(Nashville) April 24, 2025 – The General Assembly completed its business for the 2025 Legislative Session on Tuesday, April 22. Legislative initiatives of the 2025 session include:
Caring for Communities and Infrastructure
Added $1 Billion to road fund to help address $30 billion backlog
Redirected tire sales tax revenues from the State’s General Fund to TDOT
Provided $516 million for Hurricane Helene recovery
Public Safety
Protected private property rights
Cracked down on organized retail crime
Raised penalty for exposing children to fentanyl
Strengthened penalties for sexual abuse
Protecting Children and Families
Strengthened several penalties related to child abuse
Improved the adoption and foster care system
Enhanced protections and rights for children in DCS custody
Established a domestic violence registry
Cracked down on AI-generated child pornography
Legislation passed this week
Legislation to boost road funding passes Senate
Legislation to increase dedicated funding for Tennessee’s transportation infrastructure passed the Senate this week, marking a significant step toward addressing the state’s $30 billion backlog in road and bridge projects.
Senate Bill 144 redirects all sales tax revenue collected from the sale of new and used tires—an estimated $80 to $95 million annually—from the state’s General Fund to the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) Highway Fund. This sustainable source of funding will directly support critical road repairs and construction projects across the state.
In addition to the recurring tire tax revenues, lawmakers also approved a historic $1 billion one-time investment in this year’s budget to jumpstart urgent transportation projects statewide.
This legislation brings important funding to our communities for roads to ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with our growth.
Senate expands Safe Haven Laws – Senate Bill 262 has been passed by the General Assembly to expand Tennessee’s Safe Haven Law. This bill will increase the time allowed for a mother to drop off her newborn child at a designated facility from 14 days to 45 days, helping to reduce the number of unsafe abandonments of babies in the Volunteer State. More than 130 newborns in Tennessee have been safely surrendered since the General Assembly first approved the Safe Haven Law in 2001.
Ensuring all agriculture cooperatives are tax exempt – The Tennessee State Senate passed Senate Bill 1002. This bill updates previous language to ensure that all agriculture cooperatives are exempt from the franchise and excise tax. The original language only refers to corporations and was written before LLC’s were commonly used. With this bill, any agriculture cooperative will be privilege tax exempt as the original legislation intended.
Access to property tax relief for Hurricane Helene victims – The Tennessee State Senate passed Senate Bill 782 to ensure all parties affected by Hurricane Helene and eligible for property tax relief can receive those benefits. Earlier this year, the general assembly approved relief and set a deadline for the assessor of property to submit the list of affected properties. Since the passage of that legislation, more properties have been identified. This bill extends the deadline from January 28, 2026 to April 15, 2026.
Mandatory sentencing for fentanyl charges – Senate Bill 1233 was passed in an effort to crack down on fentanyl in the state of Tennessee. This bill establishes a mandatory minimum sentence for those in possession of fentanyl and its analogs, ensuring the sentence is served in full. The use of a certified drug or recovery court is allowed. Additionally, Senate Bill 1233 enhances stalking victim protections, allowing a victim to petition the court for a lifetime protective order. These changes aim to better protect Tennesseans from these threats.
Removing the bond requirement for personal property – Senate Bill 481 will protect property rights by removing the $350 bond requirement for individuals reclaiming seized property when they have not been convicted of a crime. Effective for seizures occurring on or after July 1, 2025, the bill ensures that claimants no longer have to pay a cash bond or file additional pleadings to assert ownership of seized property.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update. Please contact my office with any questions by phone at: (800) 449-8366, extension: 13851 or by e-mail at: [email protected]. Thank you for the honor to serve you in state government and God bless!
Steve Southerland serves the constituents of State Senate District 09 which includes the following counties: Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Sevier, and Unicoi. He is a member of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, the Joint Fiscal Review Committee, and the Government Operations Committee.
