SB 861

Present law describes the duties of the human rights commission, one of which is iden tifying any Tennessee laws, rules, programs, services and budgetary priorities that conflict with the components, guidelines, and objectives of the comprehensive state policy to ensure and to promote compliance with Title VI requirements. This bill remov e s this duty from the human rights commission and transfers it to the attorney general. ON APRIL 16, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 910, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #2 rewrites this bill to schedule the Tennessee human rights commi ssion for termination on July 1, 2025, and transfers the commission's duties concerning discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, malicious harassment, the Civil Rights Act of 1990, the "Tennessee Anti-Slapp Act, "" and education to the a ttorney general and reporter. The full text of this amendment specifies the process for winding up the commission's business and transferring the commission's procedures, reports, functions, duties, and records to the attorney general and reporter. This amendment transfers the commission's responsibility to verify that state government entities comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to the department of human resources. This amendment establishes a civil rights enforcement division in the office of the attorney general and reporter . The offices of the division are to be located in a place to be determined by the attorney general. The division will be headed by a director of civil rights enforcement who is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the attorney general. E ffective July 1, 2025, it is the legislative intent that all funding for 30 employment positions allocated to the commission prior to such date is to be transferred to the office of the attorney general and reporter. T h is amendment authorizes th e attorney general t o determine how and whether to utilize these positions."