NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The 114th Tennessee General Assembly gaveled in for the first days of the legislative session on Tuesday, but lawmakers won’t get to discussing pieces of legislation just yet.
First, the 132 state lawmakers have to perform a series of procedural steps outlined in the state constitution and state law in order to officially convene.
According to the Tennessee Constitution, state lawmakers meet for 90 session days over the course of a two-year period for each general assembly. The 90 days are split evenly between the two years, meaning there are officially 45 session days each year.
According to Nashville Sen. Charlane Oliver, the first day of the session is something akin to the first day of school. “Everybody comes together at the Tennessee Capitol to officially start the new session,” the state senator said in a constituent newsletter.
Lawmakers officially gaveled in at noon, and newly-elected lawmakers took their oaths of office. According to Oliver, newly-elected lawmakers take oaths to the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions during their swearing-in ceremonies.
According to Legislative Librarian Eddie Weeks, there are 12 new members of the general assembly: three state senators and nine state representatives.
Once the new lawmakers are sworn in and officially begin their tenure, each chamber of the legislature must elect new Speakers. The Speaker of the Senate also serves as the Lieutenant Governor of the state, according to Oliver.
After each chamber selects its new speakers, they will each vote on a set of rules. The rules will establish the parliamentary procedure for how the lawmakers will conduct business during the session. The state legislature follows Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure for all parliamentary procedures, according to Oliver.
Mason’s rules govern how lawmakers conduct official business, including how they introduce motions, cast votes, speak on the floor of each chamber, the conduct of each lawmaker, and the timing of filing bills and amendments of bills. Additionally, each chamber can add other limitations to its own rules if it receives a majority vote on them.
Once the first day’s business is concluded, the lawmakers enter into an “organizational session,” according to Oliver.
The state constitution dictates state lawmakers meet for “organizational purposes” to start the session. During this time, lawmakers cannot pass legislation on a third and final reading as is required by law. This organization time cannot last more than 15 consecutive calendar days, according to the constitution.
Some things on the agenda during the organizational session include a joint convention on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 9:30 a.m. During this convention, all 132 lawmakers will meet in the House chambers to elect constitutional officers.
These officers include the secretary of state, comptroller of the treasury, and state treasurer. Oliver said this is merely a formality, as all the current officers are expected to be reelected.
The next item on the organizational agenda happens on Thursday, Jan. 16, according to Oliver. At this time, lawmakers will attend an ethics training program. All lawmakers receive training on compliance laws “to make sure no one does anything illegal or unethical.”
Other official and unofficial things happen during this time, according to Oliver. Lawmakers will receive their committee assignments from their respective speakers and begin filing more bills prior to the legislative filing deadline, offices may be rearranged in the Cordell Hull State Office building, and new members will receive their parking spots and name plates.
After Jan. 16, the Senate will recess for one week, according to Oliver.
“Even if you don’t care about politics, this is where decisions are made about things that affect all of us—schools, hospitals, roads, and even how much stuff costs,” the senator said in her newsletter.
