|
Lottery Scholarships for Non-traditional Students - A priority issue for the Caucus in 2007 and 2008, less restrictive lottery scholarship requirements for non-traditional students, won approval in an “omnibus” lottery scholarship bill approved during the final days of the 2008 legislative session.
Protected Trust Exception for Child Support – Supported legislation which is designed to eliminate a potential problem related to “spendthrift” trusts. The trusts, which have recently become available in Tennessee after passage of a bill last year, allow the protection of personal assets from any creditor after a four-year waiting period. This year’s bill inserts an exception for child support orders as is the case in several other states.
Resource Mapping of Funds for Children - Required the Tennessee Commission on children and Youth to design and oversee a resource mapping of all federal and state funding sources that support the health, safety, permanence, growth, and development of children in the state. The Caucus supported the bill.
Mandatory Joint Custody – Worked Successfully to defeat legislation that would take away the discretion of judges to make child custody decisions based on the best interest of each individual child.
Child Custody and Support – Worked successfully to help pass legislation that would prohibit courts from determining that a parent who is partially or completely unemployed in order to care for a child under six years of age is willfully or voluntarily unemployed or underemployed for the purpose of determining child support. Determination of the income of that parent shall not be attributed any income other than income the parent actually earned during the time period being considered by the court in determining the income of each parent. Full bill is expected to be passed into law in 2008.
Victim’s Rights – Payment of Forensic Sexual Assault Examinations – Worked successfully to pass legislation that authorizes payment of costs for forensic sexual assault examinations (for the purpose of gathering evidence of sexual assault) from the Victim’s Compensation Fund for sexual assault victims and establishes a “Sexual Assault Examination Fund” to reimburse victims for these expenses that are not compensable under the victim’s compensation fund.
Mandatory Joint Custody – Worked successfully to defeat two separate pieces of legislation filed for mandatory joint custody. This legislation would take away the discretion of judges to make child custody decisions based on the best interest of each individual child. This legislation would presume that all children of divorce should automatically be placed in a mandatory joint custody situation. We fully believe that each case of child custody should be looked at separately and a ruling made which will be most beneficial to that child. We expect this issue to be back again next year.
Mandatory Joint Custody—Worked successfully to defeat this legislation in the House which would have required courts to divide physical and legal custody equally between parents. It would have taken discretion away from judges where the well-being of children were concerned. Expect this issue to be back again next year.
Health Insurance Continuance—Passed legislation which will require a covered spouse to give a 30 day notice to a dependent spouse before insurance coverage can be cancelled. Included authority for the judge in a divorce case to penalize the spouse, who dropped coverage without notice, by requiring that spouse to provide a health care policy for the non-insured spouse.
Breastfeeding Bill-Worked successfully to pass legislation giving women the legal right to breastfeed an infant in any place, public or private.
Constitutional Protection-Continued to play a major role in defeating legislation that would have taken away the privacy rights of women under our state constitution.
Child Support Study Committee-- Drafted and obtained passage of legislation requiring Department of Human Services to have study committee formulate child support guidelines which are fair to both parents, simple to apply, and which provide adequate support for children.
Spousal Rape– Worked successfully in concert with Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence to obtain funding for and passage of legislation to make the penalty for rape of a spouse the same as for rape of a nonspouse.
Custody–Worked successfully to keep legislation which would have required courts to divide physical and legal custody of children equally between both parents in most cases from advancing in the House. This will continue to be an issue in 2006.
Mandatory Joint Custody -- Played a major role in defeating proposed legislation which would have
created a presumption of equal physical and legal custody of children. As a result, courts continue to
retain discretion to order parenting arrangements in the best interests of children.
Constitutional Protection – Played a major role in defeating a resolution which would have reduced
the privacy protection of women under our state constitution.
Lottery Funds for Early Childhood Education – Advocated for earmarking excess lottery funds for
early childhood education.
Spousal Rape – Continued to work for funding of spousal rape legislation.
Continuation of Health Insurance -- Continued to work in coalition with other groups on legislation
for continuation of health insurance for spouses after divorce, or death of a spouse.
Fairness in Alimony – Drafted and obtained passage of legislation stating that it is the public policy of
Tennessee to support and encourage marriage and to consider economic detriment a spouse suffers for the
benefit of the marriage as a factor in determining alimony at the time of a divorce. Further, the court is
directed to consider the standard of living during the marriage in setting alimony.
Spousal Rape -- Continued to work for funding of spousal rape legislation
Constitutional Protection -- Continued to work in coalition with other groups to prevent progress of a
Resolution which reduces the privacy protection of women under our state constitution.
Continuation of Health Insurance -- Continued to work in coalition with other groups on legislation for
Continuation of health insurance for spouses after divorce, or death of a spouse.
Spousal Rape -- Continued to work for funding of spousal rape legislation.
Constitutional Protections -- worked in coalition with other groups to prevent progress in the House of a resolution which reduces the privacy protection of women under our state constitution.
Continuation of Health Insurance – worked in coalition with other groups on legislation to obtain continued health insurance for spouses after divorce.
Custody – Helped defeat an effort to remove judicial discretion in custody cases.
Home and Community Based Healthcare Services – Successfully passed funding for services.
see earlier accomplishments - click here
|
