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Committee advances bill to criminalize commercial driving by people unlawfully present, expand employer liability
Summary
As amended, SB 15-87 would make it a Class A misdemeanor for a person unlawfully present to operate a commercial motor vehicle and would create civil and criminal accountability for direct employers; committee approved the amendment and sent the bill to finance (7 ayes, 2 noes).
Sponsor Lee Johnson described an amendment to SB 15-87 intended to fill a perceived gap in state law by creating criminal and civil penalties tied to the operation of commercial motor vehicles by people unlawfully present in the U.S.
"As amended, this bill would make it a class A misdemeanor for a person unlawfully ... to operate a commercial motor vehicle in Tennessee and for a direct employer to knowingly employ and allow that person to do so," the sponsor said, explaining that the amendment also would require notification to federal immigration authorities upon arrest and clarify who qualifies as a "direct employer." Committee discussion covered concerns about unintended effects on large local trucking firms and whether the amendment targeted uninsured, out-of-state operations; the sponsor said industry conversations and accommodations informed the amendment language.
The committee adopted the amendment by voice vote and later recorded a roll call with seven ayes and two noes, sending the bill to the finance committee for further consideration.
