NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The 114th General Assembly has gaveled in, but before they take up any of the hundreds of pieces of legislation already filed, lawmakers will begin their special session to address school vouchers, immigration safety, and disaster relief for East Tennessee.
There are 10 total bills filed for the special session called by Gov. Bill Lee, including five bills in the House and their five companion bills in the Senate. The special session will convene on Monday, Jan. 27.
HB 6001/SB 6002
This bill creates a new subsect of the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security called the “centralized immigration enforcement division.” The division will be spearheaded by the Chief Immigration Enforcement Officer, according to the bill text.
Additionally, the bill creates a grant program for promoting the enforcement of federal immigration laws and establishes criminal penalties for officials who adopt sanctuary policies—including removal from office if convicted. The bill also requires the department of safety to issue separate driver licenses for lawful permanent residents in Tennessee as opposed to standard driver licenses “to aid in determining voter eligibility” in the state.
HB 6002/SB 6004
HB 6002 authorizes the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) to assist communities or local EMAs with recovery on public property at the request of those communities or agencies. The bill would also suspend certain eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits for people in the declared disaster areas under emergency declarations from the governor.
This bill is tied to the disaster brought to East Tennessee by Hurricane Helene in November of 2024.
HB 6003/SB 6003
Another Hurricane Helene disaster relief bill, this legislation would created two separate funds within the Tennessee Treasury Department known specifically as the “Hurricane Helene interest payment fund” and the “Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund.”
These funds would be used to assist with the response and recovery efforts from those counties and communities covered under the Hurricane Helene emergency declarations.
HB 6004/SB 6001
While the “Education Freedom Act of 2025” was already filed in the general assembly, this bill puts the issue forward in the special session entirely.
This bill would expand the “education savings account” program, also known as school vouchers, from three counties to statewide, offering “scholarships” for students to attend private schools in Tennessee.
HB 6005/SB 6005
The last bill filed in the special session is the most important: these bills provided the funding for the other four bills listed in the special session.
These appropriations bills allow for $225.8 million in recurring funding, as well as a one-time allocation of $198,400,000 for the purposes of implementing the “Education Freedom Act of 2025,” to operate statewide.
Of the recurring monies, the bill states $148.6 million will come from the state’s general fund, with the remaining $77.2 million coming from privilege tax collections.
The Hurricane Helene disaster funding is listed as $210 million in nonrecurring funds. Of that total, the Interest Payment Fund will receive $110 million, and the remaining $100 million will be placed in the Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund.
Another $240 million in nonrecurring funds are set to be put toward the TEMA bill, according to the bill.
There are also several more specific appropriations in the appropriations bill.
Carter County will receive $20 million for the reconstruction and relocation of Hampton High School; $6.2 million will be allocated for the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) for school districts for “active tourism development zones”; and another $17 million for TDOE will be for direct payments to “high-performing” school districts starting with the 2023-2024 school year.
Finally, the bill allows for all staffing and per diem costs for all necessary personnel at the Capitol.
