In 2024, WFGC ran their annual Period Poverty Awareness Drive, started five years ago through a CGLA student concerned about student access to period products. This year, we collected over 1500 period products, which would cover 75 girls for ONE cycle. No woman or girl should miss on school, work, or life experiences due to period poverty! See coverage of this issue, including efforts to remove the item tax as a luxury, at the link: Tennessee advocates battling to scrap tax on feminine products.
Chattanooga-area policy and advocacy-focused nonprofit, the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga (WFGC), brings in new leadership and experience with the selection of Melody Shekari as the organization’s executive director.
Shekari has extensive experience managing teams, working with notable stakeholders and advocating for policy issues. Most recently, she worked as an attorney and consultant at her own firm, Shekari Law PLLC, where she consulted with local officials and worked on federal grant applications.
“Our board is thrilled to have Melody lead the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga in this new chapter,” said WFGC hiring committee chair and past board chair Rachel Sauceman. “As we focus on increasing positive outcomes for women and girls across the state, Melody brings a deep understanding of advocacy and policy to our organization.”
Her leadership experience includes managing the Shekari Law PLLC office, with over 800 clients served in five years, and running a large organization at the University of Southern California, with a budget of $2 million and 18 employees.
Melody earned a Bachelor of Science in Managerial Economics from Bentley University, a Master in Public Administration from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Southern California.
The new executive director will be supported in meeting the organization’s goals by the 2024 board of directors, led by the recently appointed board chair Stefanie Crowe.
“I’m beyond excited to serve as the 2024 chair of the Women’s Fund, following Rachael Sauceman’s exceptional leadership this past year,” said Crowe. “It was an honor to work alongside current and past board members on the executive search committee to choose Melody as our new leader, and I look forward to supporting her, alongside our board, as we work to make life better for every woman and girl in Tennessee.”
2023 Legislative Outcomes
Please keep in mind this is year 1 of the 2 year session!
WINS
SB 979/HB 944 | Financial Abuse | Senator Gardenhire & Representative Alexander | WFGC | Defines Financial Abuse and attributes that definition to domestic abuse and abuse against those who are considered “vulnerable adults.” (Written and lobbied for by the WFGC as our proactive legislation.) Chaptered.
Special thanks to the following Co-Sponsors, Underlined Co-Sponsors signify our Hamilton County Delegation:
Senate: Campbell, Yarbro, Briggs, Jackson, Massey, Rose, Walley, Watson
House: Hardaway, Crawford, Helton-Haynes, Littleton, Davis, Vital, Hakeem
SB 1458/HB 983 | Maternity Leave for Local Education Agencies | Senator White & Rep/Spkr Sexton | A Better Balance | Expands leave for adoption or birth for education employees. Passed. To Become Law.
SB 276/ HB 324| Paid Family Leave | Senator Lamberth & Rep Johnson | A Better Balance | Expands leave options for adoption or birth for state employees. Chaptered.
SB 745/HB 883 | Medical Procedures for Pregnant Women | Senator Briggs and Representative Helton-Haynes"| Replaces the affirmative defense of “proving an abortion was necessary to prevent the death of the pregnant woman or to prevent serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman”'; and instead provides that it is not an offense for a physician to perform an abortion under circumstances that are substantially similar to those required to establish the affirmative defense under present law. Chaptered.
A note about the following legislation:
*SB 187 | Maternal and Infant Mortality Prevention Act | Senator Lamar | Would create a doula services advisory committee to promote core competencies and standards for doula services.
*This bill was substituted by SB 394/HB738 | Senator Lamar & Representative Love | Creates the Doula Advisory Committee, which will advise on training requirements for doulas to be TennCare providers and on equitable reimbursement rates. Chaptered.
SB 1205/ HB 686| Victim Confidentiality | Senator Campbell & Senator Freeman | Senator Campbell & Representative Freeman | Prohibits an advocate from disclosing any communication received from a victim, or the location of their shelter, unless the victim waives this right by written consent. Chaptered.
SB 419/HB 557 | Increase Age for Forensic Youth Interviews | Senator Haile & Representative Littleton | Children’s Advocacy Centers| Increases the age for the admissibility of statements during a forensic interview from 13 to 17 and would allow statements describing abusive or violent contact with or on the child, instead of just sexual contact. Chaptered.
SB 346/ HB 933 | Highschool Heads-up for Voter Eligibility | Senator Campbell & Representative McKenzie | This bill was promoted by high schoolers!| Requires each high school to inform each high school senior that upon reaching the age of 18 the student may be eligible to vote and provide information from the secretary of state about voter eligibility and how to register to vote. Passed. To Become Law.
