114th General Assembly: TSEA Priorities and helpful links
The One Hundred Fourteenth General Assembly has officially convened as of Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at noon (CST). As the legislative session begins, TSEA is fully committed to advocating for legislation that improves the lives of state employees, higher education employees, and retirees.
Below are key details and resources to help you stay informed and engaged throughout this 2025 legislative session.
Bill numbers coming soon
Over the next few weeks, we will continue our work to secure sponsors for the legislation we hope to advance. The bill filing deadline for both the House and Senate is Feb. 6. Once we have bill numbers for our initiatives and any additional legislation we plan to monitor, we will publish this information on our 2025 Legislation page:
https://tseaonline.org/2025-legislation/.
Check back in February for a complete list of bill numbers and key legislation we are actively monitoring.
Weekly Legislative Updates Begin in February
Starting in February, TSEA will launch weekly Legislative Updates for members. These updates will include insights, highlights, and developments from the General Assembly and will be available here.
TSEA’s 2025 Legislative Agenda
- Supporting 6 weeks of paid leave if an employee becomes a foster parent to a minor child.
- Permanently increase the 401K match to $100.
- Initiate clarifications to the TEAM Act.
- Removing the TCRS cap of 3% to aid in more adequate COLA adjustments for retirees, when state funding is better.
- Expand funding for students with intellectual disabilities.
- Restore Longevity.
Additional items:
- Higher Ed: Work with state higher education institutions to standardize definitions and ensure the inclusion of professional staff in grievance policies across all public colleges and universities.
- Continue supporting the funding of market research/studies for employee pay increases.
Other Concerns Being Researched:
- Compression from salary range movement.
- Unfair hiring practices within some departments in state government.
- Contracting Practices
- Implementation of TDOT’s EPIC (Empowering People Influencing Culture) and hazardous pay via activity codes.
Important Links to Bookmark
- Legislative Schedules and Calendars: Stay updated on session schedules and access livestream links by visiting the Legislative Schedules and Calendars page.
- Find Your Elected Legislator: Use your address to locate your representatives here.
- House Members Directory: View the full list of House members.
- Senate Members Directory: View the full list of Senate members.
- Bills We’re Advancing or Monitoring: Stay informed about legislation we’re supporting or tracking by visiting the 2025 Legislation page.
- Legislative Updates: Access our weekly insights and highlights as they are published here.
- TSEA Historical Legislative Accomplishments: CLICK HERE to view TSEA’s Historical Legislative Accomplishments and complete Lobby Record.
Lobby Day
Our 2025 Lobby Day will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Nashville, TN. Watch your email and TSEA’s Co-Worker Newspaper for more details.
Northeast Legislative Event
TSEA is excited to announce we are holding the Northeast Legislative Event in Elizabethton on Saturday, Mar. 8, 2025, at 9:00 a.m.
Our regional legislative events allow TSEA members to hear directly from their state legislators in person and in their own communities. These events allow our members priority access to their state elected officials outside their hectic state legislature schedules.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
TSEA’s Northeast TN Legislative Event
Saturday, Mar. 8, 2025
9:00 a.m.
Elizabethton TCAT
426 Highway 91 North
Elizabethton, TN 37643