Commissioner Bryson presents administration<br>mendment focusing on school safety, healthcare, quantum network and bridge repairs

Commissioner Bryson opened the committeeriefing on the administration
mendment on March 24, saying the state is in a ‘‘slow growthnvironment’’ and that the proposed amendment relies heavily on nonrecurring revenue.

Bryson enumerated key additions: $10 million for the K–12 school safety grant program; inflationary increases to the Imagination Library book program; a cyber partnership for Middle Tennessee State University to expand cybersecurity training; a $1 million Department of Disabilities and Aging housing pilot for West Tennessee, matched by $1 million in private funds and requiring units to be leased at or below 80% of fair-market rent for at least 10 years; and multiple TennCare-related items including an intermediate-care facility rate adjustment and reimbursements for rural health clinics. "Tax collections are tracking slightly above our total estimate of 19,200,000,000 for the year," Bryson said, adding that provides "a little bit of cushion" but that the amendment still depends mainly on nonrecurring sources.

On public safety and corrections, Bryson described a $9.7 million Tennessee SAFE initiative to coordinate law enforcement resources statewide, $1.25 million to replenish house-of-worship security grants and a $6 million renewal for OCJP evidence-based programming that supports local jails housing TDOC inmates. Technology and operations requests include $2.7 million for a new laboratory information-management system (whose vendor will sunset the current system in December 2026), DOHR recruiting software, DHS pilot AI tools for customer service, and a $23 million add to earlier quantum funding to complete a statewide quantum network between Chattanooga and Knoxville.

Bryson also noted capital items: $40 million for a Montgomery County bridge deemed unusable by federal inspectors; $12.5 million to update the Bicentennial Mall history wall; and state funds replacing unavailable federal money for the David Crockett Birthplace State Park rebuild.

Committee members sought clarifications. Senator Rose asked how the $3.7 million design request for the National Civil Rights Museum fit into an overall expansion; Bryson replied the amount was for design work and should be sufficient to complete planning. Senator Yeager pressed whether the rural health-clinic reimbursements come from the rural-health initiative; Bryson said yes, adding the clinics are generally stand-alone and often privately operated and that the CMS designation drives reimbursement rules. Members also asked for follow-up on whether Cumberland County infrastructure funding supports lane widening and for details about projects in the P3 portfolio; Bryson said he would provide specifics after the hearing.

Bryson closed by thanking the committee and said this would likely be his final budget presentation before the group, calling his time in state service an honor. The committee moved from the presentation to consideration of individual bills and amendments, and members were given a short opportunity to review printed amendment schedules before filing their budget changes.