2021 Legislative Outcomes
A RECORD TEN BILLS FROM OUR PRIORITY LIST PASSED
Our Proactive Legislation - Increasing Access to Menstrual Hygiene Products (SB974(Watson)/HB640(Alexander)) - This bill specifies that a good faith donor of apparently usable feminine hygiene products to a bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization for distribution to persons in need of the product is not subject to criminal or civil liability in the absence of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Domestic Violence Awareness Education for Tennessee Licensed Cosmetologists & Barbers - in partnership with the YWCA (SB216(Massey)/HB120(Whitson)) - This bill requires applicants for a technician certificate of registration, master barber certificate of registration, barber instructor certificate of registration, cosmetologist license, manicuring license, cosmetology instructor license, aesthetician license, or natural hair styling license to obtain up to one hour of online or in-person training by a nonprofit on domestic violence.
Recognition of Doulas as Vital Health Workers - in partnership with Healthy & Free Tennessee (HJR4(Lamar)) - This resolution recognizes doulas as vital birth and community health workers.
Creation of Lifetime Orders of Protection - in partnership with Tennessee Voices for Victims (SB621(Bell)/HB434(Lamberth)) - This bill permits service of ex parte orders of protection for up to one year from issuance; creates a lifetime order of protection that can be issued to a victim of certain felony offenses to prohibit the offender from coming near or communicating with the victim.
Child Care Strategic Plan Task Force - in partnership with Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (SB677(Massey)/HB598(Hazlewood)) - This bill creates the Tennessee child care task force, a critical step in meeting the dire needs of our child care system.
Preventing Human Trafficking (SB337(Gilmore)/HB117(Lamar)) - This bill increases, from one time to once every three years, the required in-service training for a teacher employed by a local board of education in regard to the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of human trafficking in which the victim is a child.
Streamlining the Rape Kit Process (SB1035(Bell)/HB39(Freeman)) - This bill enacts the "Jim Coley Rape Survivors Protection Act.” It creates new provisions regarding the process of collecting, storing, and tracking evidence from forensic medical examinations and rights of victims of sexually oriented crimes.
Eliminating Barriers to Secondary Education (SB229(Hensley)/HB6(Cepicky)) - This bill requires the commission to establish a four-year pilot program to award completion grants to Tennessee Promise scholarship students who have an immediate financial need or who are experiencing a financial hardship that may prevent the student from completing a postsecondary degree or credential. (Aligns with Poverty and Opportunity measures from 49 to One report.)
Equal Pay for Tennessee Women (SB114(Gardenhire)/HB130(Hazlewood)) - This bill requires DIDD to increase over a three-year period the wage for direct care professionals employed by contracted agencies of the department to $15 per hour; requires annual increases in the hourly wage thereafter. (Aligns with both the Employment & Earnings and Poverty & Opportunity measures from 49 to One report.)
Ensuring Access to Mental & Behavioral Health Treatment (SB429(Gardenhire)/HB620(Rudder)) - This bill includes as a qualified site for the provision of behavioral health services provided via telehealth, a patient’s home or remote location of choice; includes audio-only conversation within the definition of “telehealth” when providing behavioral health services if certain means of communication are unavailable. (Aligns with the Health & Wellness measures from the 49 to One report.)
BILLS WE’LL STILL BE FOLLOWING IN 2022 (the second year of the 112th General Assembly)
Advocate Confidentiality - in partnership with AWAKE (SB624(Bell)/HB673(Freeman)) - This bill prohibits disclosure of certain information by an advocate in regard to a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking in a judicial, legislative, or administrative proceeding unless the victim gives express written consent. (Aligns with Violence & Safety measures from 49 to One report and supports our victim advocate partners locally and statewide.)
Improving the Health Outcomes of Incarcerated Women and Their Pregnancies - in partnership with Healthy & Free Tennessee (SB1412(Akbari)/HB1579) - This bill restricts the use of physical restraints on pregnant inmates; prohibits the use of solitary confinement for pregnant inmates and inmates who have given birth within the past eight weeks. (Aligns with Health & Wellness and Reproductive Rights measures from 49 to One report.)
Public Employees Paid Leave - in partnership with A Better Balance
Ending Child Marriage and Forced Marriage in Tennessee - OPPOSE (SB562(Bowling)/HB233 (Leatherwood)) - This bill deletes the statutes on marriage licensing and ceremonies, effectively rolling back the strides we made to end child marriage and to impose penalties for forced or coerced marriage. The elimination of marriage licenses would also significantly reduce funding for child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence services across Tennessee.
Protecting Tennessee Infants and Mothers (SB830(Jackson)/HB441(Lamar)) - This bill creates a task force to study and report on pre-term births and infant mortality as it relates to African-American mothers (Aligns with Health & Wellness and Reproductive Rights measures from 49 to One report.)