Get Ready for Muslim Day on the Hill!
We’re keeping this week’s legislative update short because all eyes are on Tuesday, February 25, 2025—Muslim Day on the Hill!
We're gearing up for a powerful day of bipartisan meetings, advocacy, and community-building at the State Capitol. With over 130 RSVPs, leaders, student groups, and community members from across Tennessee are coming together to make our voices heard.
Stay tuned for updates!
State Bills to Watch
Several key bills are currently moving through the legislative process and will soon be debated in committees in their respective chambers. These pieces of legislation have the potential to significantly impact our communities, so it’s important to stay informed. We encourage you to stay tuned for upcoming action alerts and find ways to engage and make your voice heard as these bills move forward. Your involvement is crucial to shaping the future of our state.
HB1023, introduced by Representative Russell, is back on the calendar for the House Transportation Subcommittee on 2/25/2025 after being taken off notice on 2/18/2025. This bill unfairly targets commercial drivers with limited English proficiency, putting their livelihoods at risk and burdening businesses with unnecessary fines.
Under HB1023:
Drivers who cannot read and speak English well enough to meet vague state-defined standards will be taken off the road immediately during inspections.
Their CDL will be suspended until they pass an English proficiency test created by the Tennessee Department of Safety.
Employers will be financially responsible for fines and fees and could face a $500 penalty for hiring drivers who don’t meet the language requirement.
Tennessee’s trucking industry already struggles to find qualified drivers. By restricting the labor pool, this bill will make it harder for businesses to keep goods moving, leading to supply chain disruptions and higher costs for businesses and consumers alike. Many immigrant truck drivers are hardworking taxpayers, small business owners, and legal residents who have years of driving experience and excellent safety records. Penalizing them for language barriers, rather than evaluating their driving ability, is unfair and counterproductive.
Additionally, federal law already mandates English proficiency for commercial drivers. Adding state-level restrictions only increases bureaucracy, makes hiring more difficult, and discourages skilled workers from staying in Tennessee. There is also no clear evidence that English fluency improves road safety—experience and training matter far more than language.
This bill is an unnecessary and discriminatory measure that will harm hardworking immigrant and non-English-speaking drivers, disrupt supply chains, and create financial hardships for businesses.
UPDATE: Oppose HB0322 – Harmful Criminalization of Immigrant Support
The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee hearing on HB0322 was canceled, but we anticipate it will be debated in committee in the next few weeks or so. Now is the time to take action!
Take Action Now! Contact the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee and tell them to VOTE NO on HB0322!
HB0322 introduced by Representative Barrett, creates new state-level criminal offenses for "human smuggling" and "harboring" while granting the Attorney General broad authority to take legal action - including filing articles of dissolution - against businesses or nonprofits he believes have or will engage in human smuggling.
Broad & vague language - This bill could be weaponized against Tennesseans providing basic care or services to immigrants, including nonprofit workers, churches, schools, landlords, and individuals with immigrant family or friends.
Targeting nonprofits - The Attorney General could dissolve immigrant-serving nonprofits based on unproven allegations, undermining critical services.
Chilling effect on service providers - Instead of focusing on supporting communities in need, nonprofits will have to worry about legal threats for simply carrying out their missions.
Update on HB0609: Bill Taken Off Notice
On February 19, 2025, HB 0609 was taken off notice in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee, meaning it will not advance at this time. This proposed legislation sought to bar unauthorized immigrants from filing civil lawsuits in Tennessee, effectively denying access to justice for some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
AMAC strongly opposed HB0609 because it undermined fundamental legal protections and would have set a dangerous precedent by restricting who can seek legal recourse in our state’s courts. The ability to hold bad actors accountable—whether in cases of wage theft, landlord abuse, or personal harm—should not depend on immigration status.
While this is an important step, we remain vigilant. This legislation could resurface, and we will continue working alongside our partners to defend the rights of all individuals in Tennessee.
Kommentare