[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6638809,"mediaKeyId","2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb","parentId",2569940,"title","Votes at a glance: several routine bills pass committee, including auto-auction exceptions and loan-rate adjustments","audioSeconds",210,"startMs",1256475,"endMs",1466810,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb&start=1256&end=1466","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb/thumbnail_1256475.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6638809/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-several-routine-bills-pass-committee-including-auto-auction-exceptions-and-loan-rate-adjustments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638809-efb15fbb9277c420bad452dc9468cddd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771116313&Signature=hJmn0jB0p3c1SR42HncKNnd~Ymi3lYRFoCIZAXSw8ymatC1YBr1c6Oyk7PrakATT981i3XWXiJrZvb-Z6oPtldxOEbB7vtOjL-WetISk-kAWje3ILtTPGWArWsH9uPIuOkSA9ssY69~mlbib7U8E6rk1VtUSaBdIiLFlaWyLUcDVY4OFUyNZ11vLqAQrLSU29nYWPoEM2Pr2WqLnjCYOrlrTSFBm55qXL0EBqM6B-i3UalW0azlMPgdbPqg6WXpgzMXRLeHbVBri7smnzJh5LyLjXVPiFF2z7jyQopfy0evPfXwjUL5CeznnPMIviKb-pc7hgNOhqkgAtMl7dgSJpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN House of Representatives","date","2025-03-12T15:32:10.267Z","article","The committee voted on multiple relatively noncontroversial bills and procedural items and moved them to calendar and rules. Key results recorded by the clerk are listed below.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 974 (antique auto auction exception at Nashville Superspeedway, Wilson County): Sponsor said the exception covers a single weekend event expected to draw about 20,000 attendees and generate over $1 million in sales-tax revenue; the bill carried an $800 fiscal note the sponsor said would be removed after review. Committee vote: 21 ayes, 0 nos; bill passes and goes to calendar (clerk recorded 21-0).

- House Bill 303 (one-time antique/unique auto auction at the Chattanooga Motor Car Festival): Sponsor said the festival had about 12,000 attendees last year and yielded about $12.3 million in sales. Committee vote: 22 ayes, 0 nos; bill passes and goes to calendar and rules.

- House Bill 775 (increase acquisition charge for B loans from 10% to 12.5% and raise certain interest brackets): Sponsor said the change updates rates last raised in 2012 and 2017 and will broaden eligibility for some loan customers; committee vote recorded 10 ayes, 4 nos (clerk recorded 10-4) and the bill passed the committee.

- House Bill (Martin’s other bills): Representative Martin carried multiple bills; after brief presentation the committee advanced them by voice and recorded votes consistent with passage and referral to calendar rules (individual tallies and bill numbers are recorded in the transcript and committee clerk’s minutes).

Several bills were presented with little debate and will proceed to calendar and rules as noted above.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Commerce Committee- March 12, 2025- House Hearing Room 1","oneSentenceSummary","Committee approved a series of bills with brief debate or no amendments: one-time exceptions for antique auto auctions in Wilson and Chattanooga counties, a wholesale/retail real-estate disclosure bill, and an increase to certain loan acquisition rates.","taxTitle","Commerce, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",31059,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6638815,"Committee keeps fee caps for monument installation, raises base cap to 75¢ per square inch",292,2095444,2388215,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb&start=2095&end=2388","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb/thumbnail_2095444.jpg","/articles/6638815/Tennessee/Committee-keeps-fee-caps-for-monument-installation-raises-base-cap-to-75-per-square-inch","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638815-992228fc411bb6365e9459d06f356e07/orig.mp4?Expires=1771116313&Signature=WQnrxtPyTTzYIU0UMeDOIDWYbIuLBLkG1OrDynAdQXsoq~deESN6EeX2eeyLdVJZV~l8p2APIGXdvDPhctjKalNZx96QbRxWlD6fzqJbKjd52AktVHLDqtAVNNzV~RjZ9bi~cHvDpr9~Do9sG0cdrO2dOlahgj6ftQkXBvrm6adM1FE9vCRaV9edV3eLm00NC~gBQh7OOdV~SV4ajSQYkgVEEtR3lXv6lyWAnHjHlhArXv2Pl-qaJsTsqBmqdZopuN8rCwf79mgccFGbil9gvhyCMy4Xvvvrv~t1PXxeAVu052d8LJPkTBQ0hmWgFLEM4pE~rjlSD5zEZtF5qe8FZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee advanced House Bill 713 after adopting an amendment that maintained statutory caps on monument installation and memorial-care fees but raised the base cap to $0.75 per square inch and tied future increases to the consumer price index.

