AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, relative to discrimination.
Summary
SB0305 adds a new nondiscrimination requirement for organizations or entities that receive state financial assistance for programs or activities. Under the bill, those recipients may not deny benefits, exclude a person from participation, or otherwise discriminate against an otherwise eligible person on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. The measure is framed as an amendment to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 21, Part 8, which governs discrimination-related provisions.
In practical terms, the bill conditions state funding on compliance with these civil rights protections for covered programs and activities. It does not create a broad new private program, but instead ties receipt of state assistance to nondiscriminatory treatment of eligible participants. The bill takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
Impact
The bill would expand and clarify state-law nondiscrimination obligations for entities receiving Tennessee financial assistance, making explicit that state-funded programs and activities cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin. It would affect state grant recipients, contractors, nonprofits, and other organizations operating programs with state support, and could expose covered entities to loss of funding or legal compliance consequences if they deny access or benefits on prohibited grounds.
Sentiment
The available voting record suggests strong support for the bill. It was recommended for passage in the Senate State & Local Government Committee by an 8-0 vote and then passed the Senate floor on third consideration by a 30-0 vote. No committee transcript or recorded debate was provided, so the public record here reflects broad consensus rather than documented opposition.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, any debate would likely center on the scope of the nondiscrimination rule, which entities count as recipients of state financial assistance, and how the provision would be enforced in practice. However, the unanimous committee and floor votes indicate that no significant opposition was recorded in the available history.