Legislative Agenda - Updated March 15, 2018
The bills listed below are those that the Women’s Fund has designated as legislative priorities for this session of the Tennessee General Assembly. We are very excited that we have at least one bill on this priority list that makes REAL progress in each of the 7 impact areas for 49 to One. Below each bill, we have updated the current progress of the bill in the Senate and House. If you are interested in finding the names and contact information of committee members for each bill, visit the Tennessee General Assembly site.
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
HB2372/SB1488 - Election Laws - This bill lengthens the voter registration period to 15 days before an election instead of 30 days before an election. Position: Support
HB2372 has been assigned to the Local Government subcommittee; SB1488 has been assigned to the general subcommittee of State and Local Government. Neither bill has seen movement since being assigned to committee.
VIOLENCE & SAFETY
HB1984/SB2130 - Sexual Harassment - This bill allows a contract employee to bring a sexual harassment action against the entity to which the person is under contract in certain situations. (Also aligns with the Employment and Earnings measures from 49 to One report.) Position: Support
HB1984 was taken off notice in the Consumer and Human Resource subcommittee on March 14; SB2130 is on the calendar for the Judiciary Committee on March 20.
EMPLOYMENT & EARNINGS
HB1904/SB1863 - Tennessee Pay Equality Act - This bill forbids discrimination by an employer on the basis of sex by paying any employee a wage rate less than than that paid to any employee of the opposite sex for comparable work, performance, skill and responsibility in similar working conditions. (Also aligns with Poverty & Opportunity measures from 49 to One report.) Position: Support
HB1904 was taken off notice in the Consumer and Human Resource subcommittee on March 14; SB1863 has been assigned to the Commerce and Labor committee but has seen no other movement.
HB 1861/SB1769 - Employment Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence - This bill establishes employment protections for people who are victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault to attend court, meet with law enforcement, attend counseling, or find new housing. Position: Support
SB1769 failed in Judiciary Committee.
WORK & FAMILY
HB1985/SB2092 - Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act - This bill prohibits public employers from discriminating against applicants and employees with pregnancy-related conditions by not providing them with reasonable accommodations. Position: Support
HB1985 failed in State Government Committee.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
HB2164/SB1510 - Family Life Curriculum - This bill requires instruction on the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of child sexual abuse as part of a family life curriculum and extends immunity from a cause of action to instructors or organizations providing such instruction. Position: Support
HB2164 is scheduled for a floor vote on March 19; SB1510 passed today.
HB1506/SB1491 - Infant Mortality Reduction Program Act - This bill enacts the "Infant Mortality Reduction Program Act," which creates a program for the distribution of baby boxes to parents at the birth of their child. Position: Support
HB1506 was taken off notice in the Health subcommittee on March 7; SB1491 was assigned to the Health and Welfare subcommittee earlier this month.
HB 2627/SB2185 - Insurance Coverage/Access to contraception - This bill requires all health benefit plans to provide coverage for contraception and other women's preventive health services (Also aligns with Health & Well-Being measures from 49 to One report.) Position: Support
HB2627 failed in the House Insurance and Banking subcommittee.
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
HB1961/SB1949 - Suicide Mortality Review and Prevention Act - In accordance with the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention as issued by the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, this bill forms and implements the recommended state-based suicide mortality reviews to institute the systemic changes needed to decrease suicide mortality. Position: Support
HB1961 is on the calendar for Finance, Ways, and Means on March 21; SB1949 has been referred to Finance, Ways, and Means committee but is not yet on the calendar.
ADDITIONAL PRIORITY
HB2521/SB2548 - Marriage Age - This bill restricts marriage to persons 16 years of age or older by removing age waivers for marriage certificates. Position: Support
UPDATE: HB1785 (minimum marriage age of 18) has been amended to include removing all waivers and loopholes that allow children under 18 to be married except in the case of emancipation or the removal of disability of age for 17 year-olds only. This would be an IDEAL bill, but we are tracking to see if the same amendment gets added to SB1790 which is currently scheduled for a vote Monday, March 19.
HB2521 has been moved to the final week of session depending on the progress/outcome of HB1785; SB2548 is on the Judiciary Committee calendar for March 20.