The Annual General Meeting passed the original STRONG Act in 2017. That legislation provided for the reimbursement to an educational institution of 100 per cent of the maximum amount of basic State studies. This is a huge advantage, but the amendment of the STRONG Act in 2021 has made it even better. It offers eligible service members a tuition refund of up to a maximum of 120 hours for a bachelor`s degree, 40 hours for a master`s degree and 24 hours for a professional or technical program. The Act also provides for the reimbursement of up to 30 hours of overtime for all members enrolled in ROTC or other officer production programs while pursuing a bachelor`s or master`s degree. Farmers` and Tractors Lemon Act – Another measure that helps farmers, passed during the 2021 legislature, enacts a tractor lemon law. It requires manufacturers to replace or reimburse the full purchase price of agricultural machinery in certain circumstances. The manufacturer must bear all repair costs that are not due to normal wear and tear during the use of the machine. It also allows consumers to bring civil actions against the manufacturer if they are brought within two years of notification of the defect. (Senate Bill 768 / Johnson, Yager, Bowling, Akbari, Bailey, Gilmore, Haile, Jackson, Reeves / Public Chapter 410 Divisions 2 and 4 will come into force on January 1, 2022, Divisions 5 to 8 will come into force on July 1, 2021, sections 9 to 15 will come into force on July 1, 2021.

Section 17 came into force on May 11, 2021, section 18 came into force on May 11, 2021 for the purpose of enacting rules, but comes into force for other purposes on May 1, 2021. October 2021 in force) Firearms Information Privacy Protection Act – New legislation passed in 2021 protects the anonymity of citizens in connection with gun ownership. It creates a Class E crime for any public employee who intentionally discloses information about a firearm owner for the purpose of establishing a federal firearms registry or confiscating firearms. The bill will allow victims of violence to apply for a lifetime protection order. Current laws require victims to go to a judge each year to renew the protection order. Under the new bill, if the protection order is not followed, the suspect will have an additional year in prison for each violation. Tennessee National Guard Reinstatement Protections – Laws protecting civilian re-employment rights for tennessee National Guard members after separation from active state service were approved during the 2021 session. This grants members of the National Guard returning from active service in the state the same right of re-employment as soldiers called up for active federal service and protects them from discrimination in the workplace based on their military service.

Modernizing Tennessee`s Captive Insurance Laws – Updates to Tennessee`s Captive Insurance Act passed this year will help strengthen the voluntary state`s growing reputation as the home of choice for businesses looking to form a captive insurance company. Recent upgrades to Tennessee`s captive laws include the approval of parametric insurance coverage and the reduction of the statutory capital required by Protected Cell Captive insurers to begin operations from $250,000 to $100,000. Higher Medical Education – A new law to increase the number of primary care physicians in rural Tennessee communities has been approved by the General Assembly ahead of the adjournment of the 2021 Legislature. It establishes residency opportunities focused on family medicine, general pediatrics, internal medicine, and psychiatry to provide medical and behavioral health services in underserved and struggling rural districts of Tennessee. On the new laws, which were introduced on 1. July in Tennessee, include a ban on transgender athletes participating in women`s sports, gun laws, a law that makes camping on public property a crime, and more. Under the Successful Reintegration Act, 2021, local prison grants are provided to institutions that design and implement strategies that improve the chances of successful integration into the community after their release from prison and empirically demonstrate that they are effective. The Evidence-Based Prison Programs Project provides $5 million for programs that have been shown to reduce recidivism rates and improve local collaboration to improve outcomes for offenders sentenced after release. Human Trafficking / Evidence / Social Media Platforms – During the 2021 session, legislation was passed to support the prosecution of crimes related to human trafficking in cases where a social media platform was used. In cases of human trafficking, it is common for defendants to use their mobile phones to communicate via social media or chats to negotiate a victim`s price. HOPE/Homeschooler Scholarship – Before the end of the 2021 legislature by the General Assembly, lawmakers also addressed inequalities in the HOPE scholarship grant for homeschooled students. Under the previous law, homeschooling students could not qualify for HOPE scholarships based on their GPA score, unlike their counterparts in accredited public and private schools.

Instead, they relied solely on their ACT scores for eligibility. The new law addresses this gap by extending support to homeschool students who complete six double enrollment credit hours and maintain at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in those courses. In addition, the law eliminates the requirement that a student must have been enrolled in a home school for one year immediately before the end of high school. Police Officers/Spencer Bristol Act/Evading Arrest – A law that strengthens police protection by tightening penalties for criminals who escape arrest was passed before the 2021 session adjourned. The law is named after patrol officer Spencer Bristol, who was struck and killed by a vehicle on December 30, 2019, while involved in a walking follow-up of a subject. Officer Bristol was a U.S. Navy veteran who served in the Hendersonville Police Department for four years. NASHVILLE, Tenn.

(WSMV) — Friday marks the start of a new fiscal year and the date many new laws will go into effect in Tennessee. According to the Tennessee GOP, many new laws passed by the General Assembly in 2022 that focus on the state budget to take public safety measures will be important new laws that begin on July 1. Ensuring Equity in Women`s Sports / K-12 – The General Assembly approved SB1861 to enforce laws passed in 2021 prohibiting biological men from participating in women`s sports in public K-12 educational institutions. PBM/Prescription Drugs – The Patient Choice and Transparency of Access Act was passed during the 2021 Legislature and prioritizes patient-centered care by implementing some reforms in the way pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) work in Tennessee. This ensures that patients can use the pharmacies they choose and trust, rather than being forced by their insurance companies to use specialty pharmacies that often do not meet patients` needs. This is especially important for patients with chronic, complex or rare diseases. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) — Many new laws are expected to go into effect throughout Tennessee in July. Budget – The debt-free budget, which the state government will fund for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, continues the legislature`s efforts to maintain fiscal discipline while prioritizing education, health care, and employment development. It is making historic investments in literacy, mental health, broadband and public safety. Children and Evelyn Act – Several important bills dealing with crimes against children were passed during the 2021 legislature, including the Evelyn Act.

Under the new law, Tennessee parents who fail to report their children to law enforcement within 24 hours could be charged with a Class A offense.