Week 7 Capitol Round-up: Budget Hearings and What's Next

🚦 Transportation  Committee Update

Transportation Committee did not meet this week as the House paused regular committees to focus on budget hearings. Instead of public hearings, my days were filled with meetings with department liaisons, constituents, and colleagues to continue working through amendments and preparing bills for upcoming committee presentations.

🏛️ Budget Week at the Capitol

House committees paused so we could focus fully on the state budget. Twenty-two departments and agencies appeared before the Finance, Ways & Means Committee to walk lawmakers through their spending, results, and funding requests for next year. Over the coming weeks, the Finance Committee will continue reviewing every line item and determine how best to prioritize the state budget while ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

📝  Status of My Bills This Week

Due to budget hearings, none of my bills were heard this week.

📅 Next Week at the Capitol

➡️ Moving to Full Committee (Passed Subcommittee Last Week)

HB 1853 – Artificial Food Dyes in School lunches

HB 2395 – Civics Education

HB 2547 – Clean-Up Bill

🔄 Rolled previously to Work on Amendments-They are now ready!

HB 851 – UOCAVA (Residency Integrity Act)Clarifies absentee voting eligibility for overseas voters to ensure residency requirements are applied consistently. Read more about this bill here.

HB 2392 – Digital Devices in SchoolsAn amendment will go on the bill that refines language to promote measured and developmentally appropriate device use in classrooms.

🆕 First Hearings in Subcommittee

HB 1692 – Adoption Allows judicial discretion for home study requirement for permanency for families where an existing judicial custodial or placement order is already in place.

HB 849 – Personhood Clarifies that legal personhood protections apply to human beings and not artificial intelligence or machines.

HB 2392 – Data Center Water Impact Creates a review process to evaluate the water impact of large-scale data centers before approval.

HB 848 – Drone Spraying Establishes guardrails for pesticide application via drone technology to protect neighboring property owners.

HB 2396 – Fluoride Addresses statewide fluoridation policy

I  have several additional bills on notice, but due to long agendas, they are unlikely to be heard this week.

🏛️ House Floor Updates

Passed:

HB 957 (Co-Sponsor) – Adds foster placement as a qualifying event for six weeks of paid leave for Tennessee state employees, supporting foster families and encouraging more Tennesseans to open their homes to children in need.

HB 1466 (Co-Sponsor) – Requires public schools to administer the Presidential Fitness Test, promoting student health and physical readiness.

HB 1744 – Allows businesses to round cash transactions to the nearest nickel due to the discontinuation of penny production, modernizing cash handling while preserving accurate tax calculation.

HB 1552 (Co-Sponsor) – Strengthens Tennessee’s Safe at Home program to better protect victims of domestic violence and improve eligibility clarity.

HB 1874 – Updates the definition of hybrid electric vehicles in state law to align with federal standards and ensure regulatory clarity.

Looking Ahead

Next week will be a busy one, with multiple bills scheduled for subcommittee and full committee hearings. These discussions are where the details matter most, and I am continuing to work diligently to refine language, address concerns, and ensure strong, defensible legislation. As always, I remain committed to transparency and protecting Tennessee families.

Gratefully serving District 27,

Rep. Michele Reneau