House Bill 622, a bill dealing with hiring by governmental entities, passed the Tennessee House after lengthy debate and a contested amendment process that produced strong floor statements on both sides of the chamber.

Representative Ron Mayberry, the bill sponsor, asked for passage of House Bill 622 on third and final consideration. The bill drew extended floor debate and a series of amendments. Representative Gloria Johnson offered Amendment 4, which she described forcefully as naming the legislation the “White Fragility Act” in order to draw attention to the bill’s consequences. Johnson argued the bill’s restrictions would harm veterans, people with disabilities and other protected groups and said the measure as drafted would cause “confusion at the federal level” and “hurt all kinds of folks.”

Representative Johnnie Jones offered Amendment 3 (a proposed name change on the floor) and made a floor appeal that the bill represented an attack on racial progress; Jones cited recent Department of Justice settlement activity involving schools and urged the chamber not to “turn back the clock.” His remarks extended beyond the amendment text into a broader critique of the bill’s policy aims.

Supporters of the bill, including members from the majority, argued the legislation was necessary to limit what they described as unchecked policies in the name of diversity, equity and inclusion and to clarify hiring rules. The sponsor repeatedly said he wanted the Legislature to retain oversight of agency practices and to monitor implementation.

Parliamentary maneuvers: The floor saw multiple procedural votes. A member called the previous question on the amendment and the bill; the clerk then conducted votes on the previous-question motion and on the amendments. Amendment 4 drew a roll-call; the transcript records a roll-call announcement of the result and a subsequent floor vote on the underlying bill. After debate and amendment votes the clerk announced the final roll-call for House Bill 622; the clerk’s final tally was announced from the well and the bill was declared passed on the House floor.

Outcome: House Bill 622 was carried on third reading and declared passed by the clerk. The clerk read the final roll-call result as the bill passed; the transcript records the pass and the clerk’s announcement of the tally on the floor. (Where the transcript excerpt did not provide an unambiguous line-by-line count for every procedural object, the final roll-call for the bill’s passage was announced by the clerk and is included in the floor record excerpt.)

Why it matters: The bill affects hiring practices for governmental entities and was the focal point of a broad debate over DEI policies. Proponents said the measure clarifies government hiring authority and restricts external policy influence; opponents warned it would limit protections and harm recruitment and workplace inclusion efforts.

What’s next: With House passage the bill will continue the legislative process; any implementing steps or rulemaking will depend on statutory language enacted and any department or agency tasked with implementing the law.