| It will be a busy week for many of the bills the Caucus is tracking. I hope you will have an opportunity to voice your concerns. Contact information for all committee members can be found at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/. If you have an opportunity to attend one of these committee meetings, the times and locations are also listed on the GA web site.
Email addresses are rep.first.last@legislature.state.tn.us and sen.first.last@legislature.state.tn.us.
TAKEN OFF NOTICE - SB3146/HB2969, (Sen. Black and Rep. Hardaway) Requires paternity tests prior to all court custody decisions. This bill has been taken off notice in subcommittee Family Justice of Children and Family Affairs. Committee members: Rep. Mark Maddox, Chair Glen Casada, Barbara Cooper, Richard Floyd, Sherry Jones, Donna Rowland and Johnny Shaw.
TAKEN OFF NOTICE - SB3717/HB2964, by Sen. Tate and Rep. Hardaway. Requires paternity testing prior to listing a father on a birth certificate, even when the father has agreed to stipulate that he is the child’s father. Bill opposed by Caucus, Department of Human Services, and the Tennessee Bar Association. Committee members: Mary Pruitt, Chair, Chris Crider, Lois Deberry, Tom Dubois, JoAnne Favors, Sherry Jones, Debra Maggart, and Jeanne Richardson.
SUPPORT - SB4012/HB3936, (Sen. Diane Black and Rep. Sherry Jones) Requires the Commission on Children and Youth to design and oversee a resource mapping of all federal and state funding sources and streams that support the health, safety, permanence, growth, development and education of children in Tennessee. Placed on Senate General Welfare, Health and Human Resources committee calendar Wednesday, April 2. Committee members: Rusty Crowe, Chair, Rosalind Kurita, Vice-Chair, Raymond Finney, Secretary, Diane Black, Ophelia Ford, Douglas Henry, Roy Herron, Jack Johnson and Randy McNally. It has been placed behind the budget in the House.
SUPPORT - SB3882/HB2888, (Sen. Jim Kyle and Rep. Kent Coleman) This bill would eliminate a potential problem related to “spendthrift” trusts, which have recently become available in Tennessee after passage of a bill sought by the Tennessee Bankers Association last year. The trusts allow the protection of personal assets from any creditor after a four-year waiting period. According to the experts at the Tennessee Bar Association, the statute should include an exception for child support orders as is the case in several other states, and the Bar is seeking introduction of legislation that would add one. Passed out of subcommittee and will be heard in the House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, April 2. Committee members: Kent Coleman (chair), Janis Sontany (Vice-Chair) Henry Fincher (Secretary), Eddie Bass, Rob Briley, Frank Buck, Tom DuBois, Jon Lundberg, Judd Matheny and Eric Watson.
SUPPORT - HJR116 (Rep. Brenda Gilmore) Requests the Department of Correction to review the National Bill of Rights for Children of the Incarcerated and to update a1995 report on Children and Families of Incarcerated Felons. Passed to the State and Local Government Committee. On calendar Tuesday, April 1. Committee members: Ulysses Jones, Jr. (chair), Eddie Yokley (Vice-Chair), Gary Moore (Secretary), Robert Bibb, Jim Coley, Vince Dean, Jimmy Eldridge, Joey Hensley, Curtis Johnson, John Litz, Jimmy Matlock, Steve McManus, Larry Miller, Joe Pitts, Mary Pruitt, Randy Rinks, Park Strader, Harry Tindell, Curry Todd and Ben West, Jr.
SUPPORT - HB1989/SB2073 (Rep. Janis Sontany and Sen. Beverly Marrero) The bill is assigned to the House Public Health Subcommittee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. It will require hospital emergency rooms to offer emergency contraception (EC) to rape victims. (Hospitals may opt out by claiming religious affiliation, although rape victims must at least be told about EC.)
OPPOSE – SJR127 Constitutional Amendments - Adds new provision to Article I to provide that nothing in Constitution of Tennessee secures or protects right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. We will continue to monitor for possible movement to the House floor and will keep you posted.
Holly Spann
VP Legislation
TWPC & NWPC
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