Business & Economy

• HB 2148: Establishes the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement within East Tennessee State University. This bill requires the center to develop a strategic statewide plan for nursing manpower based on a detailed analysis of workforce needs. This center’s goal is to lessen the gap for nurses in the workforce.

• HB 2146: Establishes a third-party skills testing program administered by the Department of Safety to facilitate the testing and licensure of commercial drivers; authorizes the Department of Correction to create a commercial driver license training program for purposes of training offenders who, upon release from incarceration, may be suitable for careers in the transportation industry.

• HB 2078: As enacted, requires employers to pay employees no less than the minimum wage, regardless of the subminimum wage for an employee whose earning or productive capacity is impaired by age, physical, or mental deficiency, or injury.

• HB 2144: Specifies that, for excise tax purposes, effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, Section 174 of the Internal Revenue Code, concerning the deduction for research and experimental expenditures, must be applied as it was in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

• HB 2608 (TN Broadband Investment Maximization Act of 2022): Beginning January 1, 2022, through June 30, 2025, the bill provides an exemption from state sales and use tax for all purchases and leases of all equipment machinery, or other infrastructure that is used in producing broadband communication services or to provide internet access.

• Appropriations:
  • Tax Cuts ($300M)
    • $3M – Agriculture machinery & equipment
    • $121M – License plate renewal fee removed for 1 year
    • $320K – Gun safes tax-free
    • $80M – Food sales tax holiday for August
    • $9.7M – Eliminates doctors from professional privilege tax
    • $204M – Broadband tax relief 3-year plan
  • Economic Development
    • $1.5M – Launch TN entrepreneur and mentor centers
    • $18 M- Tennessee Entrepreneurial Science and Technology Hub at UT Martin
    • $500M – Bond for Titans stadium and downtown improvements
    • $878M – Blue Oval development and area infrastructure (reflects 2021 appropriation)