We are glad the following bills did not progress as we are opposed to them:
SB 603/HB 571 | Mandating Cultural Incompetence in Medical Education and Practice | Senator Hensley & Representative Carringer | Would, among other things, prohibit medical education institutions from requiring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training and education for purposes of the issuance of a degree. Taken off notice for cal in s/c Higher Education Subcommittee of Education Administration.
SB 1222/HB 267 | State Mandated Mental Health Barriers to Economic Success | Senator White & Senator Terry | Would require a child seeking to expunge their record to undergo a favorable mental health evaluation. Held in committee (some sponsors withdrew!)
TO BE CONTINUED - For one or more reasons, these bills didn’t run this year, but we anticipate their continued efforts next session.
SB 227/HB 442 | Paid Family Leave for State Employees | Senator Yarbro & Representative Shaw | A Better Balance | Would expand paid leave for State employees. Taken off notice for cal in s/c Public Service Subcommittee of State Government Committee.
SB 16/HB 547 | Paid Family Medical Leave for State Employees | Senator Lamar & Representative Harris | A Better Balance Would expand paid medical leave of State employees. Failed in Senate State and Local Government Committee.
SB 885 / HB 1084| Decriminalizing Contraceptive Care| Senator Akbari & Representative Chism | Would clarify use of contraceptive care is not considered a crime. Failed in Senate Judiciary Committee.
SB 177/HB 567| Maternal Health TennCare Telehealth Pilot | Senator Massey & Representative Carringer | Would direct Tenncare to create and implement a three-year pilot program to provide remote maternal health services to eligible Tenncare recipients. Taken off notice for cal in s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee of Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.
SB 983/ HB 778 | Authorizing Lifesaving Medical Procedures for Pregnant Women | Senator Yager & Representative Helton - Haynes Limits the offense of criminal abortion to only apply to elective abortions. Taken off notice for cal in s/c Population Health Subcommittee of Health Committee.
SB 719/HB 1140 | Human Trafficking Victim Confidentiality | Senator Lamar & Representative Miller Would specify that a communication between a human trafficking victim advocate or trained volunteer and a human trafficking victim is confidential if it is not intended to be disclosed to a third party. Held in committee.
SB 875/ HB 546 Removing Barriers From Fines and Fees | Senator Akbari & Representative Harris | Would suspend payment of criminally assessed fines and fees within the first 180 days of someone reentering society. Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Criminal Justice Committee.
A Special Note:
**SB 128/HB 576 | Doula Pilot for High Risk Pregnancy TennCare recipients | Senator Lamar & Representative Hemmer Would require Tenncare to establish a pilot program to provide payment for doula care services for high-risk pregnant women enrolled in TennCare. This bill did not pass. However, Governor Lee set aside $1,000,000 (non-recurring) for implementing a doula pilot program in the 2023-2024 Revised Budget.
This year was very full. With the historic events transpiring from the Covenant School shooting through to the reinstatement of two Representatives of the Tennessee House, we are very fortunate to have written passed a proactive piece of legislation and to have a successful list of wins. Thank you for your advocacy.
A note: The Governor’s Special Session on Public Safety will occur in August of 2023.
Questions or comments can be directed to Joanna Theolene, Manager of Policy and Advocacy, Advocacy@chattanoogawomensfund.org
Legislative Outcomes - 2022*
WINS
1. PASSED SB1670(Gardenhire)/HB2341(Carringer) - Human Trafficking Education - This bill requires that all school personnel, instead of only teachers, be trained at least once every three years on the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of human trafficking in which the victim is a child. (Proactive Legislation led by WFGC)
2. STOPPED SB562(Bowling)/HB233(Leatherwood) - Ending Forced & Coerced Marriage in TN - This bill, as amended, created a means of “common law marriage” that did not provide protections against forced or coerced marriage, marriage as a form of trafficking, or preservation of marital rights.
3. PASSED SB2793(Massey)/HB2113(Eldridge) - Human Trafficking Education & Awareness - This bill requires the department of correction, the department of mental health and substance abuse services, and the department of human services to provide mandatory annual training to in the identification, intervention, prevention, and treatment of human trafficking.
4. PASSED SB2303(Massey)/HB2234(Littleton) - Expunction for Survivors of Trafficking - This bill removes a conviction for prostitution as a requirement for a person to be eligible for expunction of multiple, nonviolent convictions for offenses that resulted from the person's status as a victim of human trafficking.
5. PASSED SB136(Akbari)/HB204(Camper) - CROWN Act - This bill, the "CROWN Act: Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair," defines race and protective hairstyle for purposes of the Tennessee Human Rights Act.
