Gov. Bill Lee today signed the Smart Heart Act, legislation that requires automatic external defibrillators (AED) in schools and establishes response protocols for cardiac-related medical emergencies. The bill received unanimous, bipartisan legislative support. The Smart Heart Act requires each public and nonpublic school serving grades nine through 12 to maintain an AED that is accessible during the school day and during all school athletic activities. Additionally, schools must establish, review and annually practice an emergency action plan for responding to students who sustain cardiac arrests or other life-threatening injuries while participating in athletic activities. The legislation also ensures that appropriate personnel on and off the field, including coaches, are trained in CPR and AEDs. Read more from the governor's office.

On May 17, Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Safety and Homeland Security (DSHS) Commissioner Jeff Long and Tennessee Office of Homeland Security Deputy Commissioner Greg Mays presented badges to 26 new Tennessee Office of Homeland Security special agents in a graduation ceremony at the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in Nashville. A press release from the department noted that 83 out of 95 counties have a special agent assigned since funding became available on July 1, 2023.

Kingsport attorney Julia C. West died May 16 at age 85. She graduated from East Tennessee State University (ETSU) with a degree in English and master's degree in English Literature. West went on to pursue a law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and began practicing law in 1992. Her legal career spanned more than two decades, focusing on government tort liability. She was a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and the Kingsport Bar Association, serving as its president in 2000. Services will be held at 1 p.m. EDT on May 23 at Oak Hill Memorial Park, 800 Truxton Dr., Kingsport 37660. A memorial service will follow at 1:30 p.m. at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home, 117 E. Charlemont Ave. The family will receive friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Julia C. West Foundation, established to continue West's legacy by supporting local education and arts, as well as efforts to support animal welfare. Donations should be addressed to Julia C. West Foundation, 537 E. Center St., Kingsport, TN 37660.

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is developing a new “environmental context” metric pertaining to colleges and universities based on factors such as institutional student spending, graduation rates and the percentage of undergraduates who received federal need-based Pell Grants, Reuters reports. The goal of the new college metric — along with the existing neighborhood and high school ratings — is to help law schools better understand the advantages or barriers their applicants have encountered, and to offer a fuller picture of their potential beyond grades and standardized test scores.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met in Columbia to consider five applicants for a circuit court judge vacancy in the 22nd Judicial District, which includes Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties. The vacancy will be created by the upcoming retirement of Judge David Allen on Aug. 3. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the commission selected Jessica H. Parrish, Wesley M. Bryant and Lee E. Brooks to forward to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration.

ABA President Mary Smith is asking the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence to study the prevalence and impact of bar admission questions that require survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking to disclose their involvement in legal and administrative proceedings. The ABA Journal reports that three U.S. senators raised the issue in a letter to Smith, saying that character and fitness questions on bar applications often require would-be lawyers to disclose whether they have been a party to legal or administrative proceedings. The letter also points out that in some states, broad wording may require survivors to disclose campus sexual misconduct complaints or protection orders related to a domestic violence or sexual assault.

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision ruled that a separate hearing is not required when police seize cars loaned to drivers accused of drug crimes. Two Alabama women loaned their cars to individuals who later used them in drug crimes. They had argued that they were entitled to a preliminary hearing to determine whether police could retain their cars during the forfeiture process. The court said Congress and the states have long authorized police to seize and hold personal property pending a forfeiture hearing, without separate preliminary hearings. The ABA Journal has the story.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the "Transparency In Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act," which would require event ticket sellers to disclose the total cost of tickets upfront to consumers, including so-called hidden fees. According to The Hill, lawmakers say the bill is aimed at increasing transparency in the live event ticket marketplace by requiring the full cost of event tickets to be disclosed to consumers upfront. The bill also seeks to ban sales of tickets that sellers do not have and guarantee refunds for event cancellations, according to a release detailing the measure. The bill also has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

Kingsport City Manager Chris McCartt and Deputy City Manager Ryan McReynolds have announced that the new $19 million Kingsport Justice Center expansion and renovation, funded by $13.4 million in city bonds and $5.6 million in Sullivan County bonds, should be complete and ready for use no later than May 2026. The Times News reports that the project will add more than 17,000 square feet to the late 1980s building and put county offices still in the old City Hall under the same roof as city offices, Kingsport City Police and various courtrooms. Of the facility's 17,600 square feet, about 9,000 is on the first floor with the remaining 8,600 on the second floor.

FBI agents recently raided two East Tennessee residences, including a Carson-Newman University dorm room, which investigators say were part of a scheme allowing foreign technology workers to work for U.S. companies under the stolen identities of American residents. According to the search warrant, a laptop farm is a "location hosting multiple computers all connecting to the internet through the same network, wherein individuals at the laptop farm assist remote individuals with logging on to the computers." This makes it appear like the remote individual is working at the laptop farm to avoid suspicion from their employer. Knox News has more on the story. Read the school's statement about the situation to WBIR.