2023 - 2024 ENDORSEMENTS
EXPANDING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Expands eligibility criteria for education savings accounts to include students zoned within local education agencies with at least five schools that are identified as priority schools in the 2015, 2018, and 2021 cycles, and among the bottom 10% of schools identified in 2017.
This legislation establishes a statewide Education Freedom Scholarship program allowing for parents and families to make the best use of their tax dollars in deciding where to send their child to school.
Expands student eligibility for an education savings account (ESA) to include students who were not enrolled, and who did not attend, a Tennessee public school for the one full school year immediately preceding the school year for which the student receives an ESA, but who were enrolled in, and who attended, a Tennessee public school in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school year, and to include students who are not eligible, for the first time, to enroll in a Tennessee school, but who were eligible, for the first time, to enroll in a Tennessee school in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, or 2021-2022 school year.
Requires at least one grade level in each public elementary and middle school to schedule five days during each school year to highlight age-appropriate financial literacy concepts, either inside or outside of the classroom. Specifies that the financial literacy concepts must include, at a minimum, earning income, spending, saving, managing credit, and investing. Requires the department of education, in consultation with the Tennessee financial literacy commission, to develop guidance to assist public elementary and middle schools in implementing this requirement.
Requires LEAs to allow nonresident students to enroll in a school in which spaces are available.
The bill creates a new type of charter school called an opportunity charter school. Opportunity charter schools are limited to 6-12th grade and must go through the same application and approval process as normal charter schools. Additionally, opportunity charters may provide boarding services.
MAKING GOVERNMENT WORK BETTER
Caps the number of members that may be elected to the governing body of a metropolitan or municipal government to 20 members.
Prohibits an LEA from deducting dues from the wages of the LEA’s employees for a professional employees’ organization, like the Tennessee Education Association.
Prohibits an employer who receives $25 million dollars or more in state incentive funds from using card check as the sole method as unionizing.
Allows a local government to accept electrical inspections from engineers whether residential or commercial, issued by registered engineers who have a concentration in electrical trades or are certified by the International Code Council in the appropriate field.
Requires the state fire marshal to create a state fire permit that mobile food units may obtain annually to demonstrate fire safety and electrical code compliance to local governments. Requires a local government to recognize the state fire permit in its jurisdiction. Prohibits the local government from requiring a local fire permit if the mobile food unit holds a state fire permit.
Repeals the Soil Scientist Licensure Act of 2009.
Deletes the Alarm Contractors Licensing Act of 1991. Allows a county or municipality to provide monitoring or response services, or both, for alarm systems when deemed in the public interest by the legislative body of the county or municipality if no charge is made by the county or municipality for the service unless the county or municipality was charging for the service on or before July 1, 1991, if the use of local governmental services is not mandatory, and if response by local law enforcement, firefighters, or other emergency personnel is not conditional upon use of the services.
Specifies that a condemner bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of evidence certain facts regarding the condemnation. Creates a right for property owners whose property is being condemned to have a court determine whether the taking is necessary to accomplish the public use.
Excludes recreational facilities, recreational purposes, and parks from the definition of “public use” as it applies to eminent domain.
This bill makes reforms to the land surveyors license requirements to make the pathway to the professional license more accessible for individuals without a four year college degree.
The bill allows local governments to opt-in to single-stairwell requirements for multi-family buildings with certain conditions. It allows more and larger multi-family buildings to fit on smaller lots and more creativity in building design. It also lays out the conditions for costs for expanding utility service for new development.
TRANSPORTATION
Requires the department of safety to waive the knowledge test and accept alternative requirements for active duty and honorably discharged service members applying for temporary commercial learner’s permits.
Enacts the Transportation Modernization Act of 2023 that will promote efficient and expedited project delivery when constructing complex roadway projects. It will also allow the Department of Transportation to partner with the private sector to design, build, finance, operate and maintain new and additional lanes on existing interstates called Choice Lanes – the state would retain ownership of the roads.
HEALTHCARE
This legislation expands the scope of practice for pharmacists in Tennessee. It allows for the issuing of a prescription or medical order of certain drugs, as well as other reforms to the scope of practice to make access to healthcare greater.
Allows an individual licensed in another state who would qualify as a healthcare provider if licensed in this state to practice telehealth if the patient cannot otherwise receive the services that the healthcare provider will provide as long as the healthcare provider has filed a limited waiver request with the appropriate licensing authority.
Exempts a person receiving an initial behavioral health assessment via telehealth from the requirement of an in-person encounter between the healthcare services provider, practice group, or healthcare system within 16 months prior.
This legislation reforms what services require a Certificate of Need issued by the State, expanding healthcare access to Tennesseans.
Specifies that a hospital licensed under title 68, chapter 11, or title 33, chapter 2, or an affiliate of a hospital, is not prohibited from employing licensed physicians, other than radiologists and anesthesiologists, to provide medical services subject to certain conditions.
TAX AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
This legislation is among the largest tax cut in Tennessee history. Tennessee’s economic competitiveness can be strengthened by by transitioning to a Single Sales Factor for franchise and excise taxes and improving our treatment of capital investments through bonus depreciation. It also provides tax relief to small businesses on their franchise and excise taxes and cutting the Tennessee business tax. It supports hardworking families through a one-time grocery tax holiday and a paid family leave tax credit.
This legislation makes filing personal tangible property tax returns easier on small businesses by allowing them to certify that they have under $2,000 or $10,000 in tangible personal property instead of detailing acquisition costs on the reporting schedule.
Phases out professional privilege tax over a three-year period for tax years that begin on and after June 1, 2024. Reduces tax by $200 in the first year and by $100 in each remaining year.
The Blockchain Basics Act specifies that an individual may engage in home digital asset mining as long as the individual complies with all local noise ordinances and operates a node for the purpose of connecting to a blockchain protocol or a protocol built on top of a blockchain protocol and transferring digital assets on a blockchain protocol, or participating in staking on a blockchain protocol. Clarifies that an individual engaged in home digital asset mining, a digital asset mining business, or operating a node or a series of nodes on a blockchain protocol is not required to obtain a license under the Money Transmission Modernization Act. Specifies that a digital asset mining business may engage in digital asset mining in any area that is zoned for industrial use.