- 2023, Abortion, Government
Bans funding for abortions by counties and municipalities for employees.
HB 90 / SB 600
Bill Description
Bill Sponsors
Rep. Debra Moody
Sen. Joey Hensley
Bill Co-Sponsors
House: Lamberth, Bulso, Leatherwood, Fritts, Raper, Cepicky, Martin G, Carringer, Doggett, McCalmon, Howell, Ragan, Carr, Grills, Cochran, Sparks, Zachary, Littleton, Alexander, Powers, Todd, Richey, Warner, Terry
Senate: Bowling, Rose, Stevens, Jackson, Pody
TLRC Statement on Bill
We support any and all efforts to cease the practice of abortion in our state.
This bill deals with the expenditure of taxpayer funds being spent by local governments to either provide a benefit to employers for a criminal abortion or provide reimbursements to have an abortion out of state. With this bill now becoming law, this practice is illegal in the state. Taxpayers will not fund abortions.
Unfortunately, this bill does not go to the fullest extent in preventing a back door to these types of expenditures. One example is the Metro Nashville government which created a process by which tax abatements may be approved for corporations who offer to pay for their employees working in Tennessee to have abortions out of state as a healthcare benefit. While this is not a direct expenditure of funds, one could argue that forgoing tax revenue in favor of providing for travel for out-of-state abortions is just the other side of the same coin.
This bill unfortunately does not directly prohibit that activity. We hope to see these efforts to stop these practices continue to move forward.
