Senate Finance advances array of bills including jail reimbursements, child advocacy funding and tire-tax transfer for roads

The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee met April 21, 2025, and advanced a broad set of bills and resolutions affecting corrections funding, cultural grants, health and social-service programs, and transportation financing.

The committee approved finance amendments and recommended passage of multiple bills to the Senate calendar, adopted several resolutions and moved a number of items to subcommittees or the next calendar. Committee members and sponsors emphasized fiscal implications, local impacts and program continuity during debate.

Why this matters: the committee is the gateway for budget and fiscal policy in Tennessee. Several measures the panel advanced either carry state funding in the current budget (for example child advocacy center increases and certain health pilot continuations) or change recurring revenue allocation (transportation funding tied to tire sales taxes). Other measures set policy or study direction that could generate future state expenditures or program changes.

Key outcomes and items taken up

Votes at a glance (committee recommendation or action) - House Joint Resolution 51 (HJR51): designates July 1–31, 2025, as a month of prayer and fasting; recommended for passage to the committee on the calendar (committee vote recorded as passed). - House Joint Resolution 147 (HJR147): supports regulation or ban of kratom; recommended for passage to the committee on the calendar (committee vote recorded: 9 ayes, 1 present not voting as announced by clerk). - Senate Bill 918 (Campbell) — personal watercraft: committee adopted Finance Amendment No. 78-31 (raises minimum unsupervised weekend/holiday operator age from 12 to 14, removes mandated insurance requirement, sets effective date 2026-01-01) and then the sponsor asked to roll the bill to the first calendar of 2026; amendment adopted. - Senate Bill 289 (Bailey): extends James Dustin Samples Act to cover law enforcement officers and emergency medical responders for PTSD; funded in the budget and recommended for passage to the calendar (committee vote recorded: 10 ayes). - Senate Bill 654 (Crow): continued funding/vehicle for the Alzheimer's &…