Representative Alexander, sponsor of the bill, said the amendment responded to concerns raised by Representative Hale and stakeholders including cemetery and monument associations. The sponsor described the change as a compromise between consumer protections and cemetery operators’ post-pandemic cost increases.

Representative Hale thanked the sponsor for addressing earlier consumer-protection concerns and said the amended cap (75¢ per square inch, inflation-adjusted) would allow cemeteries to keep pace with rising costs while preserving protections that other states do not provide.

The committee reported the bill out by voice and roll call; the clerk recorded 20 ayes, 0 nos and 2 present. The bill will go to calendar and rules.

","An amendment preserved fee caps for monument installation and memorial care but raises the statutory base to $0.75 per square inch and ties future increases to CPI; committee advanced the bill to calendar and rules.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6638820,"Committee approves bill giving secretary of state limited power to dissolve businesses tied to foreign adversaries",370,1566110,1936990,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb&start=1566&end=1936","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb/thumbnail_1566110.jpg","/articles/6638820/Tennessee/Committee-approves-bill-giving-secretary-of-state-limited-power-to-dissolve-businesses-tied-to-foreign-adversaries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638820-3c5bff601202a67222a2747bf0c54b84/orig.mp4?Expires=1771116313&Signature=lrmJlhWrh17wcSh2vat9QlAgVxsOek7mckvFj~cUMvnNgfVXYNUoUAw0NA6n4JBG2BU-oOwtmhx-ryie5FLWIZCS~X6a9KChfNrJxEnvzaJsiN7ZS3OZRcy~cfGNpzdubKtqMQwAErMTYCovWF5QfoKKGGg~LK5cBKXZeZisK9q0kjFIzgLc39pR7WEkWlAOIi1T5eHwm8AYUl9owKj37BVWa9mB5xg6kaFjDfNg0N48vt7jyPKwZDWBebGLy77VhFWMv-f1v4A12QxJfnmTtpZvKHS1VIl-UHTkLIgkIdNTW6oKnoBxopDnGMcA46cnO5e0PdcvNGLAebyq~0dQlg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee advanced House Bill 459, a bill that would grant the Tennessee secretary of state limited authority to dissolve businesses owned or controlled by entities identified as foreign adversaries under a federal Commerce Department list (15 CFR 791.4).

Sponsor Representative (identified in the transcript as the bill’s sponsor) told the committee the measure responds to federal investigations that found shell companies operating inside U.S. jurisdictions and funneling funds to malign actors. He said the bill “grants the Tennessee secretary of state the limited authority to dissolve a business owned or controlled by a foreign adversary as defined by the federal secretary of commerce.”

The committee took testimony from Michael Harmon, general counsel to the secretary of state’s office, who said the likely triggers for state action would include referrals or findings from federal law enforcement (for example the FBI or Department of Justice) or the Tennessee attorney general’s office rather than a wholesale review of all business filings. Harmon told the committee the bill relies on 15 CFR 791.4 for the list of foreign adversaries and that, as of the hearing, six entities were listed in that section.

Representative Clemons asked about the practical identification of shell companies; Harmon replied the federal government is most likely to identify malicious entities and the state’s role would be to act on referrals. Representative Clemons and others pressed to ensure the statutory reference to the Commerce Department list was clear, noting that other federal agencies can also identify risks. Harmon said the bill’s use of the Department of Commerce list was chosen because the measure deals with businesses.

The committee voted to advance the bill to calendar and rules; the clerk announced 22 ayes, 0 nos.

","House Bill 459 passed committee after the sponsor said the change responds to federal identifications of shell companies tied to foreign adversaries; the measure uses Department of Commerce listings (15 CFR 791.4) as the definitional source for ‘foreign adversary.’",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6638825,"Tennessee committee advances bill to move retail hemp-derived intoxicants to ABC oversight after debate over THCA",890,2398990,3289600,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb&start=2398&end=3289","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2569940-823c15b3455e6a0ef9da7ae85d8590eb/thumbnail_2398990.jpg","/articles/6638825/Tennessee/Tennessee-committee-advances-bill-to-move-retail-hemp-derived-intoxicants-to-ABC-oversight-after-debate-over-THCA","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638825-e67cfa5efda23d2d2e29963418019bbe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771116313&Signature=Ia0yK1JntdjnYilFzuAYIsN6~WanH38nEgV4YGGdOdnsxUId9AVmn2eIiNGf2ayPckYKe04oAX3-Tit2FD6QqPijFx3fzYVcH1uy0EqZibADOipPEZg0Vz7EQaCFSqLq-nqQfRL5QHfDFkKAk633ykmN-O35rbyyCMFck7oIale5zUJX3fRp2QwcRJACHxdWX38rrdlsai-JICbb61XExULOe9ger1zvw~EOUCDBfUjH1jfQNKvlTnYrYnR6APjeuAsKrpFuaNYO9XHheBO-IBJzbv85ot-QaC1rhagYIruy79vrgtCTwSONWrKe4rV5CtLB1a~Q73FZM47S9odleg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House leaders on Tuesday advanced House Bill 13-76, a measure that moves retail and wholesale regulation of certain hemp-derived intoxicants from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to the State’s Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC) and adopts new testing and retail restrictions.

