AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to education.
Summary
SB1327 makes a narrow amendment to Tennessee’s higher education copyright-infringement reporting law. The bill removes outdated introductory language in Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-7-142(c) that referred to a one-time report due by April 1, 2009 from the Board of Regents, the University of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. In place of that dated language, the statute would simply begin with “If,” leaving the operative conditional requirement in effect without the obsolete reference.
In practical terms, the bill updates the statute so it no longer contains a deadline and reporting instruction that has already passed. The underlying subject matter remains the same: higher education institutions’ efforts to deter copyright infringement over school computer and network resources. The act takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
Impact
The bill amends a single provision in Title 49 governing higher education and copyright enforcement efforts on campus networks. It does not create a new program or impose a new substantive duty; rather, it cleans up statutory text by deleting obsolete language tied to a 2009 reporting deadline. The affected parties are Tennessee’s public higher education systems and independent colleges and universities, along with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, which is the recipient of the referenced report under the existing statute.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so the bill’s sentiment appears neutral and procedural. The measure reads as a technical or housekeeping amendment intended to modernize statutory language rather than to change policy direction. Because no transcripts or votes are available, there is no evidence of opposition or support beyond the bill’s apparent administrative purpose.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the available record. The bill’s only visible change is the removal of outdated reporting language, so any disagreement would likely have centered on whether the statute should be left as-is or cleaned up for clarity. Since there are no committee transcripts or votes, no member, institution, or stakeholder position can be identified from the provided information.