Four bills coming out of the House

From a bill supporting public records to a measure limiting funding for birth control, here are four pieces of legislation leaving the Tennessee House for the governor’s desk or to the state Senate for consideration.

PUBLIC RECORDS

On Thursday, the House offered strong support for a measure by Rep. Jimmy Matlock, R-Lenoir City, that bolsters the state’s open records laws.

The measure calls for state organizations to create hardand-fast rules, rather than loose policies, concerning the process for open records requests. The House passed the bill, which previously moved through the Senate in a 94-0 vote.

This comes as the General Assembly has taken a closer look at the state’s open records law, finding 538 exemptions earlier this year. This bill goes to the governor’s desk.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT NONDISCLOSURES AND SETTLEMENTS

As the nation was shocked to learn in November that taxpayer dollars have been used to pay settlements for members of Congress, including sexual harassment claims, questions have been raised about what’s been done at the state level.

On Thursday, the House passed a measure proposed by two Democrats that prohibits employers from requiring employees to sign sexual harassment nondisclosure agreements as a condition of employment. The measure, which is before the Senate Calendar Committee, passed 92-0 in the House.

BIRTH CONTROL FUNDS

The House approved a bill that outlines the distribution of family planning funds.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, states that family planning funds dispersed by the Tennessee Department of Health must go first to state, county and local community health clinics and federally qualified centers.

This measure, which also previously moved through the Senate, passed 74-15 and will go to the governor’s desk.

EDUCATING COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The issue of more training for county commissioners has garnered heated debate among lawmakers, with some more sympathetic to local officials who don’t want to be told what to do more than others.

A measure passed in the House 80-10 requires newly elected members of county legislative bodies to complete seven hours of annual continuing education training.

While there would be no official punishment for not doing so, the comptroller of the treasury would post online the names of members who fail to do so. The bill, already through the Senate, goes to the governor’s desk.