Votes at a glance: key measures passed by the Tennessee Senate Feb. 24
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Summary
A roundup of bills the Senate passed on Feb. 24 including SB 15-97 (April's Law), SB 17-35 (consumer protection and ticket resale), SB 17-73 (safe-haven expansion), SB 18-93 (jury duty exemption), SB 18-98 (9-1-1 study), SB 20-17 (retirement credits), SB 23-58 (podiatry scope), and HB 679 (evidence kit parental consent). Tally and short description provided for each.
The Tennessee Senate recorded votes on a number of bills on Feb. 24. Below are the principal measures, short descriptions and recorded tallies as reported on the floor.
- Senate Bill 15-97 ("April's Law"): Clarifies that a surviving parent is considered next of kin for purposes of suicide-related autopsy determinations and appeals; sponsor described case background motivating the bill. Vote: 30-1 in favor.
- Senate Bill 17-35: Amends Tennessee Consumer Protection Act and related provisions; addresses disclosure requirements for third-party ticket resellers and other consumer-protection changes. Vote: 25-5 in favor.
- Senate Bill 17-73 (safe-haven statute amendments): Expands locations for newborn safety devices to include ambulance stations and requires 24-hour staffing at some locations; amendment adopted. Vote: 31-0 in favor.
- Senate Bill 18-93: Allows jury coordinators to excuse breastfeeding mothers from jury duty upon written medical statement from a licensed physician or certified professional midwife. Vote: 32-0 in favor.
- Senate Bill 18-98: Directs TACIR to study the state's 9-1-1 emergency communications system; committee amendment moved study completion date to 01/31/2027. Vote: 32-0 in favor.
- Senate Bill 20-17: Expands cost-free retirement credits for periods of disability for members of certain retirement systems subject to mandatory retirement; amendment adopted. Vote: 32-0 in favor.
- Senate Bill 23-58: Updates podiatrist scope to treat soft tissue up to the tibial tuberosity; amendment adopted. Vote: 31-1-1 by floor notation (clarified as passed; roll noted 31-1-1 in transcript phrasing).
- House Bill 679: Clarifies parental-consent requirements for certain evidence-kit procedures for minors in sexual-assault cases; sponsor framed the bill narrowly to permit necessary evidence collection; vote: 31-1 in favor.
Several other consent-calendar bills and resolutions were adopted; routine procedural motions to pass bills on first or second consideration were also approved without objection.
