The Tennessee House of Representatives has approved a bill that would prevent people from being sued if they break into a car to rescue an overheated animal, Nashville Public Radio reports. Sponsored by Rep. David Hawk, R-Greenville, House Bill 537, builds on a law that went into effect last year that protects Good Samaritans who act to help children left in hot cars. 

As the General Assembly inches toward its expected end in late April, more potentially controversial bills are on committee agendas, the Tennessean reports. The list includes legalization of cannabis oil and medical marijuana, longevity pay and minimum wage, motorcycle helmet restrictions and drinking in cars.

A bill that would start the process of judicial redistricting will be heard in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday. Senate Bill 41 (HB 144)  would seat a task force of 13 members to review Tennessee's judicial districts and publish a proposed statewide judicial redistricting plan by Jan. 1, 2017. Members of the task force would include six appointed by the Senate Speaker, six by the Speaker of the House, and one appointed jointly. The bill would also establish a joint legislative committee on judicial redistricting to review the report and redistricting plan.

The Senate Government Operations Committee Tuesday will discuss one of Chief Justice Sharon Lee priorities, a statewide e-filing system. Just this week, Lee talked about e-filing as part of the court's efforts to "do more with less." Also on the agenda is the possible creation of a task force to revise the process of appointing counsel for indigent defendants. Filed under one bill SB649/HB141, the two task forces are being requested by the AOC to move these issues forward. Let your voice be heard by sending a message to your representatives through TBAImpact today.

Qualified employers could avoid the traditional workers' compensation coverage under a bill set for the Senate Commerce Committee next Tuesday. Sponsored by Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, and Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, SB721/HB997  would permit large self-funded employers to establish private ERISA-qualified workers compensation benefit plans as a substitute plan for workers compensation. The bill would limit medical expenses to 156 weeks and $300,000. Employees subject to the plan would not have the protection and oversight of the local courts or the Department of Labor, and would have to bring a lawsuit in federal court under ERISA. The TBA opposes this bill because of the extreme cut in benefits and because there is no advocacy on behalf of the injured workers. Use TBAImpact to reach out to your legislators today.

Domestic abuse advocates are concerned about a bill they say could take funds away from domestic violence shelters and outreach centers, the Tullahoma News reports. House Bill 1302 would direct money from domestic assault fines to pay for global positioning (GPS) monitoring for indigent domestic abuse and stalking defendants. Tennessee’s 32 domestic violence shelters are already funded on a “shoestring” budget and the concept of GPS monitoring of defendants is flawed, said Kathy Walsh, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence.

A resolution for an amendment to the Tennessee constitution calling for popular election of the attorney general instead of the current process where the AG is picked by the Supreme Court yesterday passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Tennessean has more.

Senate Bill 888 regarding notaries and Senate Bill 877 regarding construction law yesterday passed successfully out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. An Attorney General's opinion last year caused some concern in the legal community because it said that a change to the notary statute classified notary records as public documents. If passed by the General Assembly this year, SB 888/HB 1033 would clarify that notaries who do not take a fee do not have to keep a record of the notary's acts. Senate Bill 877 makes changes to two sections of the Mechanics' and Materialmen's Liens statute that are clerical and procedural in nature. FInd out more about important bills in the legislature at TBAImpact.

Tennessee lawmakers yesterday approved every gun-related legislation that went to a vote, the Tennessean reports. Approved bills included measures to allow guns in parks, guns in trunks of cars parked at schools or universities, guns at property used by but not owned by schools and targets that explode. The guns in parks proposal is one of 11 bills flagged by Gov. Bill Haslam as legislation he does not support.

The Tennessee Senate approved a bill Monday that requires local law enforcement agencies to enact policies prohibiting racial profiling, Knoxnews reports. Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, sponsored the bill and said it would require local agencies to adopt policies by Jan. 1, 2016. A bill passed several years ago encouraged adoption of such policies but only 37 agencies have taken action thus far. The new bill is awaiting committee review in the House.