Votes at a glance: Tennessee Senate passes multiple bills including sunset extensions and modernizing statutes

The Tennessee Senate recorded passage on third and final consideration of multiple bills during its Feb. 11 floor session.

Key outcomes included:

- Senate Bill 15 16: A four-year sunset extension for the Department of General Services, presented by Chairman Jackson; passed on third reading (constitutional majority declared). No roll-call debate was recorded.

- Senate Bill 15 58: A four-year extension for the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, presented by Chairman Jackson; passed on third reading after committee recommendation.

- Senate Bill 16 25: Modernizes Tennessee’s personal delivery device statute to reflect technological advances; Transportation Committee Amendment 1 allows local governments to regulate or prohibit devices, limits shoulder travel to roads with speed limits of 45 mph or lower, allows crosswalk use only where devices can identify crosswalks and comply with yield rules, and prohibits interstate travel. Amendment adopted and bill passed on third reading.

- Senate Bill 17 53: Rewrites portions of the medical licensing code to recognize clinical informatics, lifestyle medicine and medical virtualists as specialties, clarifies medical necessity determinations and disciplinary authority; Health and Welfare Committee amendment was adopted and the bill passed.

- Senate Bill 3 50: Prohibits landlords from banning a tenant or tenant’s guest from lawfully possessing, carrying, transporting or storing firearms or ammunition in the tenant’s residence, tenant-designated parking areas for vehicles, and other landlord-controlled locations. The sponsor confirmed the measure is codified under Title 66 and applies to both commercial and residential landlords; the bill passed after floor questions and debate.

Several procedural items also passed without substantive debate, including consent calendars of memorializing resolutions and general bills. The Senate took several concurrence votes on House amendments to Senate Bill 16 (student athletic transfer policy), adopting a one-time transfer provision at the beginning of the school year as described by Senator Lowe.

Where available, the Senate recorded vote tallies on the floor and declared constitutional majorities; the transcript recorded Ayes 27, Nays 3 for SB 5 87 and recorded other bills as having received a constitutional majority when declared by the presiding officer. Specific implementation details and funding sources were largely left to agencies or committee staffs to define.