TBA Law Blog

TBA Law Blog

State House Subcommittees Continue to Take Action on Bills

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Mar 6, 2024

Various state House subcommittees acted on legislation under their jurisdiction this week. In the House Departments and Agencies Subcommittee, a bill that would have banned cold beer sales was amended to establish a drunken driving task force. The 12-member task force will study drunken driving trends in Tennessee over the next year and recommend ways to decrease impaired driving, repeat offenders and underage drinking. In the Higher Education Subcommittee, members rejected a bill that would have banned diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Tennessee public universities and colleges. The Tennessee Journal reports on these actions. In the Population Health Subcommittee, members defeated a bill designed to protect in vitro fertilization treatments. Bill sponsors argued the measure was needed after the Alabama Supreme Court found that fertilized embryos have similar rights to children, WKRN reports. Republicans opposed the measure saying it was more confusing than current law and could allow for “selective abortion during IVF.” State Rep. Bryan Terry, R-Murfreesboro, also said the bill was not needed because a 2022 opinion from the Tennessee Attorney General already found that the state’s Human Life Protection Act does not apply to IVF treatment.

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