The Department of Safety and Homeland Security Partners With Participating County Clerks To Issue REAL ID
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) Driver Services Division began issuing Real ID driver license and identification cards July 1, 2019. Starting today, Tennessee residents have four new avenues to obtain a Real ID rather than visiting a Driver Services Center. Wilson, Jefferson, Union and Grangier County clerk offices are now able […]
Tennessee Higher Education Commission Wins SLC STAR Award for Third Consecutive Year
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s (THEC) Tennessee Reconnect program was selected as one of two winners of the Southern Legislative Conference’s 2019 State Transformation in Action Recognition (STAR) award. The STAR award identifies and promotes state government solutions to regional problems, focusing on policy innovations that are creative, impactful, transferable and effective. This STAR award […]
Tennesseans Locate Over $17.5M in Life Insurance Benefits
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) announces that over $17.5 million in life insurance benefits have been located for Tennesseans since Jan. 1 through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator Service. Available since November 2016, the Life Insurance Policy Locator Service is a free tool that enables beneficiaries, executors, […]
50 Attorneys General Secure $600 Million from Equifax in Largest Data Breach Settlement in History
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III today announced that a coalition of 50 Attorneys General, comprising 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has reached a settlement with Equifax as the result of an investigation into a massive 2017 data breach. The investigation found that Equifax’s failure to maintain reasonable […]
Civil Asset Forfeiture: New Research Indicates Limited Value, Federal and State Reform Legislation Pending
A media release and comprehensive report made by the Institute for Justice (IJ) demonstrates the limited value of civil asset forfeiture in curtailing crime. Tennessee ranks among the top states for the use of civil forfeiture, the practice of seizing private property and cash under criminal code without the requirement of a conviction or filing […]
Shop Tax Free in Tennessee Next Weekend!
Mark your calendars, and get your shopping carts ready! Tennessee’s once-a-year sales tax holiday weekend happens Friday, July 26 through Sunday, July 28. During this holiday period, shoppers can save nearly 10 percent on more than 150 different items, including clothing, school supplies and computers, as students prepare for the back-to-school season. State and local […]
SFMO: Don’t Give Fire Safety a Vacation this Summer!
While school is out and temperatures rise, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is reminding Tennesseans to not send fire safety on a summer vacation. Overall, summer is statistically less deadly than winter when it comes to fires. However, summer comes with its own set of dangers that parents and homeowners shouldn’t forget. Remember: […]
TN REDLINE Adds New Text Communication Capability
The Tennessee REDLINE today unveiled its new text message capability for people seeking a referral to addiction treatment services. The number for confidential referrals via voice call or text message remains the same: 800-889-9789. Since 1989, the Tennessee REDLINE has served as a referral service to addiction treatment for people and their families looking for […]
TN AG Reaches $5.8 Million Multi-Jurisdiction Settlement with LexisNexis under State False Claims Act
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III and local law enforcement agencies within the State, today announced the execution of a Settlement Agreement with LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Inc., and several affiliates (“LexisNexis”). The Settlement Agreement – which also was executed by the State of Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, and the City of Baltimore […]
Department of Safety and Homeland Security Will Issue REAL ID Driver License Beginning July 1
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) Driver Services Division has begun issuing REAL ID driver license and identification cards effective July 1, 2019. All driver services centers are equipped and ready to issue the credentials to Tennesseans who decide to obtain the REAL ID. The REAL ID Act of 2005 establishes minimum security standards […]
SFMO: Leave Fireworks to the Experts this Fourth of July
Ahead of Fourth of July festivities, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is reminding residents of the Volunteer State about the dangers associated with consumer fireworks. The SFMO urges Tennesseans to leave the fireworks to the experts this Independence Day. “Watching a fireworks display is a fun Fourth of July tradition for many Tennesseans,” […]
Gov. Bill lee and Tenn. General Assembly expand Behavioral Health Safety Net Eligibility
More Tennesseans are now eligible for free mental health services through the state’s Behavioral Health Safety Net program. New, broader eligibility criteria take effect today (July 1, 2019) increasing the number of uninsured, underinsured, and indigent people who can receive services through the program. Governor Bill Lee proposed and the Tennessee General Assembly approved $5 […]
Operation Dry Water to be Held July 5-7
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will be participating in Operation Dry Water, July 5-7. Operation Dry Water is a national weekend of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) awareness and enforcement campaign directed toward reducing alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities. Operation Dry Water is held annually near the Fourth of July holiday to give BUI […]
Statement from Gov. Bill Lee on Special Session
Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee released the following statement regarding his signing of a Proclamation calling the Tennessee General Assembly into a special session on August 23: “It is in the best interest of our State to select a new Speaker of the House, and so I am calling a special session of the General […]
Majority of Tennessee Counties Continue To Have Low Unemployment
Newly released unemployment data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) for May 2019 shows unemployment rates for nearly every county in the state are below 5 percent for the month. Ninety-one counties have unemployment rates lower than 5 percent and four counties have a rate of 5 percent or higher in […]
Disaster Loans Now Available to Help Flood Impacted Businesses, Residents in 19 Counties
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced today the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will make its disaster loan program available in five counties recovering from the severe storms and flooding from Feb. 6 through Feb. 24, 2019. “We are committed to pursuing every assistance option available to help Tennesseans put their lives and businesses back together […]
