A Solid Record of Improving health care for Tennesseans
A leader in bringing home services to the elderly and disabled
Long Term Care / home and community-based services -- Diane co-sponsored comprehensive legislation that gives elderly and disabled Tennesseans more long term care options. It simplifies access to home and community-based services and increases the number of people able to stay at home for long-term care needs through the state’s TennCare program. SB 4181
Long term self-directed care -- Diane sponsored a bill to establish a pilot program for “self-directed care” whereby individual patients have the opportunity to choose the health care services they think they deem necessary and who provides them. The new law helps senior citizens and the disabled to “age in place” in their homes. SB 1157
Long term care / hospice services -- Diane sponsored a long term care law to broaden the definition of assisted living to include hospice services and make it clear that any assisted-care living facility resident who qualifies for hospice care under Medicare can continue those services and also receive reimbursement for assisted living services. SB 2614
Diane is a leader on bringing affordable health care to Tennesseans
Health Care / Small Businesses -- Co-sponsored legislation allowing more small business owners join together to negotiate lower health insurance rates. The bill is designed to encourage more small employers to purchase health insurance and to give them predictability and stability in health-insurance rates. SB 4014
Small Business / Health -- Co-sponsored small business health care legislation that would establish tax credits for small business owners who offer health insurance to their employees and dependents. SB 2659
A Solid Record of Improving Education
Financial Literacy Education -- Diane sponsored new law to provide financial literacy courses in Tennessee schools and to help students understand basic money principles. The new law addresses Tennessee’s high bankruptcy rate by teaching children the basics of money management in school. PC 854
No bullying bill -- Diane sponsored and led to passage “no bullying” legislation which has become a model bill used by other states to encourage a safe and civil environment for students to learn in schools by discouraging harassment, intimidation, and bullying in schools. http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0202.pdf
Public Charters / at risk students -- Diane co-sponsored the public charter school that expanded enrollment to “at risk” students to give these children the opportunity they need to succeed in life. http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0414.pdf
Teachers -- Co-sponsored the bill to establish a lottery scholarship program to enable tenured public school teachers to obtain advanced degrees by agreeing to study and teach math and science. PC 977
A Solid Record of Protecting Children
Abortion -- Diane sponsored legislation overwhelmingly approved by the State Senate but that failed in the House that would have given Tennesseans the opportunity to restore their voice in determining what state law should be regarding common sense protections for abortions. SJR 127
Maximizing state spending on children -- Sponsored a new law to make sure that state money spent on children in Tennessee is being spent in the most effective and accountable manner. SB 4012
Child Protective Reform -- Co-sponsored a measure to reform child protective services in the state Department of Children’s Services (DCS). It addresses serious problems the state has been experiencing in the administration of child protective services.
http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0391.pdf
Jason Flatt Act / Suicide Prevention -- Sponsored Tennessee’s Jason Flatt Act which is now used as a model for other states to require training in suicide prevention as part of the annual in-service for all school personnel.
http://www.state.tn.us/sos/acts/105/pub/pc0045.pdf
Protecting children from sex offenders:
Sex offenders / Jessica’s Law -- Diane co-sponsored legislation that requires a minimum of 25 years jail time for rape of a child and lifetime GPS monitoring for child sex offenders.
PC 501
Sex Offenders / Children -- co-sponsored the “Child Protection Act of 2006,” a comprehensive law that stiffens penalties against child sex offenders.
PC 890
Adam Walsh Act -- Diane co-sponsored legislation to bring Tennessee more into line with the federal “Adam Walsh Act,” named after the murdered 6-year-old son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh. The new law adopts strict new standards for registering sex offenders and provides more public information about their crimes and whereabouts.
SB 4199
A Solid Record in Making our Streets Safer
Crime / Crooks with guns -- Co-sponsored legislation strengthening penalties against crooks who use guns during the commission of a felony.
PC 594
Crime Victims / DNA Database -- Co-sponsored a new law to require DNA samples from those who are arrested for violent offenses to widen the net to catch these criminals and help solve cold cases.
http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0891.pdf
Crime / Meth -- Co-sponsored legislation to curb meth production and use in Tennessee. The bill was designed to give law enforcement more tools to fight the deadly drug epidemic.
http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0018.pdf
Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence -- Diane co-sponsored a bill authorizing victims of stalking and sexual assault, as well as domestic abuse, to seek and obtain orders of protection against the perpetrator. She also co-sponsored the law that allowed the courts to impose additional penalties on those who violate orders of protection. http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0381.pdf,
http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0394.pdf
Protecting Victims of Domestic Violence -- Co-sponsored major legislation strengthening Tennessee’s stalking law by making it a Class E felony if any aggravating factors exist like when a deadly weapon is used, a threat of bodily harm exists, in cases where there is a violation of a previous order of protection, or if the victim is a minor. In addition, the bill required that victims be notified when their accused stalker is released on bail. http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0482.pdf
Strengthening Laws Against Drunk Driving:
Alcohol -- Diane sponsored a bill increasing the penalties for those who buy alcohol for those under the age of 21.
http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0900.pdf
Drunk Driving / protecting children -- Co-sponsored a law to require a minimum 30-day sentence and $1,000 fine for a conviction of drunk driving if a child under the age of 18 is in the vehicle.
http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0437.pdf
Child endangerment / DUI / -- Diane co-sponsored new law strengthening penalties for vehicular assault and vehicular homicide if a child is injured or killed as a result of a DUI.
