The WCDP Legislative Committee will post periodic updates about significant pieces of legislation and reporting on how the Williamson County delegation members vote. If you would like to learn more about how bills become laws in Tennessee, visit the General Assembly website.
If you have strong feelings about any of these bills, positive or negative, we encourage you to Contact your Legislator, or write a letter to the Editor of The Tennessean or The Williamson Herald. We can all take action to create change in Tennessee.
Call to Action for the week of March 1-5, 2021
We urge everyone to take action by contacting committee members about these bills, even if they are not your Representative or Senator. This document compiled by Indivisible TN District 7 includes sample scripts and the email addresses of the legislators. Did you know you can watch House and Senate committee hearings? You can view the livestream on the TN General Assembly website.
Monday Senate Floor Vote
SJR002, which proposes a TN Constitutional Amendment to make a Tennessee a “Right to Work for Less” state. Labor unions across the state oppose this initiative and the TN AFL-CIO has an email campaign for you to contact your legislators. Learn more about the racist roots of “Right to Work” laws and why we should all oppose them.
SB228 discriminates against transgender student-athletes. The Tennessee Equality Project opposes the bill and has an email campaign to help you contact your Senator.
Tuesday hearings
HB0010 would allow people to object to vaccinations, immunizations, or other medical procedures on religious grounds at all times including a pandemic.
HJR0010 would recognize racism as a public health threat.
HB0667 allows commercial, industrial & multi-family property owners to finance energy efficiency & renewable energy improvements through property tax payments. This bill is a step forward for energy efficiency and is supported by the TN League of Conservation Voters.
SB0153 would prevent governmental agencies from taking adverse action against people based on a positive urine test for THC. Creates a presumption that a parent/guardian who gives hemp product to a child in a form other than smoking, is not an act of abuse or neglect. This bill is supported by the ACLU of Tennessee.
SB0765 the "Permitless Carry" bill would allow people to carry firearms without obtaining a state carry permit. This bill is opposed by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, TN Association of Chiefs of Police and TN Sheriff’s Association. Moms Demand has an email campaign to help you contact your legislators.
Wednesday hearings
HB0578 would prohibit sexual identity change therapy for pre-pubescent minors and punishes violations as child abuse by parents/guardians and professional misconduct by medical professionals. The Tennessee Equality Project opposes the bill and has an email campaign to help you contact legislators.
SB0914 would require school districts to provide voter registration forms to students who are eligible to vote.
HB0597 would allow college students to use college IDs as voter ID and removes requirement that a person who registers to vote by mail must vote in person when voting for the first time.
HB0374 filed by Rep. Glen Casada requires members of a community oversight board to complete local police citizen’s academy within 6 months and removes authority of the board until all members have completed training.
SB0230 enacts the “Teacher’s Discipline Act” and creates a process for teachers to request a student be removed from classroom based on behavior. This bill could have unintended consequences for students with disabilities and students of color.
SB0415 enacts the “Keep Kids in Schools Act” and tries to counteract the “Teacher’s Discipline Act” by requiring the TN Dept. of Education to issue guidance & recommendations on developing a school discipline policy and requires local school boards to adopt discipline policies that align with TN Dept. of Ed guidance.
HB0018 & HB0786 are the House versions of the “Permitless Carry” bill and would allow people to carry firearms without obtaining a state carry permit. This bill is opposed by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, TN Association of Chiefs of Police and TN Sheriff’s Association.
HB0001 would allow a defendant sentenced with the death penalty to petition the court to determine ineligibility for death penalty due to intellectual disability.
HB0047 enacts the “Good Samaritan Sentencing Enhancement Act," which provides that a defendant convicted of first degree murder is eligible for the death penalty if the victim was rendering assistance to a person in need at the time of their death.
