[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6095438,"mediaKeyId","2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5","parentId",2837401,"title","Votes at a glance: Senate Finance committee advances a set of bills and resolutions to the calendar","audioSeconds",3784,"startMs",4032000,"endMs",7816000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5&start=4032&end=7816","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5/thumbnail_4032000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6095438/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-Senate-Finance-committee-advances-a-set-of-bills-and-resolutions-to-the-calendar","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095438-bd004483d8f231e49cda07ae6b858026/orig.mp4?Expires=1771017592&Signature=ebkd3V7r~NfVX1epb~Vhq08PMphHAi9d3dn~UtgW2EaeGu6GiQ1RH9vKNHhFGhaLj~ymHGYUH1teGt93A00fzHBqiTIt89QsCNltpmu7S6ntLP3IBuMNZJTe2SDXhPYobVSUXeCipV5Gygh6OeljsU9mY1OpTDDhD3HpIfcnOZJCJvEsCEoIrT1M45511-88VEp93wil7lRPtzJ9mRcqqUYhkeWr9IoVbxvZ-Rl3PlH4Da8K70BTX-N5oVoQC7sqMrCO0aH4DMxc3MGRjeGQXp6DfJjv0oX9Y-QGBVsMQnJTNZ5M5LA0rqaQ3aGnOOR4r4hvqscn0C~v1lwagzg7kw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tennessee Legislature","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on April 1 advanced several measures with relatively brief discussion. Key outcomes recorded on the transcript follow.

- Senate Joint Resolution 2 (support for Israel): Recommended for passage to the calendar committee; roll call recorded as 9 ayes. Sponsor: Senator Pote.

- Senate Bill 428 (expand parity so FDA‑approved non‑opioid drugs are not disadvantaged under commercial plans and TennCare): As amended and recommended for passage; fiscal note non‑significant; committee vote recorded as 9 ayes.

- Senate Bill 889 (increase maximum county mineral severance tax schedule): Amended measure raises statutory maximums on a phased schedule (from $0.15 to $0.20 on July 1, 2025; to $0.25 and $0.30 in later years) and was recommended to the calendar committee; committee vote recorded as a roll call in favor.

- Senate Bill 817 (permissive program to place rescue inhalers in participating schools): Recommended for passage to the calendar committee; committee vote recorded as 10 ayes.

- Senate Bill 322 (amend paid parental leave for state employees to allow paid leave for family caregiving of a seriously ill family member): Recommended for passage as amended; committee roll call recorded as 8 ayes, 1 no.

Clerical votes were recorded by committee staff (Miss Clark); where the transcript lists roll calls the committee clerk’s tallies are cited. Several other items were discussed at greater length in separate articles (SB 836, SB 1413, SJR 48).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Apr 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Several measures with limited debate were recommended to the calendar: a resolution supporting Israel, opioid non‑opioid parity measure, increases to mineral severance tax options, permissive school inhaler program, and expansion of state paid family caregiving leave were among items advanced.","taxTitle","Finance, Ways and Means, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29604,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6095442,"Senate committee ratifies 9‑1‑1 board rate increase, creating technology fund and incentives for consolidation",1066,6485000,7551000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5&start=6485&end=7551","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5/thumbnail_6485000.jpg","/articles/6095442/Tennessee/Senate-committee-ratifies-911-board-rate-increase-creating-technology-fund-and-incentives-for-consolidation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095442-8be483d75ea6b518935aabf35a52d5a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771017592&Signature=ixnFgWihlEtvv5xSeZ0K5jwY7f5Puty9HAuIaM4sNIiVZUi9etsy4AwGcDK9d3p1jAd02XUBxE7u29EvxPzGacfwCkMYWzw1iFob4c3JYpvkOk5rV7CoPdLtKUivWLb1-NcQ8-2syNHrCKNy8cdvnzKt8DA1dkad830UeGskM4DFZlLqqlQ2-TIEOtADz7ZcLkIDdkXD-aXdP9gfZURrEoO7OQkTuwm0QBoTBWRqtFfqSzWBAv~tL8GH1P4N46fs3Q-f1uxuzE4nqSWHUSH-mcndJGhyYjPwTShbmUAEW1E-RYgvsx~Lb2xlZgyr8ovdBY7insRr9mEBjRsHUYLzdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on April 1 voted 6‑4 to ratify actions by the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB) increasing the statewide uniform 9‑1‑1 rate from $1.50 to $1.86 per device and to approve a redistribution and technology fund structure intended to boost support for rural and lower‑population districts and to incentivize consolidation or co‑location of call centers.

Senator Sarah Massey, who introduced the resolution to ratify the TECB action, said the board followed the required public process and that the plan includes three main elements: an adjusted distribution formula with compression favoring smaller districts, a technology fund to support statewide enterprise solutions, and incentives to support consolidation where districts opt to merge or co‑locate call centers. “Our 9‑1‑1 is the life saving service,” Massey said, asking the committee to support the board’s actions.

