The Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee of the Tennessee Legislature convened on April 2, 2025, to discuss several key pieces of legislation. The meeting was chaired by Chairman Hicks, who guided the committee through a series of bills aimed at addressing various financial and educational issues.

The session began with a vote on House Bill 728, which successfully passed with 9 votes in favor and none against, moving it to the full finance committee for further consideration. Following this, House Bill 829, concerning the annual hospital assessment, was also approved unanimously with 8 votes in favor.

Next on the agenda was House Bill 1323, presented by Representative Hicks. This bill proposes allowing the commissioner of education to grant endorsement exemptions for teaching specific courses and introduces a new limited occupational teaching license. The committee voted in favor of this bill, with 11 votes supporting it.

House Bill 1177, introduced by Chairman Woods, included an amendment that was discussed and accepted without objection. This bill serves as a follow-up to last year's Julian's Law, clarifying adjudication processes. However, due to associated costs, it was decided to place this bill behind the budget for future consideration.

The committee then moved on to House Bill 1306, presented by Chairman Williams. This administration bill aims to expand tax increment financing practices to include low-income housing credits alongside retail and industrial developments. The amendment related to this bill was approved, and the bill itself passed with 10 votes in favor.

As the meeting concluded, Chairman Hicks noted that any bills not addressed would be rolled over to the next week's calendar, as time had run out for the current session. The meeting highlighted the committee's ongoing efforts to address financial and educational needs within the state.