This bill as amended would authorize online wagering on sporting events in Tennessee.

This bill will ensure Tennessee businesses do not have inconsistent requirements between state and local governments with respect to employee health benefits, minimum wages and family leave time, and anti-discrimination policies. It also ensures businesses that neither the state nor a local government entity can discriminate against a business that meets the minimum state and federal standards in those areas in the awarding of grants, contracts, or other benefits.

This bill would implement the Human Life Protection Act that would, except in certain situations, prohibit abortion after fertilization or pregnancy is confirmed. However, the act goes into effect only if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade or if an amendment to the U.S. Constitution restoring to the states the authority to prohibit abortion is adopted. The act would not apply when abortion is necessary to prevent the death or “serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman.” A person who performs an abortion in violation of the law would be guilty of a Class C felony. The pregnant woman would not be criminally liable.

The bill as passed amends the indecent exposure criminal statute to include a restroom, locker room, dressing room, or shower that is designated for multi-person, single-sex use as a “public place” in which the offense of criminal exposure can occur.

This bill provides that a child-placing agency shall not be required to facilitate adoptions in a manner that conflicts with the agency’s sincerely held religious beliefs. Additionally, an agency of state or local government cannot take adverse action against such agency for declining to provide or facilitate adoption services that conflict with the agency’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

This bill as passed will extend the current provisions of allowing students to receive release time to take non-credit religious courses by allowing local boards of education to develop release time religious elective courses offered for credit. It further requires that teachers for elective credit courses be licensed as teachers by the state.

This bill would authorize the attorney general to represent a local board of education and/or its employees if either is sued for adopting and/or implementing a policy that designates locker rooms, shower facilities, and bathrooms for use based on biological sex. It provides that the board and/or employees may obtain outside counsel if the attorney general determines there is a conflict of interest in representing them and may be reimbursed for that expense. The bill also provides that the board and/or employees will not be entitled to representation if they are guilty of willful or malicious misconduct.
 

SPECIAL NOTE

The School Protection Act did not make it to the Senate Floor for a vote. Senate votes on this bill were made by sitting members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Any public school that provides single-sex interscholastic sports or athletic events must ensure that the student participants in each sport or event are all of the same biological sex. The student must provide his/her birth certificate or certified results of a DNA test before the student will be allowed to participate in the sport or activity.

This bill will prohibit any person on school property or at any local school board or school-sponsored event to make referrals for abortions or otherwise advocate or encourage abortion. This specifically includes LEA or school employees, persons on contract with, or otherwise providing services to the LEA or public school.

This bill is Governor Lee’s bill on abortion. It asks the federal court to decide if abortion can be banned at any one of 12 different gestational weeks (6 weeks to 24 weeks).

This bill will require abortion providers to notify women seeking a chemical abortion of the possibility of reversing the process after the first of two different drugs required for the abortion is administered and before the second is later taken. The notice must be provided by signs prominently posted in the facility, including rooms where the procedure will take place, verbal communication at least 48 hours before the second drug is taken, and written medical discharge instructions provided after the first drug is taken. The information must also be included on the abortion provider’s website.

This joint resolution would amend the Tennessee Constitution to acknowledge that God is the source of our liberties.