Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homelessness Highway Camps topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House approves measure directing DOT to clear dangerous encampments; floor amendments fail
Summary
The House passed Senate Bill 217 requiring the Tennessee Department of Transportation to develop a policy for removing personal property used for camping from dangerous locations on state highways, and to coordinate with local homeless service providers. Several floor amendments seeking added safeguards and notice requirements failed to receive c
The Tennessee House voted to pass Senate Bill 217, which directs the Department of Transportation to develop and implement a policy to remove abandoned personal property used for camping in dangerous locations on state and interstate highways and to coordinate with local governments and homeless‑service providers.
Representative Leatherwood, sponsor on the floor, said the bill does not "weaponize" any agency; instead, he testified, it requires the department to work with local homeless coalitions, nonprofit organizations and other entities "to try and find somewhere for these people." He said the statute is intended to see the problem and address it rather than ignore people living in dangerous roadside locations.
Representative Pearson offered several floor amendments that the clerk recorded as not timely filed for some and for others requested consideration; the amendments would have required explicit notice periods, involvement of the local continuum‑of‑care lead or homeless‑service provider before removal, and protections for personal documents, medical supplies and benefit cards. The House voted against consideration of those substitute amendments by the two‑thirds procedural threshold required for consideration of late amendments.
Debate was heated and lengthy: Representative Pearson and other Democrats argued the bill would disproportionately affect people experiencing homelessness and stressed the need for notice and coordination so that personal property and crucial documents are not discarded. Representative Leatherwood and supporters responded the bill mandates coordination with local agencies and a memorandum of understanding where appropriate and emphasizes moving people away from dangerous locations and finding shelter or services.
On final passage the clerk recorded 74 ayes and 23 nays; the presiding officer declared the bill passed. Floor remarks did not record specific funding amounts or a statewide operational timeline beyond the requirement to develop a policy and the directive to coordinate with local entities.
The debate shows strong policy disagreement about how to balance highway safety and the rights and needs of people experiencing homelessness; the transcript includes multiple unsuccessful amendment attempts to add notice, service‑provider contact and safeguards for personal property.
