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Senate approves conference report on campaign finance amendments; panel adds limits on criminal-defense spending and aligns late-report thresholds
Summary
The Tennessee Senate on April 22 approved the conference committee report on Senate Bill 229, which the conferees said permits campaign funds for civil litigation defense, bars campaign funds for criminal legal and public-relations expenses, and aligns late-reporting thresholds between the chambers.
The Tennessee Senate adopted the conference committee report on Senate Bill 229 on April 22 after floor conferees described the changes as technical clarifications recommended by the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance.
Chairman Briggs told the chamber the committee voted unanimously and outlined three changes in the conference report: the bill authorizes use of campaign funds to defend certain civil litigation; it adds the word "criminal" to prohibit use of public relations consulting and legal expenses for criminal matters by a candidate or officeholder; and it makes the reporting threshold for the last 10 days of the House and Senate identical.
Briggs moved to adopt the conference committee report. The clerk announced the vote as 24 in favor and 6 opposed; the presiding officer declared the conference committee report approved and made it the action of the Senate. The transcript records the changes described on the floor and does not include an immediate citation to a specific statute or enumerate enforcement steps beyond the amended language as explained by Chairman Briggs.
Floor discussion focused on the textual changes described by conferees rather than extended policy debate. The transcript does not record additional analysis from the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance or outside legal counsel during the floor session.
