Representative David Byrd: District 71 Capitol Hill Update

New law allows local governments to prohibit smoking on playgrounds – The General Assembly passed Public Chapter 529 this year allowing local governments to prohibit smoking on any playground in which they own or operate. The legislation must be taken by a two-thirds vote of the local governing body. Under the bill, “playground” means an indoor or outdoor facility that is intended for recreation of children, while smoking refers to the burning of a tobacco product, hemp product, or any other drug or substance.

Legislation aims to reduce ACEs – Legislation designed to educate divorcing parents of underage children about the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) passed this year. Public Chapter 710 requires parents to view a 30 minute video during their required parenting seminar addressing how traumatic experiences can affect their children. The goal is to help parents enhance their child’s emotional development by limiting or eliminating negative factors that can lead to a wide variety of harmful mental and physical health conditions.

Sixty one percent of adults in the U.S. have reported to have experienced at least one ACE during childhood, and ACEs have been linked to chronic health issues, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood.

Legislation simplifies admission process to help adult learners seeking higher education degree – The legislature approved a new law to help adult learners with an associate’s degree obtain their four-year degree.  Public Chapter 523 ensures that a person with an associate’s degree does not have to provide their high school transcript or GED certificate when applying to a higher education institution. Instead, the applicant can provide their associate degree certificate.

This legislation simplifies the application process for many adult degree seekers who might no longer have access to their high school transcript.

Tennessee Responsible Borrowing Initiative Act passes to help students avoid unnecessary debt – Legislation requiring public higher education institutions to provide students with important financial information to help them better evaluate the impact of indebtedness passed this year.  Public Chapter 744 provides that when a student is finalizing their acceptance of a financial aid package, the institution must provide them with the net cost in an interactive loan scenario calculator, along with pertinent information on responsible student borrowing. 

Over the last six years student debt has increased 33 percent and now stands at about $1.5 trillion.  The average student in the United States graduates with about $27,000 of debt, while approximately 45 percent of Tennessee students graduate with about $25,000 of debt. 

The legislation provides a tool that the state higher education institutions give students to tell them what it’s going to cost them to go to school; what sort of financial aid they might have; what their potential indebtedness might be; and educates them to what the payoff is going to look like over time. 

Passage of the legislation follows the Tuition Transparency and Accountability Act approved in 2018 which provided more transparency and accountability regarding tuition and fee hikes at Tennessee’s colleges and universities. It provided that any tuition increase must be substantiated by stating the amount of increase, the reason for the increase, and any steps that may have been taken to control it.

As always, I am truly humbled and honored to be your voice on Capitol Hill. If there is ever any issue I can assist with, please reach out to my office by calling 615-741-2190 or emailing me at [email protected]