The committee voted to accept an untimely amendment offered on behalf of Chairman Kevin Vaughn, and then passed the bill as amended. The final roll call on the amended measure was 18 ayes, 2 nos and 2 present, all voting, according to the clerk.

The bill’s sponsor, Leader William Lambert (sponsor title listed in the hearing as “Leader Lambert”), told the committee the change is intended to treat intoxicating hemp-derived products more like other intoxicants and place retail sales behind stores that restrict access to those 21 and older. “If they’re going to be out there, we have liquor on the shelves. We have beer on the shelves. We have wine on the shelves… These products should be regulated. They should be fairly regulated so that this industry can move forward,” Lambert said during his explanation.

The debate focused heavily on THCA and similar cannabinoids that can convert to Delta-9 THC when heated. Representative Jeremy Fason offered the amendment (drafting code 5181) that rewrote key parts of the bill; supporters said it aligns retail modalities and some testing rules with federal USDA hemp definitions and adds a regulatory pathway for certain smokeable forms and synthetics under ABC oversight. Fason said the amendment “marries up with the federal USD regulations” and argued it would reduce black-market distribution and give law enforcement clearer guidance about legal products.

Opponents and business witnesses warned the committee the amendment and the underlying bill could upend investments and state-level regulatory work completed after the 2018 federal farm bill. John Kearns, co-founder of New Bloom Labs, told the committee enforcing the state rules already in place would address many safety concerns and said the industry had only recently completed required rulemaking. “This legislation will upend all of that. It will be ruinous for many. It will certainly cost jobs,” Kearns said.

Business owners said the state’s recent regulations — including testing, childproof packaging and behind-the-counter retail requirements — have only been in effect for a short time and that manufacturers, retailers and testing labs were still adapting. “Rather than shifting regulatory goalposts … the focus should be on strengthening actual enforcement to ensure compliance with the laws already in place,” Devin Aracena, founder of Canvast, said.

Small business representatives also warned about compliance costs tied to the ABC licensing framework and limits on vertical integration. Maggie Mink, CEO of Rooted Supply Company (Emerald Heart) and president of the Tennessee Growers Coalition, said licensing and facility-separation costs could be burdensome for vertically integrated mom-and-pop operators. “$750,000 to secure funds to maintain a license from the ABC is far too much of a burden,” Mink told the committee.

Committee members repeatedly framed the decision as a policy choice over whether to allow raw or smokeable THCA-type products to remain available in the regulated market. Several members said they supported moving retail oversight to ABC because ABC has experience regulating intoxicating products and can enforce age and labeling requirements.

Procedurally, the committee first voted to consider the untimely amendment (taking it up for consideration passed 15 ayes, 4 nos, 1 present not voting). The committee then placed the amendment on the bill (vote on amendment adoption: 13 ayes, 7 nos, 2 present). The committee then adopted the bill as amended (final committee vote: 18 ayes, 2 nos, 2 present).

The bill now goes to the calendar and rules committee. Transcript testimony and committee exchanges show the major remaining questions for later stages will be: whether enforcement of existing Department of Agriculture rules can address school and youth-access concerns, and whether ABC licensing and fee structures adopted later will impose prohibitive costs for small operators.

","The House moved House Bill 13-76 out of committee after lengthy testimony and an untimely amendment that allows some smokeable hemp (THCA) modalities; the measure shifts retail and wholesale regulation from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission and updates testing and labeling rules.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: several routine bills pass committee, including auto-auction exceptions and loan-rate adjustments

Committee keeps fee caps for monument installation, raises base cap to 75¢ per square inch

Committee approves bill giving secretary of state limited power to dissolve businesses tied to foreign adversaries

Tennessee committee advances bill to move retail hemp-derived intoxicants to ABC oversight after debate over THCA