PC 1177
DUI / BAC Test -- Sponsored new law that eliminates the two-hour period in which a blood alcohol test must be administered to be used as evidence in court. Some remote areas of the state have difficulty in securing the medical professionals needed to draw the blood for the test. This bill removes that requirement and leaves such decisions about admissibility of longer wait periods in the hands of the court.
SB 2623
Protecting Our Borders
Terrorism / Divestiture -- Diane co-sponsored legislation to begin the process for divesting Tennessee’s pension fund from holdings with companies that have substantial operations in nations determined by the U.S. State Department to be state-sponsors of terrorism.
SB 3277 Sponsored legislation on this is 2006 / SB 422
Illegal Immigrants / licenses -- Co-sponsored legislation to ensure that illegal aliens do not have a Tennessee driver’s license, or certificate of driving privileges.
PC 194
Sanctuary Cities -- Diane co-sponsored legislation this year to cut off economic and community grant money to any Tennessee city that might declare itself a "sanctuary city" for illegal aliens.
SB 2951
“English-in-the Workplace" -- Co-sponsored legislation clarifying that Tennessee employers have a right to institute an English-in-the-workplace policy which passed in the Senate. It would have made it clear that an English-in-the-workplace policy was not considered discrimination on the basis of national origin while the employee was engaged in work.
SB 2849
Hiring / Illegal immigration -- Co-sponsored the “Employer Responsibility in Hiring Practices Act”, the bill would have required employers to use the Employment Eligibility Verification Basic Pilot Program to ensure that new hires are eligible to legally work in the United States. The program is a web-based system that is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
SB 1870/*HB 0877
Protecting our Second Amendment Rights
Second Amendment Rights -- Diane co-sponsored “the castle doctrine” to allow the use of force if there is a reasonable belief that there is imminent danger of death of serious bodily injury.
PC 210
Gun Rights / Emergencies -- Co-sponsored a bill that protects the right of Tennesseans to keep and bear arms during declared emergencies.
PC 129
Restaurant Carry -- Co-sponsored legislation to allow legal gun permit holder to carry into restaurants, even if they do serve alcohol. The bill passed the Senate, but failed in the House of Representatives.
SB 23
Working To Provide Tax Relief
Food Tax Reduction -- Diane co-sponsored the law that reduced the sales tax on food from 6% to 5½%. The bill also provided for an additional spring sales tax holiday weekend.
PC 600
Property Tax Reduction -- Co-sponsored the bill to allow local governments to freeze property taxes for homeowners 65 and up.
PC 581
Property Tax Relief – Co-sponsored legislation to widen the number of elderly citizens eligible for tax relief by increasing the qualifying income level.
PC 539
Working To Improve Our Roads
Transportation funding -- Diane sponsored legislation to let the people proceed with alternative road construction, like toll roads, should they agree that a major road project should move forward.
PC 597
Toll roads / American-owned -- Co-sponsored legislation to require any toll roads that might locate in the state to be “American-owned.”
SB 2724
Better Roads / Maintenance and construction -- Sponsored legislation to stop or greatly curtail any diversion of road money from its dedicated revenue source. Although Tennessee has a pay-as-you-go road system, over the last five or six years, $280 million in road funds has been funneled from the gas tax to meet other state government expenditures. This legislation would make sure that when they people fill up their gas tanks that 21.4 cents will be used for the purpose for which it was originally intended.
SB 3345
Working To Help Our Veterans
Veterans / Veteran / Property Tax ReliefVetProperty Tax Relief -- Co-sponsored a measure that will help veterans with their property taxes.
PC 553
Veterans Home Board -- Diane co-sponsored legislation to reform the Tennessee Veterans Nursing Homes which have come under increasing state and federal scrutiny following recent allegations of abuse. The bill restructures the board, consolidates daily management responsibilities in a new executive committee, and provides for heightened accountability between board members and state government.
SB 3919
Teachers / relatives deployed in armed services -- Co-sponsored and voted to give teachers 10 days leave to meet up with their spouse, child, or parent if they are deployed out of the country and are granted Rest and Recuperation Leave (R&R).
SB 3364
Teachers / relatives deployed in armed services -- Diane co-sponsored legislation that allows the suspension of home mortgage foreclosure or motor vehicle repossession when Reserve/Guard member is called into active service and sent overseas during a time of hostilities until 90 days after return to Tennessee upon written notification of situation.
http://tennessee.gov/sos/acts/104/pub/pc0677.pdf