[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,76,87,99],{"_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",6583512,"mediaKeyId","3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b","parentId",3071338,"title","Votes at a glance: major measures the Tennessee House acted on April 17, 2025","audioSeconds",3027,"startMs",1483000,"endMs",4510000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b&start=1483&end=4510","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b/thumbnail_1483000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6583512/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-major-measures-the-Tennessee-House-acted-on-April-17-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6583512-beb1d2e3e2adf508059b14b936903fca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129307&Signature=cEbPEFWtmrHUil9CHwwNexEkUm95H0hxUO8TcySYQn04lvYQgVmIm-NjO~oZSSLcbfeXHNmgvx8t9fDV5wLBWrM28AGLsJ0rUlihVAavVCDiGR5bOMUzGNn6l0u~caLcdPTMnVaw7n2kv9b4VPSB0b-ySpupod8PcIyqiXJGqHyH8ZSjIUvalKZZ~KtrbfikLbKPxnalvqoDklDUI0F13NpTEKmB4MuKWKBDi~SECb2q34dbHNm54kStdVWrX-djxvaS4gAQUfjoJOLNoUCddmIYFrsAGI9DSOICI9-0-62ftFidfE1Kpg4~0iCLQBypMER3KF7rgMV~XuPin6n8jA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tennessee House of Representatives","date","2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","article","The Tennessee House of Representatives handled a large number of bills on April 17, including several that drew debate and many that passed with limited floor discussion. Below is a concise summary of selected measures, the action recorded on the floor and any vote tallies the transcript shows.

Key floor actions recorded (selected):

- Senate Bill 2-33 (substitute for House Bill 6-34) — conservatorship management task force: Passed on third and final consideration (floor passage recorded; transcript shows a recorded affirmative voice vote and later a roll-call indicating passage).

- Senate Bill 9-31 (substitute for HB 804) — regulation of cell-cultured/\"lab-grown\" proteins: Passed on third and final consideration; sponsors said the bill requires Department of Agriculture permitting and forbids labeling the product as \"meat,\" with fines for mislabeling. Transcript records passage.

- Senate Bill 6-44 (substitute for HB 865) — schools of nursing program expansion/early training pathway: Passed on third and final consideration; transcript recorded an aye vote (Ayes 92, no nays as reported on the floor during the tally).

- Senate Bill 7-69 (substitute for HB 1140) — catalytic-converter theft penalties: Passed; sponsors described raising available penalties and using prosecutions to pursue organized theft rings; transcript recorded passage with the floor announcing passage.

- Senate Bill 8-71 (substitute for HB 1112) — continuum-of-care study and nonprofit support: Passed on third and final consideration; the bill directs a study of Tennessee’s continuum of care and resource delivery to local nonprofit providers.

- Senate Bill 5-86 (substitute for HB 1371) — unlawful exposure (revenge images): Passed; sponsor said the bill modernizes the revenge-porn statute to cover third-party sharing.

- Senate Bill 4-33 (substitute for HB 99) — animal-abandonment clarifications: Passed; amendments clarified that abandoning an animal at a vet or animal-control center is not a defense; floor recorded passage.

- Senate Bill 1-47 (substitute for HB 864) — signage for family restrooms at rest stops/welcome centers: Passed; sponsor said the bill will require signage to help travelers and families find family restrooms across rest stops and welcome centers.

Several additional bills were introduced, amended or passed on the consent calendar; the transcript records adoption of committee amendments and recorded passage for a long list of measures. Where the transcript included a clear roll-call tally, that count is listed above; where the floor record only announced passage, the outcome is noted without a numerical roll call.

What to watch next: Many of the measures above are now enrolled and will be transmitted between chambers or sent to the governor. Measures of legal or civil-liberties significance (for example, the public-assembly bill and several criminal-justice bills) may attract post-enactment legal scrutiny or implementation guidance from state agencies.

