KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Jan. 9, state lawmakers will once again gather in Nashville to discuss a long list of proposed bills. The 2024 legislative session comes after two tense sessions in 2023 when lawmakers passed several bills that were quickly challenged in court. It also comes after a special session in August 2023 when lawmakers were called back to Nashville to discuss gun restrictions.
In 2023, lawsuits were filed against two major bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community. One law, which effectively banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth, was upheld in federal court. The other, which effectively banned public drag shows, was challenged in both the Memphis area and in East Tennessee. Judges blocked the law from going into effect in both cases, saying it was unconstitutional.
During the special session, lawmakers failed to pass most proposed gun restrictions, including a proposal from Governor Bill Lee that would have allowed law enforcement to ask judges to remove guns from the possession of someone who poses a threat to themselves or others. Instead, the special session erupted in protests after lawmakers silenced Rep. Justin Jones (D - Nashville), a member of the Tennessee Three.
This year, lawmakers are set to discuss proposals ranging from suspending sales taxes on some items to one that would prevent public schools from displaying flags other than the U.S. and Tennessee flags. Some of the proposals filed so far are listed below, along with the lawmakers that introduced them.
Bills Filed Ahead of 2024 Legislative Session
HB 1640, Rep. William Lamberth (R - Portland): This bill would prevent a person who was deemed mentally unable to stand trial in a criminal proceeding from owning and buying guns.
HB 1605, Rep. Gino Bulso (R - Brentwood): This bill would prevent schools across Tennessee from displaying flags other than the U.S. flag and the Tennessee flag. It would include the Pride flag and the Progress flag, as well as flags like the "Thin Blue Line" flag and the Gadsden flag.
HB 1637, Rep. Greg Martin (R - Hamilton County): This bill would exempt infant diapers, wipes and formulas from sales tax as long as it is sold between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
HB 1635, Rep. Kirk Haston (R - Lobelville): This bill would ban emotional support animals that are either untrained or are in the process of being trained from entering food service establishments. Tennessee law already bans most dogs inside buildings that prepare or serve food, but this bill would extend that ban to specifically include emotional support animals.
HB 1643, Rep. William Lamberth (R - Portland): This bill would require Tennessee to pay the cost of court-ordered mental evaluation if a criminal defendant was charged with a misdemeanor and the court believes they could be incompetent to stand trial.
HB 1632, Rep. Gino Bulso (R - Brentwood): This bill would specifically give parents who want books removed from school libraries the ability to file a lawsuit against education leaders if they refuse to remove those requested books. The education leaders must be able to enforce the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022, which caused controversy for requiring teachers to log overtime cataloging books. It came amid national controversy for efforts by Republican lawmakers to ban books discussing LGBTQ+ identities and Black history.
HB 1622, Rep. Michael Hale (R - Smithville): This bill would require campus police officers and public safety officers who complete annual in-service training to effectively get cash salary bonuses of $800, similar to police officers.
HB 1634, Rep. Gino Bulso (R - Brentwood): This bill changes state discrimination rules for teachers, removing a section of code that requires them to not discriminate against students based on "race; color; creed; disability; sex; national origin; marital status; political or religious beliefs; family, social, or cultural background; or sexual orientation." Instead, it would substitute language saying they could not discriminate against students based on "family background; or the student's membership in a protected class under federal or state law." It also removes the state's definition of gender identity in its codes on teaching family life.
HB 1611, Rep. Darren Jernigan (D - Old Hickory): Enacts the TennCare for Working Individuals with Disabilities Act. It aims to remove barriers to employment for people who have disabilities and want jobs but risk their social security benefits if their income is too high. It would provide medical assistance to working people with disabilities through a buy-in program that uses less restrictive income and resource requirements.
HB 1614, Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R - Signal Mountain): Enacts the Protect Tennessee Minors Act. The bill would require websites that show pornographic material in Tennessee to verify users are at least 18 years old by either matching a photograph of the users to an ID or with "transactional data" like mortgage or employment documents. Websites would be required to hold onto seven years of "anonymized age-verification data" and avoid retaining personally identifying information.
HB 1625, Rep. Jason Zachary (R - Knoxville): This bill would require mental health workers to warn people if patients say they want to harm them. It also requires mental health workers to report patients' statements to law enforcement, or to a crisis response service if "the threat is general and not imminent or clearly identified."
HB. 1626, Rep. Aftyn Behn (D - Nashville): Enacts the Fundamental Right to Reproductive Health Care Act, effectively guaranteeing pregnant people across Tennessee would have access to a variety of reproductive health treatments, including abortion care.