Senator Page Walley Gives Highlights From the 2025 Legislative Session

On Tuesday, April 22nd, the General Assembly concluded its operations for the Legislative Session of 2025. Investing in infrastructure, preventing illegal immigration, enhancing public safety, and upholding fiscal responsibility with Tennessee taxpayer funds were the session’s key priorities. Highlights of the session includes; Caring for Communities and Infrastructure, Agriculture, Strong Public Schools, Illegal Immigration, Dismantled DEI and Restored Merit-Based Systems, Public Safety, Protecting Children and Families, Pro-Life, and Health. Here are a few takeaways from each point covered during the session. For Caring for Communities and Infrastructure, a bill was passed to redirect tire sales tax revenues to the highway fund, this will add $80 to $96 million per year for desperately needed road improvements. For Agriculture, an established $25 million Farmland Preservation Fund for landowners to put property in conservation easement. For Strong Public Schools, the assembly increased investments in kindergarten through 12th Grade education by $439 million, including teacher pay raises and infrastructure improvements. For Illegal Immigration, the assembly created the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division within the Department of Safety to coordinate with federal and local governments to implement immigration policies and established the Immigration Enforcement Grant Program to aid local law enforcement. For Dismantled DEI and Restored Merit-Based Systems, the assembly prohibited public and private colleges in Tennessee from using race or national origin to make admissions or scholarship decisions and ended race-based selection for membership of state boards. For Public Safety, the assembly protected private property rights, cracked down on organized retail crime, raised penalty for exposing children to fentanyl, and strengthened penalties for sexual abuse. For Protecting Children and Families, the assembly strengthened several penalties related to child abuse, improved the adoption and foster care system, and enhanced protections and rights for children in DCS custody. For Pro-Life, the assembly targeted illegal distribution of abortion pills and established pro-life protections for mothers facing serious pregnancy complications. Lastly for Health, the assembly expanded prenatal screening to protect mothers and babies, and required medical examinations of deceased mass shooters to test for psychotropic drugs. In the coming weeks, Senator Page Walley will be highlighting other legislation as well. For more information, details, or questions, you can contact 615-741-2368 or sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov.