUSINESS: Exemptions from professional privilege tax – judges and chancellors. Exempts judges and chancellors from the professional privilege tax assessed to persons licensed as attorneys. SB992 – B. Kelsey – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee. |
| 6. | HB246 Clemmons J. | TAXES BUSINESS: Phases out professional privilege tax. Phases out the professional privilege tax over a four-year period for tax years that begin on and after June 1, 2019. SB253 – S. Kyle – 02/01/19 – Referred to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee. |
Wed 2/20/19 11:00am – House Hearing Rm I, House Property & Planning Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR D. Carr (R); J. Crawford (R); J. Faison (R); B. Freeman (D); E. Helton (R); G. Johnson (D); B. Ramsey (R)
| 2. | HB143 Smith R. | TAXES PROPERTY: Property tax assessments. Allows county clerks to keep oaths prescribed for assessors and deputies in electronic or digital format. Allows assessors to provide informal reviews of assessments under certain circumstances, raises cost of taxpayer appeal fees to under $10, except for certain appellants, and allows the appeals commission to delegate decision-making authority to a single member when an evidentiary record must remain open for under 30 days after the hearing. SB351 – R. Briggs – 02/14/19 – Set for Senate State & Local Government Committee 02/19/19. |
| 5. | HB1112 Powell J. | TAXES PROPERTY: Delinquent property taxes due on parcel. Allows a purchaser of a parcel subject to delinquent taxes to demand rents or profits from the occupier of the parcel only after the purchaser has made an advance demand for such rents or profits. Makes various revisions regarding delinquent tax proceedings. SB712 – J. Stevens – 02/07/19 – Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee. |
Wed 2/20/19 12:30pm – House Hearing Rm IV, House Public Service & Employee Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR B. Ramsey (R); R. Bricken (R); D. Hawk (R); G. Hicks (R); K. Keisling (R); H. Love Jr. (D); J. Shaw (D)
| 2. | HB282 Daniel M. | PROFESSIONS & LICENSURE: Legislation concerning licensure, certification, or registration requirements. Requires any legislation that creates or modifies licensure, certification, or registration requirements for occupational and professional groups to be referred for review to the government operations committee or an appropriate standing committee by the speaker of each house. SB392 – K. Roberts – 02/06/19 – Referred to Senate Government Operations Committee. |
Wed 2/20/19 2:00pm – House Hearing Rm I, House Local Committee
MEMBERS: CHAIR J. Crawford (R); VICE CHAIR D. Wright (R); M. Carter (R); R. Travis (R); R. Tillis (R); T. Rudd (R); B. Ramsey (R); J. Moon (R); L. Lamar (D); G. Johnson (D); E. Helton (R); Y. Hakeem (D); B. Freeman (D); J. Faison (R); D. Carr (R); K. Calfee (R)
| 2. | HB108 Jernigan D. | LABOR LAW: Harassment of government employee. Permits an attorney for a county, municipal, or metropolitan government to seek an injunction against a person who commits harassment against an employee of the county, municipal, or metropolitan government. Specifies that the injunction may be sought in any court of competent jurisdiction having the power to grant injunctions. SB379 – J. Yarbro – 02/14/19 – Set for Senate State & Local Government Committee 02/19/19. |
Wed 2/20/19 3:30pm – House Hearing Rm III, House Department & Agencies Subcommittee
MEMBERS: CHAIR B. Sanderson (R); B. Beck (D); C. Halford (R); K. Keisling (R); M. Littleton (R); R. Staples (D); R. Tillis (R)
| 4. | HB247 Tillis R. | MISCELLANEOUS: Orders daylight savings time as the standard time of the state. Requires daylight savings time as the standard time of the state. Specifies the new time will go into effect on the first Sunday of November after the United States Congress repeals or amends current law to authorize states to observe daylight saving time year-round. Orders the commissioner of transportation to monitor and certify in writing to the executive secretary of the Tennessee code commission the date of the changed legislation. SB1100 – S. Dickerson – 02/11/19 – Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee. |
