Education
SB 1867 – sets awards from net lottery proceeds for certain postsecondary scholarships and grants at the amount the student initially received or at the amount awarded for initial recipients in the current semester of enrollment, whichever is greater.
SB1869 – enacts the “Move on When Ready Act.”
SB1871 – enacts the “Crime-Free School Zone Act.”
SB1877 – permits Tennessee HOPE scholarships to be awarded during summer school as well as during fall and spring semesters.
SB1880 – urges employers to develop programs under which their employees with children in school can take time off to volunteer in their children’s schools.
Finance
SB1886 – authorizes a tiered level credit against sales and use tax, and franchise and excise tax, for any qualified company that expands or relocates to counties with certain unemployment rates.
SB1873 – provides for the state sales tax on food and food ingredients, which is presently 5.5 percent, being reduced by 0.5 percent per year in any fiscal year following a year in which the amount of surplus state revenue collected above budgeted estimates exceeds $50 million.
Elections
SB1872 – requires the state election coordinator to study the feasibility of permitting registered voters who reside outside the precinct listed as their permanent residence on their permanent voter registration card to vote only for candidates running for statewide office; the study will not address property rights voting; the coordinator must report the results of the study to the general assembly by February 28, 2012.
SB1875 – moves presidential preference primary to first Tuesday in May from first Tuesday in February to coincide with county primary date.
SB1881 – prohibits the governor and members of the general assembly from creating or controlling multicandidate political campaign committees.
Criminal Justice
SB1890 – prohibits the sale of a catalytic converter to a junk yard if the seller fails to present either proof of ownership of the vehicle from which the converter was removed or a sales receipt for the converter; classifies the offense as a Class B misdemeanor, punishable only by fine of $500.
SB1884 – revokes outgoing mail privileges of inmates convicted of sexual offenses and not registered as sexual offenders for contact by mail with victims and victims’ families.
Misc.
SB1876 – creates a special committee of public citizens to review which licensed or certified professions can be deregulated.
SB1885 – enacts the “Land Bank Authority Act.”
SB1887 – provides for the classification of certain property as affordable housing rental property.
SB1888 – creates a joint committee on the study of job creation in this state; provides that the committee shall report to the general assembly no later than January 1, 2012.
SB1868 – requires state departments, agencies and entities to reduce paper and paper products annually by 5 percent starting on July 1, 2012.