New crime, public safety laws in center stage in Tennessee

New laws relating to crime and public safety in Tennessee went into effect on January 1, 2024, and made headlines in recent weeks. Several laws were passed by the Tennessee 113th General Assembly in July, while the effective date for others was extended to the first of the new year including hundreds of bills, with a number of them related to crime and public safety.Issues involving distracted driving, firearm safety, and assisting inmates in post-release employment are just a few on the list.The focus on safety, especially for public schools, was highlighted in 2023 when Tennessee Governor Bill Lee invited local law enforcement agencies and schools to apply for nearly $200 million in grant funding to further strengthen security at Tennessee schools. These two grant programs by Gov. Lee and the General Assembly to pass strong school security measures into law during the 2023 legislative session – included significant funding to support placing a full-time, armed school resource officer (SRO) at every public school and making physical security improvements at public and non-public schools across Tennessee. "Nothing is more important than making sure that Tennessee students and teachers return home from school safely each day," said Gov. Lee. "This year, together with the General Assembly, we made significant investments to secure schools across Tennessee, and we're now inviting local law enforcement agencies and schools to partner with us by applying for these historic funds."As an example, below are a few specific laws that went into effect on January 1, 2024.(SB0814) As enacted, it requires the department to provide an inmate who is discharged from imprisonment for a felony offense and who intends to reside in this state with certain documentation to assist the inmate in obtaining post-release employment and to coordinate with the Department of Safety to provide a photo identification license if the inmate does not have a current photo identification license or driver license. - Amends TCA Title 39; Title 40; Title 41 and Title 55.(SB0589) As enacted, the "Eddie Conrad Act" establishes the number of points to be charged to a person's driving record for violations of driving while using a wireless telecommunications device. - Amends TCA Section 55-8-199.(SB0722) As enacted, enacts "Abrial's Law, the Keeping Children Safe from Family Violence Act," which makes various changes to child custody law. - Amends TCA Title 36 and Title 37.(SB0579) As enacted, changes, from the state board of education to local boards of education, the entity responsible for requiring certain examinations of school bus drivers, for requiring certain reports, and for revoking the certificates of school bus drivers found to be unfit; expands the types of convictions for which a school bus driver's certificate must be revoked; revises various provisions to change, from the state board of education to the department of safety, the entity responsible for adopting specifications for school buses. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 21.(SB0258) enacted, requires that any ignition interlock device that is installed on or after January 1, 2024, employ global positioning system (GPS) technology that will geotag the motor vehicle's location whenever an initial startup test, a random retest, or a skipped test occurs, or when circumvention of the device is detected. - Amends TCA Section 55-10-411.Commenting on the focus on safety in Tennessee, State Rep. Timothy Hill was grateful to the General Assembly for having an eye toward safety. "Many of the laws coming into effect January 1 have a common sense emphasis on safety," Hill said. "The incentive for the enhanced carry permit will encourage folks to get state-certified firearms training. I look forward to the upcoming session." It is safe to say there seems to be no shortage of new laws and changes to some existing ones. But, to be familiar with such changes is important as well as helpful as Tennesseans navigate through current, at times seemingly chaotic political and governmental times.To further research new legislation, visit http://www.capitol.tn.gov/.