AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 5; Title 6; Title 7 and Title 67, relative to the Ola Mae Ransom Reintegration Act.
Summary
HB1108 creates the “Ola Mae Ransom Reintegration Act” and provides that Tennessee may not charge a business license fee to any veteran of the United States military, including members of the National Guard and reserves. The bill is framed as an economic and entrepreneurial support measure intended to help veterans transition into civilian life by reducing the cost of starting or operating a business.
The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated § 67-4-723, which governs business license fees, by adding a new subsection that overrides the existing fee provisions for veterans. It applies statewide and would take effect July 1, 2025. The legislation is limited to the business license fee itself; it does not appear to alter other licensing requirements, tax obligations, or regulatory standards for businesses.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would exempt veterans from paying local business license fees under Tennessee’s business tax and licensing framework, reducing revenue collected by local governments from those fees. It would also create a new statutory carveout in Title 67 for veterans, while leaving the underlying licensing system in place for non-veterans and for other aspects of business regulation. The measure would affect veterans who are residents of Tennessee and seek to obtain or renew business licenses, as well as municipalities and counties that administer the fee.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill, with unanimous committee votes in both the House Business and Utilities Subcommittee and the House Commerce Committee. The bill’s stated purpose—to assist veterans in reintegration and encourage entrepreneurship—appears to have been broadly well received. No committee transcript is available, but the recorded votes indicate little to no opposition at the committee stage.
Contention
The main policy issue is the fiscal impact on local governments, since the bill would eliminate business license fee revenue for a defined class of applicants. Any debate would likely center on whether the veteran exemption is an appropriate incentive and recognition of military service versus a special carveout that reduces fee collections and creates unequal treatment among business owners. The bill text and vote record do not show organized opposition, but the fee exemption itself is the likely point of contention.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 54; Title 55; Title 65 and Title 67, relative to transportation.
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 54; Title 55; Title 65 and Title 67, relative to transportation.