Tennessee House passes a batch of bills on third reading, including measures on prisons, schools and firearms

The Tennessee House of Representatives voted March 11 to approve a wide-ranging set of bills on third and final consideration, moving measures through on topics from corrections and education to landlord-tenant rights.

Key outcomes at a glance: Representative Raper’s substitute for Senate Bill 1569 (carried as House Bill 1771) passed. The bill requires the Department of Correction to conduct an annual assessment of each felony inmate’s highest educational level and to develop individualized plans for educational advancement; the sponsor said participation is permissive and argued the measure supports recidivism reduction.

Representative Boyd’s House Bill 21108, which placed guardrails on commercial litigation financing — including prohibitions on financing ties to certain foreign adversaries and limits on financiers directing litigation strategy — passed as amended.

Leader Camper’s conforming action to Senate Bill 336 (House Bill 687) passed; the amendment narrows eligibility for voting-rights restoration by requiring 12 consecutive months of compliance with child-support orders as a condition to petition a court for restoration.

A bill clarifying on-site retail and sampling sales at Tennessee distilleries (substituted for Senate Bill 192) passed, as did House Bill 2356, which adds school-safety personnel to those who may review video of school-bus stop violations and refer violations to the court or district attorney.

Legislation addressing school nutrition (House Bill 1853 / SB 2423) was approved; the bill expands last year’s removal of Red 40 by banning additional petroleum-based artificial dyes from meals provided through school nutrition programs, while exempting vending machines, concessions and fundraisers.

The House also passed House Bill 469 / SB 350, which changes landlord-tenant law to prevent landlords from prohibiting lawful possession, carrying, transportation or storage of firearms inside a tenant’s leased residential premises.

Finally, the chamber approved House Bill 2395 (conforming to SB 1953), which requires districts to show a state-approved civics instructional video in middle and high school that the bill specifies must be historically accurate, free of political advocacy and focused on the Declaration of Independence’s meaning and the founders’ moral or religious beliefs.

Votes and procedure: Each listed bill passed on third and final consideration in the floor sequence; the clerk recorded voice- and electronic-tally results according to the House roll calls for individual measures. Several items on the consent calendar were objected to before the calendar was approved by the body.

Next steps: The bills that passed on third reading will proceed as required to the enrolling and engrossing process or to the companion chamber where applicable. Several items were referred to standing and subcommittees for further hearings this week as announced by leadership.