[{"_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",6512368,"mediaKeyId","5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c","parentId",5114031,"title","Votes at a glance: committee approves multiple agency contracts and amendments","audioSeconds",4881,"startMs",137000,"endMs",5018000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c&start=137&end=5018","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c/thumbnail_137000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6512368/Tennessee/Votes-at-a-glance-committee-approves-multiple-agency-contracts-and-amendments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512368-4852239e4155b07b3d0401647ef9763b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770634508&Signature=gA6W~WN5RobM6bJUT7mdU68wlkNgwIuca3aUkMUyxl-JP88PftgDJ8Dl~bNNB8Hk6ybKat01lFQPKFPpbCLuUwioCWyMlBUklHc7JWRfX2bh8WrZnyUGSmhz~1~GnRHgPnbNnfEGYxSe1jd2HasZuIEVgPxHOs8K0S6XbaFJ4mJGqYPQB7~x0ReCHjPV~LirP99qX4hG2G9kUEZxQmuhDfCBb8njRot~eK7utlbDwzaO0OR80xxevsBVMB-MFi8scF9WkrDYSd1VP5Ymt3kmsCbwWK1KmacT60bJtImnR1mkdxDEILXDCVO8AN1GO~dYgbdaG7ArikFSK9uinqN0lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tennessee Joint Committee","date","2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","article","The committee approved a series of agency contracts and amendments across multiple departments. Most approvals were by voice vote after brief presentations by department liaisons. Key items approved at the hearing (items are committee agenda numbers when stated):

- Item 1 — Department of Revenue: New three‑year sole‑source contract with FAST Enterprises, maximum liability $30,600,000 (discussed separately; see full article).
- Item 2 — Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Amendment to Policy and Research LLC contract to extend term 16 months; no increase to maximum liability (contract originally procured April 2022). Approved.
- Item 3 — Department of Environment and Conservation: Three‑year sole‑source contract with TimeLooper Inc., $500,000 for augmented reality content (Access 2030 initiative). Approved.
- Item 4 — Department of Transportation: Exercise of one‑year renewal option for Claims Management Resources (originally competitively procured); added contract language clarifying use and maintenance of crash data. Approved.
- Item 5 — Department of Health: Amendment with Oxbow Data Management Systems LLC to add funds and renewal language for the Medit data system used by the Tennessee Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program. Approved.
- TennCare items — Multiple amendments with Deloitte Consulting and other vendors to exercise renewal options and increase maximum liabilities for IT and modernization support; specific liabilities were described in committee materials and approved by voice vote.
- Department of Commerce & Insurance: Amendment to competitively procured contract with Scripps Media to exercise a one‑year renewal option and increase maximum liability for investor education video production; approved.
- Tennessee Emergency Communications Board (TECB): Amendment to Virtual Academy contract to purchase 1,000 licenses at $239 each for a telecommunicator certification course; state to cover cost using 9‑1‑1 fees; approved.
- Economic & Community Development / Horn LLP: Amendment adding $4,000,000 for administration of approximately $85,000,000 in federal highway disaster recovery funds for Northeast Tennessee; approved.
- Department of Education: Several federally funded contracts approved including the Council for Professional Recognition (CDA credential materials and fees, maximum liability $55,555,230), LRP Publications ($430,640) and Teachstone Inc. ($635,650). Approved.
- Department of Children’s Services: Multiple Youth Villages contracts and amendments were approved (items 15–23); details and extended discussion are covered in the separate article on Children’s Services.
- Department of Agriculture: Three‑year sole‑source diagnostic laboratory contract (vendor name unclear in transcript); approved.
- Department of Human Services: Amendments including a DNA diagnostics contract (child support genetic testing), an EBT fraud navigator module with FIS and an after‑hours answering service (Calls Plus). Approved.