Provenance: The transcript records the introduction, debate (when applicable), committee-amendment adoption and final passage for each listed bill; floor timecodes and excerpts are available in the transcript for each item.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tennessee House of Representatives - House Floor Session - 29th Legislative Day (A) - Apr 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House handled dozens of bills on April 17. This roundup lists several bills the chamber passed with key descriptions and the floor outcome recorded in the transcript; roll-call details are included when legible in the record.","taxTitle","House Floor , House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",29556,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6583518,"House approves portal to screen voter registration for eligibility after debate over accuracy and implementation",0,10675000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b&start=10675&end=10675","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b/thumbnail_10675000.jpg","/articles/6583518/Tennessee/House-approves-portal-to-screen-voter-registration-for-eligibility-after-debate-over-accuracy-and-implementation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6583518-449b1fd5aac85b781d9de323ef7670d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129307&Signature=ABVb54epe6mcmNbdvJYwnfWxNZlXJlabPO4FsW~t9RESNxln3jVHpSFJ0vanOD~G4IG21sbHvpVjsOXX6Jz38c0BBO8Ryh3Sl~IceN0Yalb0VWxFJwwZhM70DV1-vw-Xw8GquhWcr0WwO53Px~b178g2E8pM7S43AkPxTwdOMtOsmxOBMbMbIp5cv4Gtnt8K7L6ZiljHIfY4HLD~j9EF7awnNydyqw4Zol1HLOp8urgGNzDP3h80VFPXqXA1iThC5O~2CMjghxDLHw~scGT9jf~2cdeKE61HLFaTjJNsdA0~VySBYDd9wttmk6NvEaWzfrzC9kdPQBWiEarq55GWlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee House approved legislation directing the secretary of state's office to develop a portal to verify voter eligibility — including citizenship and felony-disqualification status — before a person is allowed to register to vote, sponsor Leader Lambeth said on the floor.

Leader Lambeth said the portal responds to incidents his office cited in which convicted felons had been registered to vote in a county; he described the portal as a front-end check intended to reduce inadvertent illegal registrations and the resulting prosecutions. He said the system would allow people whose records indicate a question to provide documentation to the secretary of state or their local election office to resolve eligibility before casting ballots.

Members raised concerns about accuracy and the risk of wrongly preventing eligible voters from registering. Representative Pearson said that the federal decennial census is an intensive, resource-heavy operation carried out to maximize inclusion and asked whether the University-based estimates the bill would allow the state to use could replicate that level of effort. Chairman Clemens and others sought assurances the portal would not wrongly purge lawful voters and asked whether federal agencies would share citizenship data with the state portal.

Leader Lambeth said the portal would be used by election officials (the coordinator of elections and the secretary of state’s office) rather than being public, and that counties and municipalities could still perform a special census or provide documentation to correct any mistaken exclusions. He also said the portal would be developed over time and that due-process safeguards would let people contest any erroneous determination.

The House passed House Bill 69 after committee amendments on the floor. The transcript shows the House recorded the passage and the roll call was announced on the floor (the body recorded the vote as passing by the House; the transcript roll indicates 77 ayes, 18 nays when the result was read on the floor). Supporters portrayed the measure as a targeted tool to protect election integrity; opponents warned it could deter eligible voters and create administrative burdens.

Direct quotes:
\"We want lawful voters,\" Leader Lambeth said when explaining the portal. \"We just don't want anybody who's not lawfully allowed to vote to be able to do so.\"

Representative Pearson said: \"My concern really does come from the possibility of preventing people who might otherwise be eligible to vote from being able to access the ballot.\"

