April 19, 2024

Legislature Moving Toward Adjournment

Photo Courtesy of the Nashville Banner | Senate Standing Committee of Finance, Ways and Means met on Tuesday at the Cordell Hull State Office Building. Banner Photo/Martin B. Cherry

Both chambers were able to pass the State’s $52.8 billion budget this week. This is the first step toward bringing the 113th Tennessee General Assembly to a close. $1.5 billion has been set aside in the budget to address Governor Bill Lee’s school choice bill and settle the issue around the business franchise tax refunds.

The House and Senate are quite a distance apart on the school voucher bill. If no agreement can be struck this next week it is likely the measure will not be passed this year. This will be the key policy focus this next week.

Senate Re-refers THEC/TSAC Bill

The House and Senate toggled the THEC/TSAC bill back and forth between chambers this past week but could not reach a compromise on the measure. The Senate’s final move was to re-refer the bill back to the Senate Calendar Committee, essentially killing the measure. Consequently, there will be no immediate changes to the structure or authority of THEC and TSAC will remain a separate corporation governed by its current Board of Directors.

As earlier described, HB2676/SB2713, sought to abolish the governing board of directors for the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) and designate the corporation as a division of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).  

Student Aid Bills Not Likely to be Funded

Most bills addressing student aid bills has been stalled in the Senate Finance Committee. None of the measures were included in the Governor’s budget which made it unlikely that they would pass during this legislative session. The following bills are unlikely to move forward this year:

HB1912/SB2670, allows Tennessee HOPE scholarship students who earned their first baccalaureate degree in less than five years from initial enrollment and graduated between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, to continue to receive the scholarship for graduate studies.

HB2180/SB2659, expands the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship pilot program to include Western Governors University.  

HB2179/SB2327, provides for dual enrollment participation for qualified high school freshmen.  

HB2132/SB1672, reduces, from 23 to 21, the minimum age required for a student to be eligible for the Tennessee Reconnect grant.

HB2184/SB1783, as amended, provides $5 million to be placed in a Tennessee Promise completion grant special account.