Best and Worst Bills in the 2012 TN Senate!

We have scanned all of the bills introduced in the Tennessee Senate and wanted to list both the best and worst bills that the politicians have introduced. Some will make you excited, some will make you angry.

We encourage you to create an account on the website of the TN Legislature so that you can be alerted to videos of and actions on these bills; you can do so here.

FIRST, THE BEST BILLS:

• SB 2859
  Taxes, Income - As introduced, abolishes the Hall income tax. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 2.

• HB 2619
  Criminal Procedure - As introduced, provides that a federal employee who is not designated as a Tennessee peace officer may not make an arrest or conduct a search and seizure in this state without the written permission of the sheriff of the county in which the arrest, search and seizure will take place except under certain circumstances. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 7 and Title 38, Chapter 3, Part 1.

• SB 3695
  Constitutional Conventions - As introduced, enacts the "Uniform Limited Convention Act." - Amends TCA Title 3.

• SB 3407
  State Government - As introduced, prohibits Tennessee and all political subdivisions from adopting or implementing the United Nations Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Statement of principles for Sustainable Development, known as “Agenda 21.” -

• SB 2392
  Criminal Offenses - As introduced, requires that a law enforcement officer obtain a subpoena prior to placing an electronic tracking device on a vehicle for criminal investigation purposes. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

• SB 3361
  Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, exempts the sale of gold, silver and platinum coins and bullion that are used as mediums of exchange from sales tax. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 1 and Title 67, Chapter 6, Part 3.

• SB 3750
  Traffic Safety - As introduced, prohibits a state or local governing body from installing or maintaining surveillance cameras to enforce speed limits after July 1, 2012. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 8.

• SB3278
  Nuisances - As introduced, prohibits state and local government employees from installing or using high frequency sound emitting devices for crowd control. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8, Chapter 50; Title 39 and Title 47, Chapter 18.

• SB 3750
  Traffic Safety - As introduced, prohibits a state or local governing body from installing or maintaining surveillance cameras to enforce speed limits after July 1, 2012. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 8.

• SB 2150
  Taxes, Real Property - As introduced, requires increases in property tax rates higher than 1 percent by a county or municipality to be approved through a referendum; authorizes the referendum process. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67.

• SB 3046
  Criminal Offenses - As introduced, creates Class C misdemeanor of a law enforcement officer unlawfully installing a tracking device on a person or object and establishes a procedure whereby the district attorney can apply to a court for permission to install a tracking device for a specified period for specified offenses. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 13, Part 6 and Title 40, Chapter 6.

• SB 3047
  Search & Seizure - As introduced, prohibits the use of unmanned aircraft or similar structures for the purpose of conducting investigations or surveillance where the investigating agency does not have a search warrant for the property under surveillance. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 40.

• SB 2831
  Budget Procedures - As introduced, enacts the "Taxpayer Transparency Act"; requires the commissioner of finance and administration to create and maintain a searchable budget database web site detailing certain state budgetary information. - Amends TCA Title 9, Chapter 4, Part 51.

• SB 3340
  Taxes, Exemption and Credits - As introduced, exempts sole proprietorships from the Hall income tax. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 2, Part 1.

• SB 2777
  Taxes, Inheritance Gift - As introduced, eliminates the gift tax in 2013 and thereafter. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 8, Part 6; Title 67, Chapter 8, Part 1 and Title 67, Chapter 8, Part 4.

• SB 2872
  Motor Vehicles - As introduced, prohibits the disclosure of traffic citations from red-light cameras to consumer reporting agencies; prohibits such information from being identified in credit reports. - Amends TCA Section 55-8-198.

• SB 2495
  Taxes, Inheritance Gift - As introduced, eliminates gift tax on transfers made on or after January 1, 2013. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 8.

• SB 3408
  Real Property - As introduced, defines "private property rights" to clarify meaning of unwarranted government interference with such rights. - Amends TCA Title 12, Chapter 1, Part 2.

• SB 2832
  Local Government, General - As introduced, enacts the "Local Government Transparency Act". - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 49.

• SB 3687
  Political Parties - As introduced, allows recognized minor party to remain recognized for four years; lowers signature requirement to become recognized minor party. - Amends TCA Title 2.

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THE WORST BILLS:

• SB 2991 by Faulk
  Criminal Procedure - As introduced, requires that a person give identification when requested by law enforcement that are enforcing criminal laws. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 39 and Title 40.

• SB 2207 by Norris ( HB 2345 by McCormick)
  Public Records - As introduced, classifies as confidential the due diligence materials submitted by a company to the department of economic and community development; confidentiality applies until such time as the provider of the material no longer requires its confidentiality. - Amends TCA Section 4-3-730.

• 2667 by Kelsey ( HB 2626 by DeBerry J)
  DNA and Genetic Testing - As introduced, adds five homicide offenses to the list of violent offenses for which a DNA sample is taken and stored in the database upon arrest rather than conviction. - Amends TCA Title 40, Chapter 35, Part 3.

