HB 2450
As introduced, requires a nonpublic school that accepts publicly funded vouchers for student tuition to comply with the same requirements for student testing applicable to public schools, subject to certain exemptions; requires a nonpublic school that accepts a publicly funded voucher to pay back a pro-rated amount of the scholarship if the student leaves school before the end of the school year.
This bill considers parents' choices to send their children to private schools with state-funded vouchers.
On the contrary, if families wish to leave the program, the private institution must return the voucher amount to continue the child's education.
The bill stems from Governor Bill Lee’s plan to expand school vouchers to all 95 counties. The plan would allow tax money to cover tuition for private school students. Each student accepted for a scholarship would receive $7,000 to fund their tuition. The legislation is placed on the Education Subcommittee for March 5th, 2024.
HB1935
The purpose of this bill is to restrict the purchase of certain high-capacity and semi-automatic firearms in Tennessee.
This legislation proposes to prepare for future mass shooting fatalities. These high-powered firearms have easy access to facilitate mass casualties, as seen in recent shootings at a dance studio in Monterey Park in California (2023), a parade in Highland Park, Illinois (2022), a supermarket in Buffalo, New York (2022), an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas (2022) and the Covenant School in Tennessee last year (2023). The most common use of assault weapons with a high-capacity magazine is semi-automatic rifles, which are uniquely dangerous. It can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. Even though high-capacity magazines are proven to result in far higher casualty counts, there has been no federal restriction on access to and possession of these weapons for almost two decades.
This bill provides that a person commits a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by no more than 11 months, 29 days or a fine not to exceed $2,500. Rep. Hakeem plans to introduce in the Criminal Justice Sub-committee, hoping to pass the proposed legislation to fight against the ongoing issue of state insecurity.
HB1934
The purpose of this bill stems from the use of children being coerced or forced to commit crimes and it being an ongoing phenomenon. According to the American Bar Association, previously this has involved activities such as drug smuggling, robbery, assault, attempted murders, theft, and other criminal acts with firearms induced by adults to benefit themselves economically.
Grooming and manipulation are the deliberated process in which adults gradually groom or manipulate a child by setting up opportunities to increase their own benefits. This bill has the intention of deterring these adults from taking advantage of young impressionable minors.
This legislation aims to reduce the expectations of adults who have the belief that they will not face ANY repercussions for contributing and inducing juvenile criminal activity by at least holding them civilly liable
HB2264
Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows certain schools in need of intervention to exit the school turnaround pilot program before the 2024-2025 school year. The bill is placed to on the calendar February 28, 2024.