What’s next: The House adopted the state-and-local government committee amendments on the floor and passed the measure; the bill will be enrolled and transmitted as required.","Lawmakers passed a bill directing the Secretary of State to develop a portal intended to verify citizenship and felony-disqualification status at registration; debate focused on accuracy, federal data and risk of disenfranchisement.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6583521,"Tennessee House approves public-assembly bill after heated debate over civil liberties and white-nationalist rhetoric",6825,3385000,10210000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b&start=3385&end=10210","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b/thumbnail_3385000.jpg","/articles/6583521/Tennessee/Tennessee-House-approves-public-assembly-bill-after-heated-debate-over-civil-liberties-and-white-nationalist-rhetoric","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6583521-8551c79c9fa891a15ed259c0328c65c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129307&Signature=ZrtrxB-H1DewOkLRhbxg0hufgiyc~sdEJEMLoQ99uV0kFKHw5USm1kgOVNUqkZwnp4s9f6Zh1tbNADcwx3peoW-x~3fK-rM5Q93RWRlmnZnSCqCJmlgmfVNuVqvxkaRsr3UGpxrp3s5GxhCFBGWc4tXgF5k1FWA58CO9XvVdeXmN~Dy9z1gnNqWmr4qCNS0BKVqxAN7tRuxXGATFMxbPtJmEGWrXFu~xkd-y~ds3mFPRncvqiRvXWIIBrfrEI2QRwPwr37GO~sHfiKsiWOzxn-1V~i8J8~pfcRRzD-MoFoRQgVl2HqShLLFMV3UEXKk7JlmYvBSkWT4mOz2S3gn9Xw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee House of Representatives approved a bill that revises rules for public demonstrations and related conduct after an extended, heated floor debate that included sharp exchanges over civil liberties and the influence of extremist groups.

Leader Lambert (the bill sponsor) carried the legislation, presented in the House as House Bill 55 and substituted for Senate Bill 30. The measure drew sustained objections from several members who said it would chill constitutionally protected protests and silence journalists and observers; supporters said it was intended to protect public safety.

Opponents argued the measure goes too far. Representative Pearson said the bill risks \"silencing voices\" that hold authorities to account and criticized provisions that would penalize certain recording or use a distance \"halo\" around officers. Representative Jones (Davidson County) and other Democrats urged colleagues to consider the bill’s effect on communities of color, migrants, LGBTQ Tennesseans and others, and linked the measure to a broader set of policies they said foster a climate welcoming to white-nationalist groups. Representative Jones said the rhetoric in some quarters had helped \"welcome\" extremists and called on sponsors to accept accountability for that rhetoric. Representative Fritz urged colleagues not to use the phrase \"gun violence\" in ways that blur policy aims and to stay focused on prosecuting criminal actors.

Supporters pushed back. Leader Lambert denied the characterization of the bill as an assault on civil liberties and said previous claims about his conduct were inaccurate. Backers said the measure would provide law enforcement with tools to protect public safety, including new penalties tied to particular actions during protests.

Floor action: The House invoked the previous-question motion and then voted to pass the bill. The roll call recorded passage: Senate Bill 30 was recorded as passed by the House (the floor record shows the final roll-call result as passed; transcript reports the vote in the body as 70 ayes, 20 nays, 4 present — recorded on the floor as passed). The bill will move through the normal enrollment and transmittal process.

Why it matters: The proposal prompted strong debate about whether the state is balancing public-safety interests against constitutional protections for speech, the press and assembly. Civil-rights organizations and immigrant-advocacy groups recorded opposition in the debate.

Direct quotes:
\"To require accountability for police officers is not to be anti police,\" Representative Pearson said during debate. \"To require people and allow people to have the ability to record interactions with police officers is not anti police.\"

\"When you say nationalist, you speak against Americans that have died for this country,\" Leader Lambert said in response to an accusation; the back-and-forth drew multiple interventions and a motion to close debate.

