Legislative Report – February 25, 2018
Legislative Report – February 25, 2018
HB 2251 – Revises TennCare to authorize payment to any clinic/facility that performs abortions, even though the submitted charges are for non-abortion services.
Due to the Hyde Amendment, no federal tax dollars may be used for an abortion. In Tennessee, this means TennCare cannot pay for an abortion. This bill will prohibit any tax dollars being paid to a facility that offers abortions even if a patient is receiving well woman care in the facility. In other words, this bill would prohibit an individual from going to a clinic for a mammogram, birth control, a pap smear, etc. if they are covered by TennCare AND the same clinic offers abortion services. The bill is targeting clinics like Planned Parenthood or Choices which offers all well woman services and but also provide abortions. The intent is to stop these clinics from providing abortions – which may be a smaller portion of their income – by threating their main source of income, which is providing well woman services – especially in improvised communities.
Bill is to be heard by House Health Subcommittee on 2/27. It was rolled last week so on the list again.
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/sub-health.html
Please write that you OPPOSE this to this bill. Feel free to add you are a Planned Parenthood supporter. Planned Parenthood will have a strong showing at the committee meeting.
SB 0883 – Enacts the “Long-Acting Birth Control Information Act.”
This bill will provide study and funding for long acting birth control. This bill passed the house last year. Senator Yarbro is a sponsor and was confident the bill will pass.
Bill to be heard by full Senate on 2/26.
If you want to write your Senator, please state you SUPPORT this bill.
HB 2164 – Sexual Abuse added to Health Education
Modifies the Gateway bill by allowing instructors to teacher about the sexual abuse without the treat of being sued by a parent. When the original Gateway bill was passed a few years ago, the topics of the sex education curriculum were stripped in many ways. This included abstinence being the only method of birth control allowed to be taught without the instructor being open to a lawsuit. Since the original bill was passed, the realization that students may not have an understanding of sexual abuse. This bill requires instruction on the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of child sexual abuse be provided as part of a family life curriculum; extends immunity from a cause of action to instructors or organizations providing such instruction in accordance with state law.
This bill was rolled from last week and will be heard by the House Education Instruction and Programs Subcommittee on 2/28.
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/sub-educationprograms.html
Please write in SUPPORT of this bill.
SB 1796 – Separate Wireless Account for Domestic Violence Victims
This bill will allow a victim of domestic violence to be removed from a cellular contract maintained with the abuser. This is similar to a bill which passed a few years ago where a domestic violence victim could be removed from a joint lease with the abuser.
To be heard on 2/26 by the full Senate
If you want to write your Senator, please state you SUPPORT this bill.
SB 2476 – Gun Safe Bill
This is a bi-partisan bill that would allow gun safes to be exempted from state and local sales taxes. It is estimated the decrease in tax revenue will be $450,000. The cost is a concern by the supporters.
The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Revenue Subcommittee will hear the bill on 2/27 as it was rolled for a second time.
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/committees/finance.html
Please write in SUPPORT of the bill.
I wrote an Op-ed piece on this bill and it was published by The Commercial Appeal last Friday. The link is below.
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2018/02/23/opinion-tax-exemption-gun-safes-good-idea/366659002/
HB 2393 – Theft Reporting Bill
This bill would require a gun owner to notify law enforcement within five days if their gun is stolen.
HB2410 Increases felony charge for firing gun from vehicle
If passed, this would increase the penalty for reckless endangerment by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle from a Class E felony to a Class C felony. As shootings on our streets and especially interstates continue, we need stiffer penalties for those who fire guns from their cars.
Both bills will be House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on 2/26.
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/House/committees/criminal-justice.html
Please write in SUPPORT of both bills.
Will allow anyone with a loaded handgun to carry it anywhere guns are allowed, with no training requirement whatsoever.
Please write OPPOSING this bill.
Bans bump stocks and other devices that can simulate automatic fire.
A “bump stock” was used in the Las Vegas and Parkland shootings. Let’s keep it out of Tennessee
Please, Please write and SUPPORT this bill.
These two bills will be heard by the House Civil Justice Subcommittee on 2/28.
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/civil-justice.html
Please write OPPOSING HB1833 and in SUPPORT of HB 1461
HB 744 – Second Amendment Sale Tax Holiday
This bill would create a Second Amendment sales tax for the first weekend of September of each year for firearms and ammunition.
The fiscal note on this states over $330,000 in loss revenue, but that is a very low figure to start with. Remember the gun safe bill has a $450,000 loss revenue estimate and the cost is raising read flags.
Will be heard in Finance Ways and Means Subcommittee on 2/28.
http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/sub-finance.html
Please write OPPOSING this bill and feel free to reference HB 2183 – the bill which exempts sales tax on gun safes which this same committee pushed behind the budget, which is usually a death to a bill.
