It’s been an interesting week at the Tennessee Legislature as committee calendars filled up and budget hearings ended. In the next 4-5 weeks, bills yet to be heard will fill calendars and subcommittees will start shutting down.

HB1283 (HELMETS) is on the Public Safety and Rural Roads subcommittee for April 24th at 3:30 PM, Room LP 16. Though the official start time is listed as 4PM, a short full trans committee calendar means the subcommittee will probably start early. If you can make it to the hearing please try to arrive before 3:30 PM. Passage from subcommittee will move the bill to the full transportation committee on May 1 at 3PM.

HB1335/SB0794 (ROWV) Last week’s vote in Senate Transportation was 4 aye’s, with 5 needed to advance the bill out of committee. The Senate rules allow for a bill to be recalled with a request from the sponsor and signatures of 5 yes votes. The request was submitted yesterday and the bill is on the calendar for Wednesday April 25th at 10:30 AM. With Senator Jerry Cooper back at work I look for 6 yes votes next week. Upon passage the bill goes to the Senate Calendar Committee for assignment to the Senate for a floor vote. The bill should be heard in the full House next week.

An amendment has now been drawn that leaves the violation as a Class C misdemeanor with fines at $250 for serious injury and $500 for causing a death and allows judges the discretion of suspending driver’s licenses up to 6 months for injury and 1 year for death. It was necessary to specify the fine and suspension ONLY so there would be no jail time associated with the offense. That would have killed the bill. Passage as amended is likely but as always, is not guaranteed. Call your senator, Senate Transportation committee members and your House Representative and ask for support of HB1335/SB0794.

HB0481, $16 additional registration fee on all vehicles has been assigned to a summer study committee. There will no further action on the bill this year.

SB101/HB1536 “Kid Bill” is dead for 2007 after being assigned to “general sub” of the Senate Transportation committee and no further movement is expected in the House.