Committee advances bills on school pedestrian grants, emergency-vehicle lighting, contracting rules, bike safety, speed limits and event exemptions

The Transportation and Safety Committee advanced a package of bills on a range of topics during its recent session, forwarding each to the Senate calendar by unanimous or near-unanimous votes.

Key votes and outcomes

- Senate Bill 141 (student pedestrian protection grant program): Passed 9-0. Sponsor: Senator Kyle. The bill creates a competitive Student Pedestrian Protection Grant Program, to be administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), to fund construction and repair of sidewalks around public schools. The committee adopted Amendment 3653 and returned the bill to the calendar (roll call: Senators Bailey, Briggs, Campbell, Hatcher, Pote, Powers, Seale, Taylor and Chairwoman Massey voted aye).

- Senate Bill 1374 (House Bill 118, identifying mobile command and communication vehicles): Passed 9-0. Sponsor: Chairman Watson. The measure directs that mobile command and communications vehicles be clearly identifiable as emergency vehicles using specified flashing lights.

- Senate Bill 1308 (design-build scoring and emergency contracting): Passed 9-0. Sponsor: committee administration. The bill permits collaborative scoring among…