TECB Executive Director Curtis Sutton and TECB Chairman Brad Anders explained the board’s rationale, saying increasing costs, equipment replacement cycles and recent events — including the Nashville bombing and severe flooding — showed vulnerabilities and the need for investments in resilience and upgraded technology. Anders said the board pursued compression in the distribution model to get more funding to rural districts and had considered enterprise approaches to lower per‑district costs for transcription, quality assurance and other services.

Committee members asked about consolidation interest and the board’s reserves. Sutton said the TECB’s reserve balance averages around $30 million depending on payout timing and that several districts and call centers had expressed interest in co‑location and consolidation if incentives were available. Senators pressed whether the board’s vote (5‑4) and subsequent ratification by the legislature was appropriate; Sutton said the action followed the statutory process and committee review.

After discussion the committee recorded a 6‑4 vote to ratify the TECB action; the resolution now proceeds to the calendar committee. Supporters said the rate increase is intended to address inflation, avoid recurring shortfalls at smaller districts and promote statewide technology solutions; critics warned that the fee functions as a tax increase and expressed concern about recurring rate adjustments.","The committee approved a resolution to ratify the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board’s decision to raise the uniform 9‑1‑1 rate from $1.50 to $1.86, creating a technology fund, compressed distribution to aid rural districts and incentives for consolidation; the vote was 6‑4 in committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6095447,"Committee advances hemp-to-cannabinoid regulatory overhaul, shifts enforcement to ABC and adds wholesale tax",1942,4128000,6070000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5&start=4128&end=6070","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5/thumbnail_4128000.jpg","/articles/6095447/Tennessee/Committee-advances-hemp-to-cannabinoid-regulatory-overhaul-shifts-enforcement-to-ABC-and-adds-wholesale-tax","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095447-446125a0bfdfcb4ebf15a9fafdfcc562/orig.mp4?Expires=1771017592&Signature=VMpvyGPeGDnm1S0U63fzyXu5JPBudM22bezW31ler8GwRdauW13P1VT4yZ84EqBHvpwWBV9JeQTozeBXh2qDmEDa6O16owR4Mkbr0bJb-EMuUHbRphLAl4QWpo0QqG8MJI~MF3-v9WD0fL-ak0C5b3Iu5wiSkmpTAUiDyZDCOrB9xCm6OnuIxbNQNpEe~8SyluytoHQZWI7XrWaGiTrmdWhRtcX0C3FWDouXEtJwD5XzIbSQPlzJalTMxna-41lgi~EiJ59ecGH7tAl~pAHxjyr2wG21b42gJkJX92ISP~21iqxizvGcxS~wYlKBIDeRZDpse2hRTmKH~XI2YcROBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on April 1 recommended Senate Bill 1413 as amended for passage to the calendar committee, advancing a 30‑page bill that restructures regulation and taxation of hemp‑derived cannabinoid products. The measure transfers retail compliance and enforcement from the Department of Agriculture to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC), imposes a wholesale tax per milligram on cannabinoid products and creates licensing and fee structures for suppliers, wholesalers and retailers.

Sponsor Senator Briggs said the bill creates a three‑tier regulatory model similar to alcohol: “It allows the Department of Agriculture to continue to monitor the hemp in the field… but once it gets to what we call a supplier… those responsibilities for compliance and enforcement will be transferred to the alcoholic beverage commission,” Briggs said. He said retail and wholesaler licensing fees and a wholesale per‑milligram tax are intended to fund enforcement and testing.

The committee adopted Finance Amendment 1 (Drafting Code 6826), which reallocates portions of the existing 6% additional tax and directs funding to ABC to cover new enforcement staff and operations. The amendment also specifies revenue splits for the additional 6% sales tax and a brand certification fee collected by the Department of Revenue.

Fiscal Review presented estimates that the current 6% additional tax collections would total about $13.6 million next fiscal year and that transferring portions to ABC would increase ABC revenue by roughly $7 million while reducing Department of Agriculture collections. A newly created wholesale tax (a $0.01 per‑milligram tax on cannabinoid content) is projected to generate approximately $12 million annually to the general fund, Fiscal Review said. Licensing and fee revenues were estimated at roughly $5 million annually to ABC, with a small brand fee to the Department of Revenue (about $60,000). The fiscal note assumes ABC will hire additional enforcement staff (the fiscal note estimated 28 positions costing about $2.4 million recurring) and Department of Revenue would add five positions (about $340,000 recurring).

Committee members asked about product definitions (including THCA treatment), the timing of regulatory changes relative to existing rules and impacts on businesses that had prepared under prior Department of Agriculture guidance. Senator Yarbrough warned that the piecemeal approach and uncertainty about the market’s long‑term trajectory could produce unintended taxation outcomes for future reforms. Senator Hensley asked about license costs and renewals; the sponsor and staff said the legislation sets application fees ($500) and annual license fees (retail $1,000 per location; supplier $2,500; wholesaler $5,000), and that the $500 application fee is charged once while licenses are annual.

Senator Wally and others voiced concerns about removing THCA greater than 0.3% from permissible provisions; Briggs and Fiscal Review staff said the Department of Agriculture had previously addressed THCA and federal guidance uses THC measures to distinguish hemp from marijuana. The bill’s fiscal note assumes the current ban on THCA accounted for roughly 30% of current 6% tax collections and adjusts estimates accordingly.

