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Attorney General briefs Judiciary Committee on civil-rights enforcement, high-profile litigation and opioid settlements

Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee · February 10, 2026

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Summary

Attorney General reported no cost increase request, described the new civil rights enforcement division (858 complaints received since July 1; 134 within jurisdiction), and highlighted ongoing litigation including SB1 at the U.S. Supreme Court and suits against social media platforms. The committee approved the AG budget and forwarded it to finance.

Attorney General (identified in the transcript as General Scrimetti) told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 11 that his office is not seeking a cost increase for FY27 and summarized major work: standing up a civil rights enforcement division, defending recent high-profile state laws, and pursuing consumer-protection and corporate litigation.

The office reported receiving 858 complaints to the civil rights enforcement division since July 1 and that 134 of those complaints fall within the division's statutory jurisdiction; AOC leadership said the office is still calibrating staffing needs and has filled roughly 12 positions of a possible 30. The AG described litigation at the U.S. Supreme Court over SB1 (gender-identity treatments for minors) and cases defending the state in challenges involving education savings accounts, the deployment of the National Guard in Memphis and capital litigation over execution protocols.

The AG also described proactive litigation the office has filed, including suits against META and Roblox alleging harms to children and efforts to curb illicit online sweepstakes casinos. He described generic pharmaceutical price-fixing settlements and opioid abatement work as ongoing priorities.

Committee members asked about reversion and how reverted funds were used; AG staff said roughly $1.2 million was reverted and requested as carryforward for new laptops for employees. Members also asked about the transition of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission into the AG's civil-rights unit; the AG said the office has about 12 employees in the new division, is hiring investigators and attorneys and is ramping enforcement.

The committee approved the AG's budget by voice/roll call and forwarded it to the finance committee.