Key Takeaways
- Tennessee lawmakers will consider a bill to make it a class A felony to train artificial intelligence to encourage suicide or homicide
- A bill to create a disabled parking permit for expectant mothers in their second or third trimester is also in the hopper
- The Legislature will revisit bills that didn’t pass last year, including one that would allow schools to question a student’s immigration status before enrolling them
- Cutting the state’s grocery tax is likely to be an issue again this year, with both parties having introduced bills on the topic in the past
- The state budget will be the tightest since Gov. Bill Lee took office, with tough choices ahead for lawmakers
Introduction to Upcoming Bills
As Tennessee lawmakers prepare to return to session on January 13, several new bills are awaiting their attention. One of these bills, sponsored by Rep. Mary Littleton and Sen. Becky Massey, aims to make it a class A felony to train artificial intelligence to encourage suicide or homicide. This bill is significant, as a class A felony is punishable by up to 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. As Rep. Littleton and Sen. Massey’s bill notes, the training of artificial intelligence to encourage harmful behavior is a serious issue that requires attention and action.
Disabled Parking Permits for Expectant Mothers
Another bill that will be considered by lawmakers is one that would create a disabled parking permit for expectant mothers in their second or third trimester. This bill, sponsored by Sen. Gino Bulso, recognizes the physical challenges that expectant mothers often face during pregnancy. As Sen. Bulso said in a statement, "Expectant mothers often experience mobility issues and other side effects that can make daily tasks physically demanding. This legislation recognizes the importance of welcoming new life into the world by helping alleviate some of the hardships associated with pregnancy." This bill is an example of lawmakers’ efforts to address the needs of specific groups, in this case, expectant mothers.
Revisiting Previous Bills
In addition to considering new bills, lawmakers will also revisit some bills that didn’t pass last year. One of these bills, which was greenlighted by the Senate but not taken up by the House of Representatives, would allow schools to question a student’s immigration status before enrolling them. As Sen. Bo Watson, one of the bill’s sponsors, explained, "It simply gives local governments the authority to make decisions about whether they would charge tuition or not charge tuition. And if a school board comes out early and says we’re not going to do it, that’s fine. It’s not a mandate." This bill is an example of the ongoing debate over immigration and education policy in Tennessee.
Cutting the State’s Grocery Tax
Another issue that is likely to surface again this year is cutting the state’s grocery tax. Both Democrats and Republicans introduced bills on this topic during the 2025 session, and it is expected to be an issue again this year. As Sen. Bo Watson noted, "We still have some other taxes out there that we have discussed eliminating, like the professional privilege tax has long been on the Republican agenda to try and be eliminated." This issue is an example of lawmakers’ efforts to address the needs of taxpayers and find ways to reduce the burden of taxation.
Tough Choices Ahead for Lawmakers
As lawmakers prepare to consider these and other bills, they are also facing a tight state budget. As Sen. Jeff Yarbro noted, "Even this budget, with all the needs we are talking about, doesn’t account for a lot of the federal cuts we are seeing made to education. Tennessee is going to be in worse shape because health care is going to be more expensive, child care is going to be more expensive. We’re putting less into education." This budget challenge will require lawmakers to make tough choices about how to allocate limited resources. One area that is likely to be affected is education, where Republicans have indicated that they want to expand the Education Freedom Scholarships by 20,000. As Sen. Yarbro said, "The voucher dollars, the expansion that speaker and governor have been talking about is doubling the size of this brand new program so that at the very least it would be a $300 million line item for the state and would be one that would continue growing into the future where it’s going to be a billion problem for the state."
Tennessee lawmakers to take up artificial intelligence, immigration bills