House Government Operations Committee advances towing, privacy and caregiver bills; Tennessee Tech discusses nuclear program

The House Government Operations Committee advanced six bills during its March meeting, most notably approving House Bill 972, which clarifies towing and signage rules for vehicles on private property, and advancing measures to allow family caregivers to be paid through TennCare and to protect certain local employees’ residential addresses.

House Bill 972, sponsored by Representative McCallum, passed on a recorded voice vote after debate and a failed amendment. “If you have a car that's illegally parked in private property, the language specifies that you could have that vehicle towed immediately at the owner's expense,” McCallum said while explaining the bill’s cleanup changes from last year’s Motion Act. An amendment (No. 006105) from Chairman Clemens that would have exempted private residential owners and multiunit residential property owners from a prohibition on booting was offered and discussed but failed on a committee voice vote; the main bill then passed 9–4 and will move to Finance, Ways and Means.

Committee members debated several practical details of HB 972. The bill shortens one towing window on private property…