Ending note: The transcript records the House’s passage after an extended debate and multiple points of order; the bill now proceeds toward enrollment and transmittal.","The House passed a contentious measure (Senate Bill 30 / House Bill 55) that limits certain protest activity and creates distance rules; debate grew intense with lawmakers exchanging accusations about white nationalism and free-speech impacts.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6583525,"Tennessee House adopts bill barring denial of care to TennCare patients over vaccine choice",6558,1616000,8174000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b&start=1616&end=8174","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3071338-6c7386f39bf28d7ca6f7b5f7fa15113b/thumbnail_1616000.jpg","/articles/6583525/Tennessee/Tennessee-House-adopts-bill-barring-denial-of-care-to-TennCare-patients-over-vaccine-choice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6583525-70b5d102f7ca96f1642a4028d987b3b3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771129307&Signature=ljiS6wFBQv87QEnUhao7hFj5p6WHrajLbDHCtbDwC5Xw2bZo8Kq1Ptje~BVH4tEID~WEn-UJm50X1V4pfl4CjHfjMRP1rk0kEJiDM8zREFC7a6T~0RO-8hH8nCDnpZ9mGu4z8Fm3Uy-3kQN25LNTBQ9qgSNx-mwneBuTfESxp5Y1a0JKHLkAG3Q4rjiHfXOiEg7k1Hv3qDuApVq7essjrv5CI8oZq4Q6~L6JK9iWMQDTmqO6HHDbtYRG7f~2hWOd7m3giYbvlv6sHqQ6uCulWBQdTUYKngq9xv2FlN9ebK8V0teP7OHfVUVsswKZLoZ5guiP4yRpKhU02svEy5tu-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that bars health-care providers who accept TennCare from refusing treatment to patients because they are unvaccinated, sponsor Representative Charlie Carringer said on the House floor.

The legislation, carried in the House as a substitute to Senate Bill 13-89 (originally presented as House Bill 638), was introduced by Representative Carringer as a response to reports of medical discrimination against families who decline vaccines. Carringer said the measure is modeled on Texas House Bill 44 (2023) and is limited in scope to TennCare enrollees.

Supporters said the bill will preserve access to care for low-income patients who rely on TennCare and create space for patient–provider conversations about vaccination. Representative Carringer told colleagues that amendments added religious and moral-belief exemptions and carve-outs for transplant patients, oncology patients and others who are immunocompromised.

Opponents raised practical concerns about patient and public safety. Representative Shaw asked how clinics would handle situations in which one patient refuses a recommended vaccine while receiving treatment and another patient in the same waiting room is vulnerable; Representative Todd pressed whether clinics that adopt policies barring unvaccinated patients from waiting rooms could lose TennCare payments. Representative Salinas and Representative Pearson said the bill risks harming herd immunity and public health, arguing the state should not undercut long-standing vaccination programs.

Representative Carringer said the bill applies only to TennCare patients and that the bill’s sponsors worked with nurses’ associations to ensure providers who take TennCare would be covered under the amendment. Chairman Terry of the House Health Committee moved to adopt the committee amendment and it was adopted on the floor.

The House passed the bill on third and final consideration as Senate Bill 13-89 (the House had first substituted the Senate language). The final passage was announced on the floor at the end of the calendar item.

Why it matters: The bill centers on low-income Tennesseans who rely on TennCare for medical care and on how the state balances patient access with infection-control questions raised by some members. Supporters framed the law as protecting access and conversation between physicians and patients; opponents said it could undermine herd immunity and healthcare safety.

What’s next: The House passed the measure as the companion to Senate Bill 13-89; the bill will proceed consistent with the usual enrollment and transmittal process between the two chambers.

Votes at a glance: The transcript records adoption of a House Health Committee amendment and the final passage of Senate Bill 13-89 (substituted for HB 638). The transcript shows the House moved and renewed the motion to pass and later recorded passage. The vote tally for final passage is recorded in the transcript as passed, but the roll-call counts were not given clearly in the floor-record excerpt.

Direct quotes (selected): \"This is only for those patients who are on TennCare,\" Representative Carringer said while explaining the bill and amendments. Representative Salinas said: \"Infectious diseases don't care if you're a TennCare patient or if you're not a TennCare patient.\" Representative Pearson said: \"Bills like this are going to continue to create this harm mostly to children.\"","The House passed a measure that prohibits physicians who accept TennCare from refusing care to patients because they are unvaccinated; lawmakers debated practical effects and exemptions for immunocompromised patients before passage.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: major measures the Tennessee House acted on April 17, 2025

House approves portal to screen voter registration for eligibility after debate over accuracy and implementation

Tennessee House approves public-assembly bill after heated debate over civil liberties and white-nationalist rhetoric

Tennessee House adopts bill barring denial of care to TennCare patients over vaccine choice