January 1, 2023

Teacher Discipline Act –-The General Assembly voted this year to enact the “Teacher Discipline Act” which establishes a process for local school districts to enable a teacher to remove a student who causes repeated disruptions. Once the disruptive student is disciplined, principals can use their discretion to send them back into the classroom or permanently remove the child. The measure also allows teachers to file an appeal with a school’s director or local superintendent if they disagree with that decision. The new law facilitates a better path for local directors to work with school officials to address issues impacting a disruptive student’s ability to learn.

Public Chapter 77

Human Trafficking Prevention Training – Under a new law which I was the prime sponsor, the Department of Correction, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Department of Human Services are directed to work with a nonprofit charitable organization to provide mandatory training to the appropriate personnel on the identification, intervention, prevention and treatment of human trafficking victims. The training must be selected by the Human Trafficking Advisory Council and administered annually starting in 2023. Public Chapter 842

Enhancing support for foster youth — Under a new law the state will reimburse eligible relatives of foster youth to support the cost of raising the child. It also expands eligibility to ages 18-21 for foster youth transitioning from state custody to adulthood to access services. Public Chapter 785

Cutting taxes for farmers — The General Assembly approved legislation that provides tax relief to farmers. It exempts farmers from sales tax on items and services used for agriculture production, including building materials, repair services, and labor, among other expenses. The tax reduction totals $2.8 million and is meant to mirror tax reductions that manufacturers in Tennessee currently receive. It does notapply to items including automobiles, household appliances, or fuel used in vehicles that travel on public highways in the state. Public Chapter 905

Ensuring privacy of homeowners — To ensure the privacy of Tennesseans, including law enforcement, who may not want their home address easily accessible, a new law allows homeowners to file a written request to the property assessor to have their first and last name appear as “unlisted” in the ownership field of online databases. Public Chapter 996

Consumer protection for subscription services — To ensure consumers are able to cancel online subscription services, a new law requires businesses that allow someone to sign up for a service or subscription online to provide a clear way to end or cancel the subscription without any additional steps. If a company violates the act, then the individual who suffered a loss may bring civil action for damages. Public Chapter 803

Cemetery Trust - A new law allows cemeteries with small trust funds to share banking and trustee costs with other cemetery trust funds, and also provides cemeteries with a more stable way to determine the amount allowed for dispersing earnings for maintenance expenses. Public Chapter 705