Most approvals were by voice vote and presenters confirmed the contracts had been either competitively procured, sole‑sourced with justification, or were existing competitively procured agreements with exercised renewal options. Several presenters confirmed contracts had already begun under committee waivers in time‑sensitive cases; committees retained authority to amend or reject as allowed under standard contract language. Members frequently requested additional documentation for sole‑source justifications, details on liabilities and funding sources, and follow‑up metrics for programmatic contracts.

Detailed materials and vote outcomes for each agenda item are available from committee staff.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tennessee Joint Committee - Fiscal Review - Jul 01, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee approved a slate of agency contracts and amendments covering technology, health, transportation, education, emergency communications and more. Most items were approved by voice vote after brief presentations.","taxTitle","Fiscal Review, Joint, Committees, Legislative, Tennessee","taxId",28871,"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},6512372,"Department of Human Services presents Community Services Block Grant plan; legislators ask for outcome data on poverty impact",712,5005000,5717000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c&start=5005&end=5717","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c/thumbnail_5005000.jpg","/articles/6512372/Tennessee/Department-of-Human-Services-presents-Community-Services-Block-Grant-plan-legislators-ask-for-outcome-data-on-poverty-impact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512372-a5b0564bcd32c34ef91bad96776a1df5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770634508&Signature=TPDff6UEC9GCien2WHR8oWRHMmxqt541fPQwr4NbYxZXVmg1F-Wg6mj0fVJjSooVVryvHasTVGWJGJ-6jF~rQa87lFJ66BnqEd5M6STjeZnONjtGWjNqvJB9TMqHonVtq06udjVg0WHOq5v6PaEWR7YUxA0RZdXIuPq~LPGRgHCyZHSo0r6BiZhgrjkKCplTxm7Dc6pPaKW02J0V1rC017s-tCy9uzjBCnR3GkdA7Dy~ff8Ykj0DbLGZVYgv6RPpgqeSIWUBkEEkBUN1Wjrm1J8Azrs26IfQQ4DQmdZfE6nwsHx9-kQFY2Lju6fEw1HShgU9sKi1fV0s8YRbB5aT5g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Department of Human Services staff presented the required triennial legislative briefing on the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), outlining the state plan for federal fiscal years 2026–27, the network of community action agencies and recent performance measures.

Lindsay Whitten, CSBG program director at DHS, said Tennessee’s CSBG network includes 20 community action agencies covering all 95 counties. DHS reported that in FY2023 community action agencies served 337,468 individuals and 170,824 households and that CSBG funds are leveraged heavily: the department said community action agencies leveraged $21.84 from other sources for every $1 of CSBG in 2023, up from $11.21 in 2020.

Whitten described state priorities including training and technical assistance, performance management, and strengthened linkages with local partners. DHS said it reworked a 62‑page policy manual into 10 policies to reduce administrative burden and reported improved satisfaction on the federal American Customer Satisfaction Index survey (score 87, up from 62 in 2021). DHS staff highlighted local program examples: an empowerment initiative that paired emergency shelter with job training, a transportation repair pilot to reduce barriers to workforce participation, and a property‑tax assistance program for low‑income seniors.

Committee members pressed DHS for outcome evidence. Chairman Watson and members asked whether Congress’s longstanding program had demonstrably reduced poverty in Tennessee since its consolidation in 1981. Whitten said DHS compiles annual reports and that FY2023 outcomes are published; she said FY2024 reporting is in review and offered to provide the committee with the completed reports and program dashboards. Senator Campbell and others asked for multivariate or county‑level trend analysis so the committee can better understand long‑term impacts and how CSBG interacts with other anti‑poverty efforts such as TANF and housing programs.

