Legislative activities are back in full swing, and we anticipate movement to begin in the coming weeks on some of the legislation we are working to advance.
Much of last week centered around Gov. Bill Lee’s seventh State of the State address, which he delivered Monday, February 10, 2025, to a joint session of the Tennessee General Assembly. The governor’s speech outlined many of his priorities for 2025 but didn’t provide many specifics about state employees; however, he once again recommended funding for performance raises in his proposed budget, which was released simultaneously. No percentage was tied to the amount this year, and we are currently communicating with the budget director and others to gather more details.
Helpful Links:
State of the State Script 2025:
https://www.tn.gov/governor/sots/2025-state-of-the-state-address.html
Gov. Lee’s Proposed Budget document – Fiscal Year 25/26:
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/finance/budget/documents/2026BudgetDocumentVol1.pdf
House Finance Budget Hearings:
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, TSEA attended budget hearings in the House Finance Committee meeting, which included notable presentations from State Treasurer David Lillard, who discussed the state pension, and Dept. of Human Resources (DOHR) Commissioner Juan Williams, who discussed the Department’s budget and answered questions about recruitment efforts and other items.
Treasurer Lillard’s remarks to the House Finance Committee included the following information about the State and Higher Ed pension plans:
- The Legacy Plan (pre-7/1/14 hires) is 94.48% funded.
- The Hybrid Plan (post-7/1/14 hires) is 101.3% funded.
It was also noted during the discussion that Tennessee ranks as the 3rd best-funded pension system in the nation, which is great news for state and higher education employees.
DOHR Commissioner Williams’ comments during his testimony to the House Finance Committee included information about talent acquisition and recruitment efforts:
- He attributed a recent rise in applicants to recent pay increases, citing an example where a position that previously received only two applications now gets over 200.
- The department is now shifting focus to hard-to-fill positions (e.g., Correctional Officers, DCS Case Managers) and working with agencies to develop targeted hiring strategies.
Legislation
The bills we are working to advance in support of our legislative agenda saw only minimal movement this week as the legislature begins to refer these bills to the various committees that will hear the legislation.
Letter of support for SB938/HB957:
This week, a letter of support from TSEA President Constance Smith-Burwell, Executive Director LaTanya McAdoo, and the full TSEA Board of Directors will be delivered to legislators urging them to vote YES on SB 938/HB 957 to expand paid leave benefits for Tennessee state employees who become foster parents to a minor child.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
“In 2023, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 276, which was part of the Lee administration’s initiative to provide six weeks of paid leave for state employees due to the birth or adoption of a child. This legislation became Public Chapter 216 and was a significant step forward in making Tennessee a leader in supporting state employees. SB 938/HB 957 simply expands this policy to include foster parents, ensuring that employees welcoming a foster child into their home receive the same paid leave benefits as those who give birth or adopt. We urge you to vote YES on SB 938/HB 957 and support Tennessee’s state employees who step up to care for vulnerable children.”
Legislative Bills
CLICK HERE for the lastest update to legislation we are working to advance as part of our 2025 legislative agenda.
Additional bills may be added to this list as the legislative session progresses.
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. Information was sent to chapter officers this week. Officers, check your inbox for registration details.
If you are not a chapter officer and are interested in attending Lobby Day, please contact your chapter for more details (your field rep can put you in contact with your local chapter leadership).
Don’t know your field rep and/or chapter information? Visit the chapter page on our website and select the county where you live using the dropdown box to learn your chapter and for your field rep’s contact information. https://tseaonline.org/chapters/
Northeast Legislative Breakfast
TSEA is excited to announce we are holding the Northeast Regional Legislative Breakfast 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
Questions about the Northeast Legislative Breakfast?
CLICK HERE to email Bryan Merritt
