Tennessee General Assembly passed several pieces of legislation during last year’s session. The following are a portion of those bills that became effective Jan. 1, 2023.
Human Trafficking Prevention Training – Under a new law, the Department of Correction, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and the Department of Human Services are directed to work with a nonprofit charitable organization to provide mandatory training to the appropriate personnel on the identification, intervention, prevention and treatment of human trafficking victims. The training must be selected by the Human Trafficking Advisory Council and administered annually starting in 2023.
Senate Bill 2793 sponsored by Massey, Haile, Lamar, Rose, White / Public Chapter 842 / January 1, 2022
Enhancing support for foster youth — Under a new law the state will reimburse eligible relatives of foster youth to support the cost of raising the child. It also expands eligibility to ages 18-21 for foster youth transitioning from state custody to adulthood to access services.
Senate Bill 2398 / sponsored by Johnson Walley, Briggs, Crowe, Reeves / Public Chapter 785 / Jan. 1, 2023
Cutting taxes for farmers — The General Assembly approved legislation that provides tax relief to farmers. It exempts farmers from sales tax on items and services used for agriculture production, including building materials, repair services, and labor, among other expenses. The tax reduction totals $2.8 million and is meant to mirror tax reductions that manufacturers in Tennessee currently receive. It does not apply to items including automobiles, household appliances, or fuel used in vehicles that travel on public highways in the state. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2023.
Senate Bill 905 sponsored by Stevens , Yager, Bowling, Walley, White, Bailey, Crowe, Haile, Jackson, Lundberg, Massey, Niceley, Powers, Reeves, Roberts, Rose, Watson / transmitted to Gov. / January 1, 2023
Ensuring privacy of homeowners — To ensure the privacy of Tennesseans, including law enforcement, who may not want their home address easily accessible, a new law allows homeowners to file a written request to the property assessor to have their first and last name appear as “unlisted” in the ownership field of online databases.
Senate Bill 2695, sponsored by Briggs / Public Chapter 996 / January 1, 2023
Consumer protection for subscription services — To ensure consumers are able to cancel online subscription services, a new law requires businesses that allow someone to sign up for a service or subscription online to provide a clear way to end or cancel the subscription without any additional steps. If a company violates the act, then the individual who suffered a loss may bring civil action for damages.
Senate Bill 2279, sponsored by Roberts, Lamar, Yarbro, Bowling, Kelsey, Pody, Rose / Public Chapter 803 / January 1, 2023
Cemetery Trust - A new law allows cemeteries with small trust funds to share banking and trustee costs with other cemetery trust funds, and also provides cemeteries with a more stable way to determine the amount allowed for dispersing earnings for maintenance expenses.
Senate Bill 1934 sponsored by Jackson / Public Chapter 705 / January 1, 2023
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