6. PASSED SB2769(Akbari)/HB2875(Camper) - Anti-Shackling - This bill prohibits a corrections official from using restraints on a prisoner or detainee known to be pregnant, including during labor, transport to a medical facility, delivery, and postpartum, unless the corrections official makes an individualized determination that the prisoner or detainee presents an extraordinary circumstance. (led by our partners at Healthy & Free TN)
7. PASSED SB2150(Massey)/HB2109(Love) - Doula Insurance Study - This bill was amended to require a study on doula certification programs. (led by our partners at Healthy & Free TN)
8. PASSED SB2377(Haile)/ HB2367(Curcio) - Victim Notification System - This bill requires the Tennessee sheriffs' association to provide a criminal proceedings notification system for the purpose of increasing the transparency and efficiency of the criminal justice process by providing timely information about each stage of the criminal process to interested parties; requires the criminal proceedings notification system to be available 24 hours a day over the telephone, through the internet, or by email. (led by our partners at the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence)
9. PASSED SB2771(Massey)/HB2544(Alexander) - Breast Cancer Preventative Care - This bill requires a health benefit plan that provides coverage to a patient who is 35 years of age or older to include coverage for an annual screening by all forms of low-dose mammography for the presence of breast cancer; requires a health benefit plan that provides coverage for a screening mammogram to provide coverage for diagnostic imaging and supplemental breast screening.
SETBACKS
1. SB1762(Campbell)/HB1929(Hodges) - Eliminating Local Paid Leave Preemption - This bill deletes prohibition on local governments mandating that employers who do business with the local government or within its jurisdictional boundaries maintain certain sick and family leave policies. (FAILED in Senate Committee)
2. OPPOSED SB2476(Bowling)/HB2575(Doggett) - Protecting Anonymous Reporting of Abuse - This bill specifies that if an anonymous report of harm is made to the department, a juvenile court must not order the parents or person responsible for the care of the child, or the person in charge of any place where the child may be, to allow the department entrance for purposes of interview, examination, and investigation unless the department has presented evidence corroborating the anonymous report of harm. (PASSED)
3. SB624(Bell)/HB673(Freeman) - Advocate Confidentiality - 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. (FAILED in House Committee)
TO BE CONTINUED - For one or more reasons, these bills didn’t run this year, but we anticipate their continued efforts next session.
1. SB1678(Gardenhire)/HB1736(Alexander) - Adding Economic Abuse to the Definition of Domestic Abuse - This bill adds economic abuse to the definition of domestic abuse. (Proactive Legislation)
2. SB1816(Campbell)/HB1951(Freeman) - Firearms Surrender Process - This bill requires a domestic assault offender who transferred possession of a firearm to a third party in order to dispossess the firearm to submit to the court an affidavit of firearms receipt in which the third party attests that the third party may lawfully possess a firearm, has received the firearm from the defendant, and accepts responsibility for possession of the firearm.
* Two bills from our original priority list were amended in committee to no longer address Women’s Fund priority issues and are not on this document.
Questions or comments can be directed to Jeannine Carpenter, Director of Research and Policy, jeannine@chattanoogawomensfund.org
Legislative Priorities - 2022
April 21, 2022
Proactive Legislation
1. SB1670(Gardenhire)/HB2341(Carringer) - Human Trafficking Education - This bill requires that all school personnel, instead of only teachers, be trained at least once every three years on the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of human trafficking in which the victim is a child.
Status: PASSED
2. SB1678(Gardenhire)/HB1736(Alexander) - Adding Economic Abuse to the Definition of Domestic Abuse - This bill adds economic abuse to the definition of domestic abuse.
Status: Off notice
Maintaining Past Gains
3. OPPOSE SB562(Bowling)/HB233(Leatherwood) - Ending Forced & Coerced Marriage in TN - This bill deletes statutes on marriage licensing and ceremonies; limits the jurisdiction of circuit courts and chancery courts in cases involving the definition of common law marriage to the principles of common law marriage.
Status: STOPPED! HB: Sent to Summer Study; SB: Final Bill on Final Floor Vote
4. SB2793(Massey)/HB2113(Eldridge) - Human Trafficking Education & Awareness - This bill requires the department of correction, the department of mental health and substance abuse services, and the department of human services to work with a nonprofit charitable organization to provide mandatory annual training to appropriate personnel in the identification, intervention, prevention, and treatment of human trafficking victims, and in the proper action that should be taken when dealing with a known or suspected victim of human trafficking.
