Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee advances two dozen measures to full finance, places remainder behind budget

The Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee met April 14, 2024, and advanced a number of bills to full finance while placing the majority of the 57 bills on its calendar behind the budget for further consideration.

The committee front‑loaded brief sponsor presentations and then processed the calendar quickly. "We do have 57 bills on the calendar that we're going to take up this morning," Chairman Hicks said as the committee opened. He reminded members that testimony that day was limited to fiscal impacts only. Several sponsors made short remarks before the committee either voted their bills to full finance or placed them behind the budget because of fiscal notes.

Why it matters: the subcommittee decides which measures move to the full finance committee for budget consideration. Bills placed "behind the budget" will not advance until fiscal impacts are resolved or a budget provision is available; bills that advance to full finance will be scheduled for further review and possible funding decisions.

Votes at a glance (selected bills moved to full finance)

- House Bill 11-25 (Chairman Farmer): As amended, the bill allows local education agencies to compensate a teacher who died, and adjusts related provisions; the clerk recorded the vote as 12 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. "This bill does 3 things," Chairman Farmer said, noting the amendment moved the effective date to Sept. 1, 2024, to cover a recent family. (Vote recorded at transcript time s=519.2–531.3.)

- House Bill 11-28 (Chairman Farmer): Creates an option for constables to become POST‑certified. Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=567.09–574.85.)

- House Bill 4-87 (Chairman Farmer): Adds a $2 assessment for county court clerks to update equipment. Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=635.50–644.38.)

- House Bill 4-91 (Chairman Farmer): Allows the state opioid abatement fund to accept additional settlement funds; clerk recorded 11 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=688.13–695.18.)

- House Bill 13-25 (Representative Vidal): A $25 million farmland preservation request (voluntary program); vote 12 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. "This is a voluntary program, and it is in the budget," Vidal said. (s=749.95–819.75.)

- House Bill 12-04 (Chairman Kumar): Changes related to DUI procedures including oral‑fluid testing and license penalties; clerk recorded 11 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=1081.6–1087.38.)

- House Bill 13-73 (Chairman White): Expands an existing school turnaround pilot program (from 5 to 15 schools). Vote: 10 ayes, 2 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=1321.86–1324.19.)

- House Bill 6-36 (Representative Burkhart, as amended): Permits municipalities to team with developers to build infrastructure and extends the prior residential authority to commercial projects. Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=3292.55–3402.98.)

- House Bill 6-20 (Chairman Eldridge): Allows Hamblen County to participate in the convenience voting center pilot. Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=3138.50–3141.22.)

- House Bill 8-16 (Representative Travis): Reduces points for driving on a restricted driver's license from 8 to 4. Vote: 12 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=2989.17–3005.68.)

- House Bill 3-81 (Chairman Eldridge, addendum calendar): An omnibus bill for a resort-related matter. Vote: 8 ayes, 2 noes, 1 present not voting. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=3067.22–3094.98.)

- House Bill 9-23 (Representative Mayberry): Prohibits state or local government entities from maintaining or authorizing offices that promote or require "discriminatory preferences" for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); the committee recorded 9 ayes, 3 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. Sponsor Mayberry described the measure as intended to "stop discriminatory practices." (s=1866.96–2716.77.)

- House Bill 9-79 (Chairman Williams): Alters restrictions on hospital employment of certain medical practitioners in communities below specified population thresholds. Vote: 11 ayes, 0 nos. Outcome: moved to full finance. (s=4694.77–4830.55.)

- House Bill 6-36 (Representative Burkhart) and several other sponsor bills listed above appear in committee record and moved to full finance as noted.

Other outcomes and procedural notes

- The committee placed the majority of the 57 bills "behind the budget" because they carried fiscal notes or the committee determined they required budget action before further consideration. Examples placed behind the budget include House Bills 6-49 (real estate transfer tax proposal from Speaker Pro Tem Tim Marsh), 7-93, 12-99, 12-32 (fentanyl response), HB 99 (unlawful photography), many education and public‑safety bills, and several veterans and public‑assistance measures. Several sponsors acknowledged fiscal impacts during their remarks and the chair placed the measures behind the budget without recorded roll‑call tallies.

- A handful of items were taken off notice or rolled to the hill (off‑notice or "to the hill" indicates sponsor request or absence). Examples: House Bill 3-72 was taken off notice; Representative Hardaway asked House Bill 1113 be taken off notice at his request.

- The committee recessed to meet the full finance committee at 11:00 a.m. and recessed the subcommittee until the next day at 9:00 a.m., per Chairman Hicks.

Quotes

"We do have 57 bills on the calendar that we're going to take up this morning," Chairman Hicks said at the start of the session, adding that testimony would be limited to questions of fiscal impact. "There will be no testimony today on any bill unless it deals with fiscal impact policy decisions," he said. (s=52.9–120.5.)

Speaker Pro Tem Tim Marsh, introducing his real‑estate transfer tax proposal, said: "What we're doing today is trying to put half of that tax back in so the counties can use that for capital projects, road projects." (s=166.02–187.08.)

Representative Mayberry, sponsor of HB 9‑23, said of his bill: "I believe that we should all be on an equal playing field. I believe that discrimination in the past was wrong. So today, discrimination in the state of Tennessee should be wrong." (s=2132.135–2152.725.)

Ending

The subcommittee's actions will be considered further by the full finance committee. Most measures remain dependent on budgetary action; sponsors and committee staff indicated the scheduling and funding decisions will be taken during the full finance process.

(Reporting based on subcommittee transcript; remarks restricted to fiscal discussion and sponsor explanations recorded during the April 14, 2024 Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee.)