Tennessee lawmakers officially adjourn from their special session after 4 days. The session which was called by Governor Bill Lee to address wide range of issues including school vouchers, Hurricane Helene relief, and immigration. The session which took place throughout this week saw three major bills get passed, each with significant ramifications for the state.

HB6001 – Immigration Enforcement Bill
Introduced By Rep. William Lamberth & Sen. Jack Johnson

This bill which was passed in the senate on Thursday introducing sweeping reform in terms of immigration. First it establishes the Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division under the TN Department of Safety with the stated task of “overseeing state and local collaboration with federal immigration agencies”. The bill also creates a grant program for enforcing immigration law and requires proof of citizenship to receive a permanent driver’s license with non-citizens now required to get a temporary licensee with a special marker.

Potentially the most controversial part is section 7 which amends the existing law banning sanctuary cities (cities that choose not to cooperate with federal immigration authorities) to add a clause that charges any lawmaker that votes in favor of forming a sanctuary city with a felony. This has been widely criticized, and critics have called it a blatant violation of the 1st amendment.

HB6003 – Hurricane Helene Relief Funds
Introduced By Rep. William Lamberth & Sen. Jack Johnson

This bill which passed nearly unanimously creates two funds for East Tennessee counties which were affected by hurricane Helene last September. These funds are Hurricane Helene interest payment fund and The Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund. Both of these funds will be used to support local governments in paying for recovery efforts from Helene.

HB6003 – Education Freedom Act of 2025
Introduced By Rep. William Lamberth & Sen. Jack Johnson

The EFA is a highly controversial bill which gives 20,000 students $7,000 scholarships to attend private schools also known as school vouchers. Voucher had been a key part of Govenor Lee’s platform and efforts to implement a voucher bill had been ongoing for years. The Globe covered last year’s attempt at passing vouchers ended with the bill never getting a vote on the floor. This year the bill passed narrowly with 20 Republican representatives broke party lines to oppose the bill along with all 24 democrats. Many have criticized the bill for being a subsidy for already existing private school students at the cost of public education.

While the special session may be over the regular session is still ongoing and expecting to continue until at least April. Several key bills are expected to be heard such as laws on gun control and an attempt to abolish the grocery tax.