DHS said it has published county‑level poverty dashboards (developed with the department’s research partner) and will share evaluation material and the annual report to help the committee assess program effectiveness. The committee did not vote on policy in this presentation; the hearing fulfilled the statutory requirement for a triennial briefing.","DHS presented its federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) state plan for FY2026–27. DHS highlighted agency partnerships, leverage ratios and program examples; lawmakers requested longitudinal outcome data and county‑level poverty trends.",{"_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},6512377,"Children’s Services approves multiple Youth Villages amendments after committee questions on outcomes and cost increases",1603,3104000,4707000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c&start=3104&end=4707","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c/thumbnail_3104000.jpg","/articles/6512377/Tennessee/Childrens-Services-approves-multiple-Youth-Villages-amendments-after-committee-questions-on-outcomes-and-cost-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512377-12e5ad3b2ab90afffc5598d57d37d340/orig.mp4?Expires=1770634508&Signature=UIvkp7TJ2pYdGDsRqDIaEul4Vq3JYtd9SAUxg7OlhN~PWPbsCbVA8YZa8BaXoBdbRL5GCCI0-x1i117ixG-20yu4uVafAmKwU9vd-SxuyhIM383lqFW4l7juLFJAz-X24Iuru9mbGWfT7RhT5hTDDqgXkuSl-7-Nse5yJpurF9hJHg98TrQsD~dWDW9PjNGcXWKrfae4deq3MFhwAL5FkwIdvmcf4BUz8T8NCp9D~9Mh1Iw-UEJAJODv6RJP9eEwEJp8scjfPW2TTXGpH8GjqRfNjXqVldXa~4P5fPVH0aM5qsAv1YUIQDHzPKxm5GnPLb17TVGTUXIw4j2efD5C-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee approved a package of contract amendments and renewals with Youth Villages and related providers presented by the Department of Children’s Services (DCS). The items included an amendment to the department’s multi‑systemic therapy (MST) agreement, a larger amendment to the Lifeset program, and regional case‑management contract amendments that were voted as a block.

On the MST amendment (item 16), DCS requested a modest rate change: an increase in the daily service rate from $95 to $96.90 while keeping the contract’s maximum liability unchanged at $9,000,000. DCS described MST as an evidence‑based intensive in‑home intervention used to divert youth from state custody. Tony Nese, executive director of the division of federal programs, told members that \"94 percent of the children who receive it do not come into care,\" a figure he cited when the committee asked about recidivism and the program’s effectiveness.

Item 17, the Lifeset contract amendment, prompted the longest discussion. Lifeset is a Youth Villages model for young people aging out of foster care; DCS said Lifeset helps with housing, employment, education and other independence skills. The department requested to split previously combined services into two separate contracts (Lifeset case management and extension‑of‑foster‑care case management), to increase the Lifeset daily rate from $15 to $50, remove a prior 25% philanthropic match requirement and raise the maximum liability for the Lifeset contract to $17,936,250. Lindsey Coleman, DCS executive director of statewide specialized support services, said philanthropic match funds that previously offset costs have been depleted and that Youth Villages’ philanthropic priorities are shifting toward residential bed capacity.

Several members asked for outcome data and clearer metrics. Senator Campbell asked for evidence on recidivism; Tony Nese pointed the committee to evaluation findings and the department said it would share Youth Villages’ published report and program metrics with members following the hearing. Members also asked whether philanthropic funds would flow to unrelated residential providers; Coleman clarified that Youth Villages’ philanthropic dollars support programs the organization operates and are not directed to other residential providers.

Items 18–23 were amendments to regional Youth Villages case‑management contracts. DCS said the amendments adjust service delivery by region and increase the daily rate from $22 to $26.50; some regional contracts sought an increase in maximum liability and others a decrease. The department said these case‑management contracts are used to maintain required caseload ratios when local hiring cannot immediately fill vacancies. The block of contracts was approved by voice vote.

