Staying On Our Toes

   At this point in the legislative session, we're starting to breathe a sigh of relief. We've not yet had to face many of the bad bills that we first saw last month, and those that have come up have mostly been taken off notice. While we're very grateful for this, we also know how important it is to stay on our toes and keep our eyes peeled for any and all anti-worker, anti-Labor legislation. Once again, if any of you have specific bills that you would like for us to watch, please let us know so that we can add them to our tracking list. That's what our legislative team is here for: helping all of our affiliates and serving as our legislative voice! 

  Many of you have been curious as to the status of HB 1674/SB 1621, which as we know is the bill that's an outright attack on Amendment 3. It was supposed to be heard on the Senate floor this past week, but due to some lengthy debate on other pieces of legislation, it was bumped to this Monday's floor calendar. Remember, schedules can change at the drop of a hat at the Capitol. We are happy to keep you updated as to whether or not a specific piece of legislation will be heard at its scheduled time. It's not uncommon for bills to get moved to the next available calendar almost every week. 

  Our "watch list" for the upcoming week is listed below. As a reminder, this is simply a quick snapshot of some of the big bills that we'll be tracking. Please let us know if you have any specific questions about any of this legislation!

Monday, February 22nd

Senate Floor Session, 1 p.m.

SJR 88: This resolution asks the federal government to allow the state to "opt out" of TennCare and enact a "catastrophic benefits health insurance program." 

SJR 467: This resolution asks the attorney general to sue the federal government over noncompliance with the Refugee Act. 

House Floor Session, 5:45 p.m.

House Bill 1426 (SB 1446):  This bill gives Davidson County the authority to issue bonds for affordable housing projects.
Tuesday, February 23rd

Senate State & Local Government Committee, 10:30 a.m., LP 12

Senate Bill 1607 (HB 2042): This bill specifies that if a person pays for certain political communications with their personal money, they do not have to disclose that information. 

Senate Bill 1945 (HB 1939): This piece of legislation makes changes to election laws, including when a deficient voter registration may be corrected. 

Senate Bill 2101 (HB 2125): According to this bill, Rutherford County would be allowed to participate in a pilot project for establishing convenient election day voting centers.
Note: This bill will also be heard in the House Local Government Subcommittee on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

Senate Bill 2210 (HB 2226): This bill creates a three-year volunteer firefighter training incentive pilot program.
Note: This bill will also be heard in the House State Government Subcommittee on Wednesday at noon.

Senate Bill 2440 (HB 2442): This is a good bill that prohibits a state employer from asking about a potential employee's criminal history on an initial application.
Note: This bill will also be heard in the House State Government Subcommittee on Wednesday at noon.

House Education Instruction & Programs Committee, 12
 p.m., LP 16

House Bill 294 (SB 151): This bill would ban dues deductions for members of organizations that engage in political activity. In short, this has the potential to wipe out the TEA.
 
House State Government Committee, 12 p.m., LP 29

House Bill 1494 (SB 1656): Under this piece of legislation, any teacher who is a part of the TCRS program must forfeit his or her retirement benefits if convicted of any misdemeanor sexual offense related to employment.

House Bill 2062 (SB 2064): 
This bill requires that all local EMA 
personnel be considered first responders, including all of the rights, benefits, privileges, and protections that are currently available. 

Senate Commerce & Labor Committee, 1:30 p.m., LP 12

Senate Bill 1486 (HB 1647): This bill would enact the "Tennessee Workers Protection Act," which deals with illegal immigration. 

Senate Bill 1758 (HB 1720): This bill requires the bureau of workers' compensation to set a penalty for violations concerning rental and assignment of PPO network rights.

Senate Bill 2563 (HB 1559): This piece of legislation makes various "clean up" changes to the Workers' Compensation law. It was heard in yesterday's Workers' Compensation Advisory Council and came out with a "favorable" recommendation.

House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee, 3 p.m., LP 30

House Bill 1425 (SB 2633): This bill prohibits a local board of education from increasing the salary for the director of schools without authorizing a raise for teachers as well. 
Wednesday, February 24th

House Finance Subcommittee, 10:30 a.m., LP 29

House Bill 1497 (SB 1444): This bill extends employment protections to certain members of the armed services of other states. 

House Bill 2142 (SB 2115): This piece of legislation sets aside $100,000,000 from additional state tax revenues for various counties to use in certain transportation projects. 

House Bill 1475 (SB 1671): This bill would eliminate early voting for a special general election if there is no opposition for any office in that election.

House State Government Subcommittee, 12 p.m., LP 29
Capitol Reflection

House Bill 1726 (SB 1672): This bill deals with construction designers who are under contract with the state. 

House Bill 2554 (SB 2496):  According to this piece of legislation, businesses that employ illegal immigrants would be subject to increased fines and penalties. 

House Bill 1900 (SB 1932): This bill increases the cash supplement for police officer in-service training from $600 to $1,000. 

House Bill 1957 (SB 2414): This piece of legislation requires the corrections commissioner to enact a 14-day work schedule for all correctional facility employees instead of the 28-day work schedule. 

House Transportation Subcommittee, 12 p.m., LP 16

House Bill 2022 (SB 1953): This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to build and run a mass transit system on the side of a state interstate or highway. 

House Local Government Subcommittee, 1:30 p.m., LP 30

House Bill 1632 (SB 1636): According to this bill, a local government cannot enact zoning regulations that require a certain percentage of existing or newly built homes or apartments to be considered affordable or workforce housing. 

House Bill 985 (SB 466): This piece of legislation says that county government employees can't serve as a member of the county legislative body.

House Civil Justice Subcommittee, 3 p.m., LP 31

House Bill 2234 (SB 2062): This bill enacts the "Asbestos Bankruptcy Trust Claims Transparency Act." Many community groups and some of our affiliates have raised concerns about this bill. 

House Consumer & Human Resources Subcommittee, 3 p.m., LP 29

House Bill 1552 (SB 2556): This piece of legislation deals with seasonal employment practices. 

House Bill 2334 (SB 2037): This good bill encourages the study and development of a program that provides financial incentives to businesses who hire and employ people who have been convicted of a felony.
Contact:
Alyssa Hansen, Communications Director
1901 Lindell Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203  |  615.269.7111