This bills are up this week in the TN General Assembly and could affect local businesses as well as government.
SB73(Watson)/HB1181(Garrett) — Data Privacy — Requires businesses with the information of 100,000 or more customers annually through your website or internet marketing efforts to comply with a new, costly regulatory structure. Businesses subject to the act would need to have a designated controller of this information that could respond to consumer inquiries. The proposed legislation will be enforced through the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection.
SB1109(Bowling)/HB637(Barrett) — Employers and Employees — Requires an employer that requires an immunization as a condition of employment or continued employment to exempt from the immunization requirement a person who files a signed, written statement that the immunization conflicts with the person’s religious tenets or practices; prohibits an employer from taking adverse action against a person who files a statement of religious objection.
SB1263(Akbari)/HB1467(Towns) — Workers Compensation — As introduced would break away from long established Tennessee workers compensation law that employees must choose from a list of three physicians provided by their employer. Additionally, it would allow an injured employee to choose any treating physician in any specialty and makes various other changes related to the selection of treating physicians for injured workers under the Workers’ Compensation Law.
SB1250 Akbari/HB1464 Towns – Critical Infrastructure – Requires agencies to provide reports of fires at food processing facilities and investigations of incidents of critical infrastructure vandalism to state fire marshal and TBI, respectively. Requires state fire marshal and TBI to compile reports and make quarterly reports to general assembly. Authorizes commissioner of agriculture and TEMA, respectively, to promulgate by rule minimum security requirements for food processing facilities and critical infrastructure.
SB955 (Watson)/HB1286 (Zachary) – Public Funds – States the state treasurer shall invest, reinvest, manage, and select investment options for state program assets based solely on financial reasons for the exclusive benefit of the beneficiaries of the program and to maximize long-term shareholder value. The legislation specifically notes that ESG is not considered a financial consideration as defined in the bill.
SB685 (Reeves)/HB980 (Terry) — Solid Waste — Allows a solid waste authority to regulate the flow of all municipal solid waste within the county, counties, or municipality constituting the authority. The authority may require the disposal of any transported waste at a specific solid waste disposal facility. An authority may restrict access to its solid waste disposal facilities by excluding waste originating with persons or entities outside the region. An authority may regulate the flow of all municipal solid waste within the county, counties, or municipality constituting the authority.
SB273 (Johnson)/HB321 (Lamberth) – Transportation – Enacts the Transportation Modernization Act.
SB820 (Hensley)/HB1206 (Cepicky) – Local Government – Allows local governments to establish impact fees as long as there is a two-thirds vote by the county commission in favor of the fees.