After discussion, the committee approved the MST amendment, the Lifeset amendment and the block of regional case‑management amendments. Members repeatedly requested program metrics, independent evaluations where available, and clearer documentation of how rates and slot counts were calculated.","The committee approved several contract amendments with Youth Villages covering MST, Lifeset and regional case management. Members pressed the department for outcome data and clarification of scope and rate increases.",{"_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},6512382,"Committee approves $30.6 million Department of Revenue contract with FAST Enterprises after members raise sole‑source and cost concerns",1458,161000,1619000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c&start=161&end=1619","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5114031-501e4e780d72a477bdbf186610f5e77c/thumbnail_161000.jpg","/articles/6512382/Tennessee/Committee-approves-306-million-Department-of-Revenue-contract-with-FAST-Enterprises-after-members-raise-solesource-and-cost-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512382-5dc657a6b55cb61a6d4acdfc4893e2d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770634508&Signature=SMaCClfDaf9-itNtMOP9CwmhDYKMRbt8Z4CPDT1c-QaT8~CIp9VJo1yCcn5Kf5PFLaYfV-egpOWIB1SofudATrjTJXAV~CB00~vbYO2Rw1riFQT-Irj6FvbsZGwzHOrxlo~8hexvZVhUUb5irZUzbql~a~GuTyI1ixK9WVxcVpCi6UsQKO3~4XOQDz1ZmHP~J73K6twSHapYswVaxSKbPiK~qYgaozK1n3HileuEjtA36zof-ZrlDlfQynbDVA3QG7t5KAslUg5t-LPThDh7HuujElhTp-GnxBadI2jKMLsvc6toXQ7je9hSP9s8kFhENHck6f44DZ9XDHG6E-vUtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee voted to approve a new three‑year contract for the Tennessee Department of Revenue with FAST Enterprises to supply and support the department’s tax collection software. The contract carries a maximum liability of $30,600,000 and includes an option for two additional years.

The contract drew sustained questioning from members over price, procurement method and staffing. Representative Cindy Bricken said the new agreement represents roughly a 40% increase over the existing contract and asked whether the state was paying for “15 full time equivalent employees” embedded with the department. \"This contract is very generous to FAST,\" Bricken said, adding that the hourly rates implied by the FTE component appeared high.

Greer Allison, who identified herself as the tax systems manager overseeing the vendor, said the vendor‑provided staff are directed by Revenue business leads and work on continuous deliverables tied to state law. \"Their work is continuous. I actually have more work for them than we have time to do,\" Allison said, describing a steady increase in legislative changes that require system work. She said the maintenance portion is a subscription to the vendor's packaged software and that the department holds deliverable due dates.

Committee members pressed why the procurement remained sole source. Allison said the vendor's product (referred to in the hearing as Gentax) was the only solution in production with sales‑tax functionality for the required period when the original procurement happened and that the department therefore used a sole‑source justification. \"The only company that was in production for at least 3 years with sales tax was Fast Enterprises. That is why it was awarded Sole Source,\" Allison said.

Senator Yeager and other members asked whether the increase in cost was driven by a different payment basis or an increase in projected FTEs. Budget director Matilda Carpet said the contract continues to include a subscription fee and an FTE component and that the formula is the same approach used in 2015; the rate increases over successive renewals led to the higher liability in the proposed contract.

Members also noted the department had begun the contract because of timing: the contract term began before the committee meeting after the committee granted a waiver to let the department proceed while the contract returned for committee review. Director Savage explained there is a standing process to permit departments to proceed in time‑sensitive cases and that the committee may still take action if it chooses.

After discussion the committee approved the contract by voice vote.

The committee’s questions focused on price benchmarks, sole‑source justification, the number and pay rates of vendor FTEs, and whether milestone‑based contracting alternatives had been considered. Representatives said they would follow up with the department outside the meeting for additional procurement detail and cost justification.

The department and the vendor were asked to provide additional procurement and cost detail to members following the meeting.","A legislative committee approved a three‑year, sole‑source contract with FAST Enterprises to provide Tennessee's tax collection software and support, but several members pressed the Department of Revenue for justification of the price, staffing and sole‑source procurement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: committee approves multiple agency contracts and amendments

Department of Human Services presents Community Services Block Grant plan; legislators ask for outcome data on poverty impact

Children’s Services approves multiple Youth Villages amendments after committee questions on outcomes and cost increases

Committee approves $30.6 million Department of Revenue contract with FAST Enterprises after members raise sole‑source and cost concerns