Tennessee
5 bills filed in the Tennessee legislature you may not have read yet
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Lawmakers will return to the Tennessee state capitol the second week of January after a tumultuous year in the legislature in 2023.
In doing so, some legislators have already filed some of their bills for introduction, getting ahead before the deadline by at least a month.
Here are five bills you may not have seen yet.
Free public college tuition for children of disabled veterans
HB 1604 and SB 1576
Rep. Jay Reedy, R-Erin, proposed a bill that would allow the kids of 100% disabled veterans to attend any Tennessee public higher education institution. Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, is sponsoring the bill in the Senate.
Veterans would have had to have gotten the disability from a service-related injury during a qualifying period of armed conflict, according to the bill’s language. The child attending school would also have to be under 23, and the student would have access to a waiver of tuition, maintenance fees and student activity fees.
If passed the program could start as early as the 2024-2025 school year.
A fiscal note for this bill has yet to be calculated.
How you vote in primaries could change
HB 1616
This isn’t the first time the legislature has tried to make voters declare a political party before the primary, but the wording of this legislation is certainly different.
Rep. Bryan Richey, R-Maryville, is proposing voters can choose a party or remain unaffiliated before voting for a party primary. No Senate sponsor has taken up the measure.
Unlike bills about partisan voting in the past, those unaffiliated can still participate in primaries.
The designation would be made in the person’s voter file with their county election commission.
Richey proposed the act take effect as soon as it was signed into law.
No diaper, wipe tax until 2025
HB 1637
Rep. Martin Greg proposed an idea to not tax infant formula, diapers and wipes for a whole year.
The bill outlines the tax-free period would start July 2024 and sunset the last day of June 2025.
Last year, the legislature approved a grocery tax holiday during the fall.
A Senate sponsor has yet to sign on, nor has a fiscal note been calculated.
Evidence collection for kids accused of crimes
HB 1602 and SB 1577
An idea from Rep. Jesse Chism and Sen. London Lamar would enshrine police to take a video or audio recording for any interviews or interrogations including a child.
The Memphis Democrats would add this to an existing state law relative to interrogating juveniles.
A fiscal note concerning the bill indicates the cost wouldn’t be significant.
If passed, the law would go into effect July 1.
Undoing the trigger ban on abortion
HB 1626 and SB 1590
Freshman lawmaker Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, filed her first bill in the legislature that would undo the effects of the trigger ban for Tennessee abortion.
Abortion was dialed up to become a hot-button issue in 2023, but The Covenant School shooting and tensions in the legislature placed the topic on a back burner.
Gov. Bill Lee signed off on an incredibly narrow exception in April, which removed affirmative defense for doctors. Early in the abortion conversation, Lee said the law as written was fine as it was, meaning he wasn’t catering to any idea of exceptions. He’s been quiet on the matter since.
Tennessee’s total abortion ban came last summer after the Dobbs decision caused Roe v. Wade to fall in the Supreme Court of the United States. The Republican legislature prepared for the moment. Trigger laws in Tennessee went into effect in less than 30 days following the Human Life Protection Act voted on by the legislature in 2019.
Sen. London Lamar is co-sponsoring the effort.
Tennessee
New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet
Tennessee State Senators Michele Reneau of Signal Mountain and Bo Watson of Hixson spoke today about the new law supporting police K-9’s.
The act allows injured dogs to get stabilization services on-site and then be transported via ambulance or helicopter to a vet hospital.
“In the past, officers were basically putting the k9 in their car and transporting them in their in their own vehicle, they didn’t have an ambulance or an air ambulance,” said Senator Watson. “This allows for an air ambulance. It also allows for a educational program for those in EMS, who will be taught how to manage canines emergency medical condition, which is different than a human’s.”
In April, Erlanger flew a K9 officer from Clay County, to North Carolina.
It was the first time the program was used for a live transport after several training runs.
Tennessee
What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee softball’s path back to the Women’s College World Series is set. On Sunday night, the Lady Vols were named the No. 7 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will host the regional stage in Knoxville as it looks to return to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.
The Lady Vols are matched up with Virginia, Indiana and Northern Kentucky in the regionals. It would play Georgia, Clemson, UNC Greensboro or Charleston in the super regionals.
Ahead of the tournament, here’s a look at each team in the Knoxville Regional and potential matchups for the ensuing best-of-three super regional if Tennessee advances.
Knoxville Regional
7-seed Virginia
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
Indiana
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
Northern Kentucky
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
More From RTI: Everything Josh Elander Said After Tennessee Baseball Dropped Series Finale Against Texas
Knoxville Super Regional
3-seed Georgia
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
6-seed Clemson
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- Jamison Brockenbrough – .342
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
UNC Greensboro
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
- Brooklyn Shroyer – 1.41
Charleston
- 2026 record
- 2026 conference tournament result
- 2025 NCAAT result
- 2026 BAVG leader
- 2026 HR leader
- 2026 ERA leader
- Mackenzie Mathis – 3.34
Tennessee
Tennessee rowing wins first SEC championship in program history
Tennessee rowing won the program’s first SEC championship in a thrilling finish on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge.
The title came down to the final race with the varsity eight boat, which had the lead against Texas going into the final 250 meters. The Longhorns made a late push to overtake the Lady Vols, but the 1V8 crew held on for the victory to secure the SEC championship on May 10.
Tennessee narrowly beat Texas 79-75 to win the title. It’s the first time the Lady Vols have won a conference championship since 2013 when they were a member of Conference USA.
The program’s first SEC title comes in the third season under coach Kim Cupini, who has transformed Tennessee into a national powerhouse.
“Phenomenal to see that from the team”, Cupini said in a school release. “Texas coming in was the number one team in the country and had that undefeated eight. So to see the varsity eight clinch like that was awesome. I have to take my hat off to the full team to get enough points to win the SEC Championship and bring that championship home, especially here at home in Tennessee. So, I was super impressed and super proud of them.”
Tennessee moves on to the NCAA Championships at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, from May 29-31.
Tennessee narrowly beat Texas 79-75 with four total wins, which also included the 2V4, 3V8 and 3V4.
The 1V8 boat finished with a time of 6:06.939 for the win. The first varsity eight crew has beaten eight ranked opponents on the season.
The 2V4 was a crucial comeback win for Tennessee. The second varsity four crew fell behind early but caught up to and overtook Texas in the final 500 meters for the win, finishing with a time of 7:12.677.
“I think the boats on the water saw that,” Cupini said. “To be able to race from behind in the event and win is incredible. The second four, we were going crazy on that. It was a group that just got together the other day. They row together a lot as a team and as a group, but that lineup hasn’t been together. So to see them pull that off and get the win was incredible.”
Tennessee swept the third varsity races, with the 3V8 finishing with a time of 6:29.409 and the 3V4 finishing with a time of 7:16.747. The Lady Vols placed second in the 2V8 and 1V4, losing to Texas by a combined 11 seconds.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
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