After debate and fiscal review, the committee adopted the finance amendment and recommended the bill as amended to the calendar committee. The committee record shows final passage to the calendar; the transcript records the committee’s recommendation and the adoption of the finance amendment.","Senate Bill 1413, which moves retail enforcement of cannabinoid products from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, creates new licensing and wholesale taxes and was recommended to the calendar committee after committee amendments and fiscal review.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6095454,"Senate committee advances bill allowing schools to require immigration documentation and charge tuition during appeal",1849,663000,2512000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5&start=663&end=2512","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2837401-645b940e554bf1066cf7bb88d31a2cd5/thumbnail_663000.jpg","/articles/6095454/Tennessee/Senate-committee-advances-bill-allowing-schools-to-require-immigration-documentation-and-charge-tuition-during-appeal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6095454-9f86e3d222c06d374fbc2d4fc7b3632c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771017592&Signature=J1gInPlmtN-G2McpIe~41CqFOxyR58YIeK02n6QF~-Do-DCVGpMEbqWK7Ti5pkIEGJOjxuRQ4kK0jMa16PSDEDX6FoAgT8882DX7tF4uwCnij~4SFUnBWyi8m6NOZcAiSEifUfpWNDyJO66BGdGJSdoHmkapDFV7DK7MCrLN9kls2ZesbFKHbEEDoITC2AF4YQjyCrWtZwt3PvotxEYxllKIPzN8y4uHhzo0k5qr9utME~jdWO3brGCm7r-iVBMu5GMkYnWBPPrv2hYIDQiDKEWSndrwZ04Mf38-MCh56oWFQnKCkytCnyZR99wDyTCEoLx6J2PEl5M6XzTsMnGkmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee on April 1 recommended Senate Bill 836 as amended for passage to the calendar committee, advancing legislation that would allow local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter schools to require documentation of U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status for student enrollment and to charge tuition if families cannot produce acceptable documentation after an appeal.

Sponsor Jeremy Watson, Chairman of the Senate Education committee, told the Finance committee that the bill sets out documentation requirements and an appeal process: “There is a 21 day period, for the appeal. During that 21 days, the student is allowed to enroll in the school,” Watson said, describing an expedited hearing that determines whether the documentation meets the bill’s criteria. He added that if the appeal is denied, “the student may be charged tuition,” and that tuition must be paid in full before enrollment if the family elects to pay.

The bill is permissive, the sponsor said: local districts “may elect to charge tuition” rather than being required to do so. Watson also said the bill contemplates standard registration documents already in use in many districts, referencing model registration forms that request birth certificates, passports, visas or I-94s.

The measure drew sustained questions from multiple senators about costs, administration and civil-rights implications. Senator Yarbrough challenged the sponsor’s use of ELL spending as a proxy for undocumented enrollment, saying data show a large share of ELL students are U.S. citizens. “If the gentleman is correct, that there is a really low number of undocumented then the financial implications would may be different but we don't know that,” Yarbrough said. He and others warned that converting schools into bodies that must review immigration documents could be costly and administratively complex.

Senator Lamar raised concerns about families facing hardships obtaining birth certificates and asked whether school staff would be required to involve federal immigration authorities; Watson replied that “the legislation doesn't speak to that” and said such procedures would be established in rules the Department of Education would promulgate. Several members asked about compliance with FERPA and whether districts would be compensated for additional verification work; the sponsor said many systems already request birth certificates and that the registration process “is already in place.”

Committee discussion also addressed procedural safeguards in the bill: if documentation is absent the student may be enrolled during the 21-day appeal; if later determined ineligible the student can be charged tuition and disenrolled only if the family declines to pay. The bill also assigns the State Department of Education responsibility for expedited appeals.

The committee adopted an amendment (Amendment 69-47) that removes redundant language in section 1(b) after consultation with the Attorney General’s office. Chairman Watson moved the bill as amended; the motion carried on a roll-call vote recorded in the transcript as seven ayes and four noes. The committee clerk recorded the no votes cast by Senators Hale, Lamar, Wally and Yarbrough; aye votes were recorded for Senators Hensley, Johnson, Powers, Rose, Stevens, Yager and the chair.

The bill’s fiscal impacts were discussed in the committee as largely tied to administration and potential enrollment shifts; members repeatedly asked for clarity on implementation rules the Department of Education would write.

Looking ahead, the bill now goes to the calendar committee. If enacted, the Department of Education would draft rules to implement the documentation review, the expedited appeal process and the circumstances under which tuition may be charged.","The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee voted 7-4 to advance a bill that would let local education agencies require documentation of citizenship or legal status for enrollment in English-language-learner (ELL) programs and permit charging tuition if families cannot provide documentation after an expedited appeal process.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Senate Finance committee advances a set of bills and resolutions to the calendar

Senate committee ratifies 9‑1‑1 board rate increase, creating technology fund and incentives for consolidation

Committee advances hemp-to-cannabinoid regulatory overhaul, shifts enforcement to ABC and adds wholesale tax

Senate committee advances bill allowing schools to require immigration documentation and charge tuition during appeal