Legislation to follow
The Good
Bill No. | What it does | Filed by | Status |
Allows use of medical marijuana if a patient carries a valid prescription from another state |
Hodges (D) Kyle (D) |
Assigned to House Criminal Justice Subcommittee & Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee | |
Expands acceptable forms of Voter identification to include college IDS |
Beck (D) Kyle (D) |
Filed in House; Referred to Senate State & Local Gov't Committee | |
Restoration of voting rights for convicted felons |
Dixie (D) Gilmore (D) |
Assigned to House Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee; Referred to Senate State & Local Gov't Committee | |
"Fair Maps Act," establishes non-partisan process of redistricting congressional & general assembly districts |
Dixie (D) Yarbro (D) |
Passed on 1st Consideration in House; Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee | |
Decriminalizes possession of less than one ounce of marijuana | Chism (D) Akbari (D) | Assigned to House Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Passed on 1st Consideration in Senate | |
Establishes an ad hoc committee to to review the current laws, rules, and policies of cash bail in TN |
Harris (D) Akbari (D) |
Assigned to House Criminal Justice Subcommittee; Passed on 1st Consideration in Senate | |
Enacts the "Medicaid Buy-In Act" creates a Medicaid buy in plan for eligible Tennesseans |
Hodges (D) Yarbro (D) |
Assigned to House Insurance Subcommittee; Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee | |
Authorizes DHS to partner with minority & community organizations to find ways to use surplus TANF funds to benefit minority & low-income families | Hakeem (D) Robinson (D) | Assigned to House Health Subcommittee; Referred to Senate Health & Welfare Committee | |
Allows courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Order to remove firearms from a person who is a threat to themselves or others | Gilmore (D) Camper (D) | Passed 1st Consideration in House, not yet assigned to committee; Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee | |
Enacts the "Tennessee Family Insurance Act", offering paid family leave for all Tennessee workers |
G. Johnson (D) Kyle (D) |
Filed in House; Referred to Senate Finance & Labor Committee | |
Raises minimum wage for essential workers at tiered rate starting at $15/hour rising to $20/hour by 2022 |
G. Johnson (D) Yarbro (D) |
Passed on 1st Consideration in House; Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee | |
Gives emergency first responders disability suffered in the line of duty if they contract virus identified as a pandemic by WHO, CDC, or declared as state of emergency by the Governor | Whitson (R) Gardenire (R) | Assigned to House Cities & Counties Subcommittee; Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee | |
Caps out of pocket cost for insulin at $100 for 30-day supply |
Hodges (D) Briggs (R) |
Assigned to House Insurance Subcommittee; Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee | |
The Bad | |||
"Good Samaritan Sentencing Enhancement Act", expands the use of the Death Penalty by making defendant convicted of first degree murder eligible for the death penalty if the victim was helping person in need at the time of their death | Ogles (R) Hensley (R) | Will be heard in House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on 3/3; Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee | |
Requires members of Community Oversight Board to complete local police force Citizen's Academy & removes authority of the board until all members have complete the course |
Casada (R) Bell (R) |
Will be heard in House Criminal Justice Committee on 3/3; Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee | |
Prohibits governmental entities and officials from mandating or limiting the number of persons who may congregate in a residence, or in a church if the number of congregants complies with occupancy limits applicable to the church |
Ogles (R) Rose (R) |
Passed on 2nd Consideration in House; Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee | |
Prohibits a state or local governmental entity, the governor, or the executive head of a local government from classifying a category of workers as essential or nonessential | Ogles (R) Bailey (R) | Assigned to House Public Service subcommittee; Passed on 1st Consideration in Senate | |
A healthcare caption bill that will be the GOP alternative to expanding Medicaid access outside of the ACA, no details available | Whitson (R) Briggs (R) | Passed on 2nd Consideration, held pending amendment; Referred to Senate Commerce & Labor Committee | |
Allows state employees & teachers to opt out of trainings that conflict with their morals, ethics, values, or religious beliefs | Casada (R) Bowling (R) | Will be heard in House Public Service Committee on 3/17; Referred to Senate State & Local Government Committee | |
The Ugly | |||
Enacts the "Rule of Life Law" bans abortions if a fetal heartbeat or serial human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is detected | Howell (R) Pody (R) | Assigned to House Rules & Calendar Committee; Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee | |
Requires that a student's gender on their original birth certificate determines which sports team (boys or girls) they can play on | Cepicky (R) Hensley (R) | Passed House K-12 Subcommittee & Education Admin. Committee, referred to Calendars & Rules Committee, Up for Senate Floor vote on 3/1 | |
Loosens gun carry permissions by allowing people who hold gun carry permits in other states to carry in TN without obtaining a TN Gun carry permit | Griffey (R) Hensley (R) | Assigned to House Criminal Justice subcommittee, Filed in Senate | |
Allows people who can lawfully posses a firearm to carry firearms in public without requiring a handgun permit |
Lamberth (R) Johnson (R) |
Will be heard in House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on 3/3; Will be heard in Senate Judiciary Committee on 3/3 | |
HB0011 | Permits use of deadly force to protect property | Reedy (R) | Assigned to House Criminal Justice subcommittee; no Senate bill; will not advance |
Requires TN to refuse to consent to receive any refugees for purposes of resettlement |
Griffey (R) Hensley (R) |
House bill Withdrawn; Referred to Senate State & Local Gov't Committee; will not advance | |
Abolishes early voting; prohibits use of voting machines; requires use of watermarked paper ballots hand-marked by voter |
Bowling (R) |
Withdrawn, will not advance |