THIS WEEK’S RUNDOWN:
Download the updated legislative calendar here.
Download the legislative report here.
On Tuesday, the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee heard and approved expansion requests for the Department of Health and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (TDMHSAS).
TDH
- $815,000 (federal) over two years for free lead testing provided to schools and child care centers.
- $2.4 million over three years from the Opioid Abatement Council to expand opioid treatment and prevention efforts in high-impact areas.
TDMHSAS
- $900,000 annually for five years from SAMHSA to expand mental health services at Tennessee colleges by integrating behavioral health into primary care clinics.
On Wednesday, the House Finance Ways and Means Committee heard budget hearings from the Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS).
DHS
- $5.9M recurring to expand Smart Steps; Raises wage supplement cap for child care workers from $20/hr to $30/hr to improve retention.
- $15M nonrecurring to cover capital costs for child care facilities not eligible for federal funding.
- $10.9M noncrecurring to expand Boys and Girls Club programming access to 7,500 low income youth statewide.
- $3M for summer meals targeting underserved counties- Provides $120 on EBT cards for eligible children without access to existing summer meal programs.
TDMHSAS
- School-based Behavioral Health Liaison Program
- 390 current funded positions
- Crisis Stabilization Units (CSUs)
- 2023 Stats:
- 110,000+ crisis line calls
- 70,000 mobile crisis assessments
- 11,000 individuals received 23-hour observation
- 6,500 individuals received overnight stabilization
- Hospital Diversion: 69% of cases diverted from inpatient hospitalization
- Expansion: New CSUs opening in Henry, Montgomery, Memphis, and Nashville
- $35M grant from American Rescue Plan, expected full utilization by December 2026
NEXT WEEK’S CALENDAR:
Monday:
- House Finance, Ways & Means Committee will hear a budget presentation from the Dept. of Education.
Tuesday:
- House Finance, Ways & Means Committee will hear a budget presentation from the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation.
- House Transportation Subcommittee will consider:
- HB 536- Establishes that a motor vehicle dealer who does not have an established place of business is eligible for a motor vehicle dealer license if the applicant is a nonprofit religious organization.
- Senate State & Local Gov’t Committee will consider:
- SB 212- Expands the requirement that state and local governing bodies make an agenda available to the public prior to regular public meetings of the body to include the governing bodies of certain nonprofit organizations, including nonprofit community organizations that receive federal funding, nonprofit organizations that receive community grant funds from this state or certain funding from local governments, and nonprofit organizations created for the benefit of local governments.
- House Departments & Agencies Subcommittee will consider:
- HJR 146- Proposes an amendment to Article XI, Section 5 of the Constitution of Tennessee to authorize local boards of education to approve lotteries conducted by nonprofit school support organizations.
- HB 557- Creates the State Disaster Relief Program to be administered by TEMA for the purpose of providing grants to local governments where a natural disaster has occurred that does not exceed the threshold for federal disaster relief.
- House K-12 Subcommittee will consider:
- HB 793- Authorizes LEAs and public charter schools to refuse to enroll students who are unlawfully present in the United States.
- HB 1238- Creates the division of early child care and education within the department of education.
Wednesday:
- House Finance, Ways & Means Committee will hear a budget presentation from Dept. of Health.
- Senate Health & Welfare Committee will hear a budget presentation from TennCare.
- House Criminal Justice Subcommittee will consider:
- HB 478- Specifies that a person does not commit an offense if the person possesses or carries a firearm into an area that is posted if, upon the request of an individual authorized to control access to the property, the person immediately leaves the property or stores the firearm in a personal vehicle in accordance with state law.
- Senate Gov’t Operations Committee will consider:
- SB 958- Creates in the department of human services a community grant advisory board for the purpose of administering the community-based organizations grant program to financially support eligible nonprofit organizations that serve communities in the areas of education, public health, housing, social issues, and economic and workforce development.