legislature Archives - Page 11 of 13 - Tennessee Coalition for Open Government

27 Feb, 2014

Bills affecting sunshine law, public notice headed to committee

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:44:51-05:00February 27, 2014|Categories: adequate public notice|Tags: legislature, public notice, school safety plans|0 Comments

A legislative proposal that would exempt from Tennessee's sunshine law any meeting regarding school safety plans is headed for a state Senate committee and House subcommittee next week. Also on the calendar next week is a bill that would require a newspaper to be designated by a local legislative body, such as a county commission or city council, as "a newspaper of general circulation" before that newspaper could be used to publish certain notices required by statute. One bill would alter the state's sunshine laws, and the other creates a new definition of "a newspaper of general circulation" as it relates to meeting standards for certain public notices. The proposal to allow [...]

27 Feb, 2014

Department moves to make health inspection reports public

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:46:23-05:00February 27, 2014|Categories: health facilities|Tags: health inspections, legislature, Open Records Act exemptions|0 Comments

To comply with federal law, the Tennessee Department of Health began in 2012 posting annual inspection reports of nursing homes on the state website. At the time, the Division of Health Care Facilities said it wanted to eventually post to the state website reports from all the health facilities it inspects. Proposed legislation this session paves the way for this, say those who have worked on the bill. The health department bill (SB 1629 and HB 1425) changes language in current law to explicitly make public its annual survey inspection reports of all health care facilities and pharmacies. The health department inspects a range of facilities, including assisted living centers, hospices, dialysis [...]

27 Feb, 2014

Bill would make lottery winners secret

By Deborah Fisher|2017-03-17T14:58:21-05:00February 27, 2014|Categories: exemptions, Legislature|Tags: legislature, lottery records, Open Records Act exemptions|0 Comments

A measure that would require the state lottery to include a warning label (“You will probably lose money playing the lottery”) is finding favor as it works its way through the legislature. But for those who, against all odds, actually win, perhaps another warning is needed: You will probably be hounded by cousins you didn't even know you had. State Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, seeks to help those lucky few avoid such annoyances by striking the names of lottery winners from the public record. If a winner expressly allows it, the state lottery could release the name "for marketing, advertising, or promotional purposes." Otherwise, the public doesn't get to know. Bowling [...]

27 Feb, 2014

Bill defines DCS disclosure of child death records

By Deborah Fisher|2021-02-02T12:12:05-06:00February 27, 2014|Categories: state records|Tags: child death records, DCS, legislature, open records|1 Comment

Chas Sisk with The Tennessean reports today of a bill that would lay out required disclosures of child death records by DCS. Such records were at the heart of a lawsuit last year led by The Tennessean. Here is an excerpt from Sisk's story. House lawmakers gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that sets new disclosure rules for the Department of Children’s Services. The House Civil Justice Subcommittee unanimously approved House Bill 1505 on a voice vote Wednesday afternoon after members raised no objections to the measure. The bill lays out the disclosures DCS must make when a child dies or comes close to death, and it says a full report [...]

21 Feb, 2014

News Sentinel: Privacy bill of no real help to sexual assault victims

By Deborah Fisher|2014-04-09T16:50:57-05:00February 21, 2014|Categories: crime records, exemptions, Legislature|Tags: crime records, Knoxville News Sentinel, legislature, Open Records Act exemptions, sexual assault records|0 Comments

This editorial was published by the Knoxville News Sentinel on Feb. 16, and reprinted here with permission: A bill that would ostensibly protect the privacy of sexual assault victims in Tennessee would actually endanger criminal prosecutions and do nothing to lessen the anguish of the people it purports to help. The legislation, introduced in the Senate by Knoxville Republican Becky Duncan Massey at the request of Metro Nashville government, would make all records containing virtually any information about a sexual assault victim confidential. “No portion of any report, paper, picture, photograph, video, court file, or other document in the custody or possession of any public officer or employee which identifies [...]