Committee advances cleanup clarifying who must register as professional charitable solicitors

The Departments & Agencies Committee advanced House Bill 379, a technical cleanup to Tennessee’s charitable solicitation rules that, according to the sponsor, clarifies who must register as a professional charitable solicitor with the Secretary of State.

Representative Stannett, carrying the bill, said the measure clarifies that registration is required when an entity or person solicits, raises funds, or holds funds; lawyers and accountants who only provide information or direction but do not solicit, collect or hold funds would be exempt from registration. “If you solicit, if you raise funds, or if you hold the funds, then you have to register with [the Secretary of State],” Stannett said, and added the bill was intended to correct punctuation and wording left out when the statute was revised previously.

Committee members asked follow‑up questions. Chairman Powers asked the sponsor to define “cleanup” and whether volunteer fire departments that run bingo fundraisers must register; Stannett said those organizations would need to register only if they solicit, collect and hold funds. Chairman Crawford asked why lawyers and accountants are exempted while volunteer fire chiefs are not; the sponsor replied the exemption turns on whether the party performs the three listed activities that trigger registration. No amendments were recorded.

The clerk recorded the vote as 8 ayes; the bill will move to the full committee. The transcript does not include the bill text or a fiscal note; committee members asked about procedural details such as how to register but the sponsor did not read registration mechanisms into the record.