• SB 2531 by Yager ( HB 3295 by Powers)
  Controlled Substances - As introduced, requires health care practitioners who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances to query the controlled substance database concerning the prescription history of certain persons and to make appropriate reports. - Amends TCA Title 53 and Title 63.

• SB 2598 by Ketron ( HB 3053 by McDaniel)
  Radio and Television - As introduced, designates as confidential and not subject to open records laws any records obtained by or disclosed to a municipality or county by a cable or video service provider for the purpose of an audit or review. - Amends TCA Title 7, Chapter 59, Part 3 and Section 10-7-504.

• SB 3338 by Ketron ( HB 2845 by Carr)
  Fees - As introduced, establishes a fee imposed on customers for transmitting money through certain entities; requires the department of revenue to administer the collection of said fee; establishes a fund for the moneys collected that can be utilized by the Tennessee bureau of investigation for certain activities. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 9; Title 40, Chapter 33, Part 2; Title 45, Chapter 7, Part 2 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

• SB 2423 by McNally ( HB 3228 by Watson)
  Fees - As introduced, establishes a fee imposed on customers for transmitting money through certain entities; requires the department of revenue to administer the collection of said fee; establishes a fund for the moneys collected that can be utilized by the Tennessee bureau of investigation for certain activities. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 14, Part 9; Title 40, Chapter 33, Part 2; Title 45, Chapter 7, Part 2 and Title 67, Chapter 4.

• SB 3480 by Tate ( HB 2271 by Hardaway)
  Public Records - As introduced, authorizes a local government's legislative body to designate certain records as proprietary information, and thereby not subject to public records law. - Amends TCA Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 10, Chapter 7.

• SB 2803 by Tracy ( HB 2207 by Maggart)
  Motor Vehicles - As introduced, clarifies that trailers used in the furtherance of a business are required to be registered. - Amends TCA Title 55.

• SB 2497 by Bell ( HB 2761 by Forgety)
  Criminal Offenses - As introduced, removes the requirement that a defendant must use force against a law enforcement officer in order to commit the offense of resisting a stop, frisk, halt or search. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 16, Part 6.

• SB 2909 by Henry ( HB 2277 by Harmon)
  Taxes, Gasoline, Petroleum Products - As introduced, increases tax on gasoline and diesel products one cent a year for the next five years; allocates funds from increase in tax to counties and cities. - Amends TCA Title 67, Chapter 3, Part 2 and Title 67, Chapter 3, Part 9.

• SB 2253 by Norris ( HB 2391 by McCormick)
  Drugs, Prescription - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Prescription Safety Act of 2012." - Amends TCA Title 53, Chapter 10, Part 3; Title 53, Chapter 11, Part 3; Title 53, Chapter 11, Part 4 and Title 63, Chapter 1, Part 3.

• SB 2934 by Norris ( HB 3004 by Williams R)
  Criminal Offenses - As introduced, criminalizes photographing a person without consent and with the knowledge that the person is in a private place or has a reasonable expectation of privacy; enhances the fine associated with false imprisonment, assault, criminal trespass and trespass by motor vehicle when those crimes are committed with the purpose of obtaining a photograph in violation of the new crime. - Amends TCA Title 20; Title 29; Title 39 and Title 40.

• SB 3504 by Tate ( HB 3667 by Turner J)
  Taxes - As introduced, enacts the "Millionaires' Tax Act." - Amends TCA Title 3; Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 9; Title 12; Title 16; Title 30; Title 36; Title 39; Title 40; Title 45; Title 47; Title 48; Title 55; Title 56; Title 57; Title 61; Title 62; Title 67; Title 68; Title 69; Title 70 and Title 71.

• SB 2407 by McNally ( HB 2569 by Dunn)
  Controlled Substances - As introduced, expands responsibility to report under "doctor shopping" laws; permits hospitals access to database for certain purposes and immunizes them from liability; requires photo identification for persons picking up prescriptions; allows federal law enforcement to access database without warrant; requires real-time access for law enforcement and pharmacists; requires pain clinics to be owned by Tennessee doctors or hospitals; penalizes interference with pharmacists' decisions to fill prescriptions; requires methadone clinics to query database. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 4; Title 53, Chapter 10, Part 3; Title 53, Chapter 11, Part 3; Section 53-11-402; Title 63, Chapter 1, Part 3; Title 63, Chapter 10, Part 2 and Title 71, Chapter 5, Part 26.

• SB 3468 by Tate
  Alcohol Offenses, Motor Vehicles - As introduced, requires the bodily fluid of a driver of a motor vehicle to be tested for alcohol or drugs if law enforcement has probable cause to believe that the driver caused an accident resulting in death or serious bodily injury or if there is reasonable suspicion that the driver was under the influence and was impaired to the slightest degree. - Amends TCA Section 55-10-406.

• SB 2914 by Overbey ( HB 2752 by Shipley)
  DUI Offenses - As introduced, clarifies that a person may be compelled to submit to an alcohol test under the implied consent law by other provisions of law, court order or search warrant. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 4.