Week 12 Capitol Round-Up: House Floor Highlights

This week on the House floor, we passed a wide range of legislation impacting families, education, healthcare, and public safety. But first an update on my bills:

📝  Status of My Bills This Week

• HB 1694 – K-9 Emergency Medical Care & Transport Act ✅ Passed both chambers and is headed to the Governor’s desk.

• Digital Device Bill ✅ Passed and headed to the Governor’s desk.

• Adoption Reform (HB 1692) ✅  Moving to House floor with bipartisan support

• AI Personhood (HB 849) ✅ Moving to House floor with bipartisan support

• Biometrics Bill ⏳ Awaiting next committee step

• Veterans Interview Preference Bill ❌ Failed in the Senate

🏛️ House Floor Highlights

• HB 1978 – Creates a sales tax exemption for building materials used in large-scale distribution projects (primarily benefiting FedEx).Vote: NO – While Tennessee values businesses like FedEx, this bill creates a targeted tax break for a single corporation—something I view as corporate welfare rather than fair, broad-based policy.

• HB 1784 – Designates January 22 as Sanctity of Life Day.

• HB 1454 (co-sponsor) – Expands aggravating circumstances allowing juries to consider harsher penalties, including the death penalty, for especially severe child rape cases.

• HB 2313 – Establishes a voluntary, state-run early childhood mental health home-visiting program.

         Vote: NO –After watching the testimony in the health committee, I had concerns

         about insufficient guardrails, particularly regarding parental rights & scope of

         services.

• HB 590 / HB 2283 – Removes the requirement that relative caregivers must provide a separate bedroom for a foster child unless safety concerns exist.

• HB 1271 – Establishes that Tennessee recognizes two sexes: biological male and biological female.

• HB 1822 – Allows schools to teach the positive influence of religion on American history.

• HB 1834 – Permits school boards to open meetings with voluntary prayer led by a board member.

• HB 1971 – Reduces access for citizens to challenge unconstitutional laws unless harmed.

  Vote: NO This legislation would make it harder, slower and more expensive for citizens.   👉 I’ve written a full  explanation on my position in detail—you can read more here.

  
  

• HB 2547– Expands restrictions on foreign ownership of Tennessee land to include mineral rights.

• HB 1979 – Requires newborn testing for sickle cell trait.Vote: NO – I support informed healthcare, but I do not support state mandates for medical testing.

• HB 484 – Requires insurance coverage for biomarker testing to improve diagnosis and treatment of serious illnesses.

• HB 2243 (SHIELD Act) –Removes those with religious or medical exemptions from the reimbursement calculation for insurance company bonuses.

  
  

• HB 1805 – Requires instruction on the history and impacts of communism in schools.

• HB 2167 – Establishes an academic holiday for higher education institutions on general election days.

• HB 1707 – Requires Tennessee courts to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and allows disciplinary action for judicial interference.

• HB 1061 – Protects patients from balance billing for emergency ambulance services. Balance billing is where a service provider bills for the difference in the insurance reimbursement and their full charge.

• HB 1872 – Provides legal recourse for individuals harmed after being coerced into gender transition procedures.

What’s Next?

Next week will be one of the busiest of session, with House floor meetings every day and committees wrapping up. I’ll continue sharing concise updates so you can stay informed on what’s happening at the Capitol. As always, I’m committed to protecting individual liberty, parental rights, and responsible governance.

Wishing you a meaningful Easter as we celebrate the hope and promise of this season—He is risen!

Rep. Michele Reneau

Tennessee House District 27