2021 was a busy year for members of the Tennessee General Assembly, as members convened for 3 special sessions, in addition to their regularly scheduled annual legislative session, resulting in a host of new laws that took effect on January 1^st, 2022. Here is a list of each of them with a brief summary:

• P.C. 55 – Establishes the “2021 Precious Cargo Act,” which provides procedures for certain citizens with intellectual or developmental disability or medical condition to communicate specific needs to law enforcement and first responders.
• P.C. 77 – Establishes requirements and procedures for teachers to discipline students in the teachers’ classrooms, including relocation of a student.
• P.C. 84 – Requires that petitions for appointment of a conservator include results of searches of the proposed conservator in the department of health’s registry of persons who have abused, neglected, or misappropriated the property of vulnerable persons and the national sex offender registry.
• P.C. 88 – Transfers administration of construction service provider registration from the secretary of state to the bureau of workers’ compensation.
• P.C. 117 – Requires applicants for a technician certificate of registration, master barber certificate of registration, barber instructor certificate of registration, cosmetologist license, manicuring license, cosmetology instructor license, aesthetician license, or natural hair styling license to obtain up to one hour of online or in-person training by a nonprofit on domestic violence.
• P.C. 137 – Requires that a Class H or hardship license issued to a minor holding a Class P license or instructional permit expires on the date the Class P license or instructional permit expires.
• P.C. 222 – Permits active United States armed forces members and honorably discharged veterans who receive certified occupational training as a member of the United States armed forces to receive equivalent credit toward certain occupational licenses relating to the training received.
• P.C. 301 – Increases the maximum homestead exemption to be $35,000 or $52,500 for certain persons.
• P.C. 331 – Prohibits licensure as a winery direct shipper of in-state or out-of-state wine fulfillment house and provides further clarity for winery direct shippers and fulfillment centers.
• P.C. 374 – Enacts the “Tennessee Election Integrity Act,” which requires that absentee ballots, other than ballots authorized by state or federal law to be delivered electronically to qualified voters who are entitled to vote by absentee ballot, include a watermark approved by the coordinator of elections; requires a counting board official to verify that the absentee ballots contain the watermark and reject any ballot that does not bear the watermark.
• P.C. 390 – Authorizes counties to develop and operate transition centers pursuant to interlocal agreements and authorizes a transition center to partner with a nonprofit organization that provides programming designed to reduce recidivism.
• P.C. 400 – Authorizes an intercollegiate athlete at some four-year institutions of higher education located in Tennessee to earn compensation for the use of the athlete’s name, image, or likeness under certain conditions.
• P.C. 410 – Revises various provisions regarding the release or preparation of release of a person from incarceration, such as provisions governing probation and parole, restoration of citizenship, and programming provided by correctional facilities.
• P.C. 413 – Revises provisions governing restitution to victim and extends the time within which a victim of a crime may file a claim with the criminal injuries compensation fund.
• P.C. 419 – Prohibits the coordinator of elections from approving convenient voting centers for some county election commissions, extends authorization for counties that have an approved convenience voting pilot project plan through the 2022 election cycle, and expands the convenient voting pilot project to include additional counties.
• P.C. 420 – Revises various provisions governing trusts in Tennessee.
• P.C. 486 – Authorizes a correctional officer of a local government who is a member of the state retirement system to retire under the state retirement system upon completion of 25 years of creditable service; authorizes local governments participating in TCRS to adopt a mandatory age of retirement for correctional officers.
• P.C. 524 – Adds chiropractic services performed by a person authorized to engage in the practice of chiropractic to the list of healthcare services that may be included as covered TennCare medical assistance.
• P.C. 536 – Clarifies that the dual enrollment program will award the in-state tuition and mandatory fees cost up to a maximum amount for the first four courses taken and makes other related changes.
• C. 569 – Revises various provisions governing pharmacy benefits and pharmacy benefits managers.
• P.C. 588 – Alters the boundary between Davidson and Wilson counties in such manner as to detach certain parcels of real property currently located in Davidson County and to attach such parcels to Wilson County.
• P.C. 593 – Transfers all powers and duties regarding the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act to the Sports Wagering Advisory Council.