Several new laws will go into effect this Friday (January 1, 2021) in Tennessee:

LAW ENSURES 911 OPERATORS ARE TRAINED FOR CPR – Legislation is set to become effective January 1 to ensure 911 operators across the state are prepared to provide cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) instructions to a caller in an emergency situation. Previously, not all counties allowed 911 operators to run callers through CPR instructions.

According to the American Heart Association, each year an estimated 350,000 sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) events occur in the United States in an out-of-hospital environment. Almost all of these events result in a call for help to 911. Without quick intervention in the form of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, death from SCA is certain. The new law ensures all 911 operators in the state will provide telecommunicator cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR), as well as receive proper training to administer it.

The legislation also includes liability protection for those providing this service.

LAW SUPPORTING VETERANS IN CRISIS — Legislation seeking to support and protect Tennessee veterans will be effective January 1, 2021. It requires the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) to provide training in suicide prevention to their employees who directly interact with veterans.  The training is available free of charge to DVS through suicide prevention networks, with the goal of getting these veterans the help they need to save lives.

LEGISLATION RAISES THE MINIMUM AGE TO PURCHASE TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO 21 – A new law will become effective to raise the age from 18 to 21 to purchase, possess, transport, smoke or consume any tobacco, hemp or vapor products. Last December, President Trump signed into law a provision in the federal budget making it a violation to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21, including e-cigarettes and vaping cartridges. The new law puts state statutes in harmony with federal law and ensures Tennessee will continue to receive $32 million in federal block grant funds.

The use of vaping and e-cigarette products has grown dramatically over the past several years among youth.  A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study shows that 19.6 percent of high schoolers and 4.7 percent of middle school students reported are frequent users.

The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse partners with Department of Agriculture each year to ensure tobacco products are not sold to underage individuals.  Federal block grant funds provide prevention treatment and recovery support services and activities for people at risk or who have substance abuse disorders.

The legislation requires any person under 21 years of age who directly or indirectly purchases or attempts to purchase smoking paraphernalia using fake identification be subject to the jurisdiction of the appropriate general sessions court.

TENNESSEE PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT – To ensure pregnant workers have reasonable accommodations in the workplace, the legislature approved the Tennessee Pregnant Workers Fairness Act during the 2020 legislative session.  The new law, which will become effective January 1, 2021 sets a presumption that any reasonable accommodations provided for employees with medical conditions be extended to employees who are pregnant. It also establishes clear guidelines for employers and employees on how to navigate pregnancy in the workplace.

The legislation guarantees that if a pregnant woman talks with her doctor and needs a temporary reasonable accommodation to remain healthy and working, she will receive that accommodation unless it would be a hardship on the business. Examples of accommodations include a stool to sit on, extra restroom breaks, temporary limits on lifting, or even the availability of water. Increased access to water, reduced exposure to chemicals, decreased standing requirements and other reasonable accommodations will lessen a mother’s risk of going into an early labor, according to expert testimony heard in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee earlier this year.

Persons violated under provisions of the act can seek recourse by bringing a civil action in the appropriate court. Alternatively, the issue could also be resolved by the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act before going to court.

LEGISLATION LOWERS MINIMUM YEARS OF SERVICE FOR RETIREMENT FOR CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS, EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL — Legislators voted this year to approve legislation that reduces the minimum number of creditable service years required for a correctional officer or emergency medical services personnel to retire from 30 to 25. If the employee chooses to retire at 25 years it would be with some reduced benefits.  The law will become effective January 1, 2021.

LEGISLATION CLARIFYING SOME DEED CHANGES DO NOT INVALIDATE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMITS – This legislation ensures a homeowner who is using their primary residence as a short-term rental will not be subject to commercial property tax. Taxes owed when short term renting a property will be collected by the platform and remitted to the Department of Revenue, significantly increasing revenue for local governments.

Another new law will require municipal utility boards or their governing bodies to establish guidelines for devoted revenues with the assistance of the Comptroller’s office and to produce an annual report of expenditures made.