Status: PASSED
5. SB2303(Massey)/HB2234(Littleton) - Expunction for Survivors of Trafficking - This bill removes a conviction for prostitution as a requirement for a person to be eligible for expunction of multiple, nonviolent convictions for offenses that resulted from the person's status as a victim of human trafficking.
Status: HB on Consent Calendar for Monday, April 25; SB Passed
6. FOLLOWING SB2001(Bell)/HB2102(Curcio) - Expunction for Survivors of Trafficking - CAPTION BILL filed as changes the number of days in which a district attorney general may submit recommendations to the court regarding a petition for expunction for offenses related to status as a victim of human trafficking from 60 days to 65 days.
Status: NOT RELEVANT AFTER CAPTION
Partner Priorities
7. (A Better Balance) SB1762(Campbell)/HB1929(Hodges) - Eliminating Local Paid Leave Preemption - This bill deletes prohibition on local governments mandating that employers who do business with the local government or within its jurisdictional boundaries maintain certain sick and family leave policies.
Status: FAILED in Senate Committee
8. OPPOSE (Children’s Advocacy Center) SB2476(Bowling)/HB2575(Doggett) - Protecting Anonymous Reporting of Abuse - This bill specifies that if an anonymous report of harm is made to the department, a juvenile court must not order the parents or person responsible for the care of the child, or the person in charge of any place where the child may be, to allow the department entrance for purposes of interview, examination, and investigation unless the department has presented evidence corroborating the anonymous report of harm.
Status: PASSED
9. (Women’s Funding Network) SB136(Akbari)/HB204(Camper) - CROWN Act - This bill, the "CROWN Act: Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair," defines race and protective hairstyle for purposes of the Tennessee Human Rights Act.
Status: PASSED
10. (AWAKE) SB624(Bell)/HB673(Freeman) - Advocate Confidentiality - 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.
Status: SB PASSED; HB FAILED in House Committee
11. (Healthy & Free Tennessee) SB2769(Akbari)/HB2875(Camper) - Anti-Shackling - This bill prohibits a corrections official from using restraints on a prisoner or detainee known to be pregnant, including during labor, transport to a medical facility, delivery, and postpartum, unless the corrections official makes an individualized determination that the prisoner or detainee presents an extraordinary circumstance; establishes other restrictions on the manner in which a pregnant prisoner or detainee may be restrained under certain circumstances.
Status: PASSED
12. (Healthy & Free Tennessee) SB2150(Massey)/HB2109(Love) - Doula Insurance Study - This bill requires that doula services be provided to recipients of TennCare; requires that the doula services be performed by a person who has received certification from the department of health.
Status: HB in Calendar on Final Calendar; SB Passed
13. (Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence) SB2032(Massey)/ HB2006(Gillespie) - Order of Protection Notification - This bill requires the law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing an order of protection to provide a person who has obtained an order of protection issued pursuant to title 36, chapter 3, part 6, with information and a request form to receive notification of any arrest for a violation of the order of protection and subsequent release from custody of the individual against whom the order was entered; requires a jailer or sheriff to maintain a record of the person's request for notification and give immediate and prompt notice of such an arrest or release.
Status: taken off notice; following SB2377/HB2367 instead: HB: in Finance on Tuesday, April 26; SB: in Finance on Tuesday April 26
49 to One Priorities
14. SB2771(Massey)/HB2544(Alexander) - Breast Cancer Preventative Care - This bill requires a health benefit plan that provides coverage to a patient who is 35 years of age or older to include coverage for an annual screening by all forms of low-dose mammography for the presence of breast cancer; requires a health benefit plan that provides coverage for a screening mammogram to provide coverage for diagnostic imaging and supplemental breast screening.
Status: HB: in Finance sub on Tuesday, April 26; SB in Finance on Tuesday, April 26
15. SB1816(Campbell)/HB1951(Freeman) - Firearms Surrender Process - This bill requires a domestic assault offender who transferred possession of a firearm to a third party in order to dispossess the firearm to submit to the court an affidavit of firearms receipt in which the third party attests that the third party may lawfully possess a firearm, has received the firearm from the defendant, and accepts responsibility for possession of the firearm.
Status: Introduced, but never ran
16. SB2519(Gilmore)/HB2280(Powell) - Political Participation of Parents - This bill authorizes the use of campaign funds for the child care expenditures of a candidate that are incurred by the candidate as a direct result of the candidate's participation in campaign-related events and activities.
Status: FAILED in House Subcommittee
Questions or comments can be directed to Jeannine Carpenter, Director of Research and Policy, jeannine@chattanoogawomensfund.org