Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, and Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, are working to introduce a bill that would provide tax relief for residents affected by Tuesday morning’s deadly tornados, the Tennessean reports. The legislation would allow displaced residents and homeowners with severe damage to their residence to get a tax refund for items such as major appliances and furniture. The bill would not be limited to residents in Cookeville or Sparta, but would be available for all Tennesseans impacted by the storm. Bailey said he is working with state officials on how to verify who would be eligible. Similar measures were made after the 2010 Nashville flood and the 2016 Gatlinburg fires.

Volunteers are needed to provide legal information, advice and representation to those affected by the recent Middle Tennessee tornado. Attorneys interested in volunteering to assist those affected by Monday’s tornado should complete this form: Volunteer for Tennessee Disaster Legal Response.

Pro bono opportunities include in-person legal clinics, answering questions posted to TN Free Legal Answers and taking individual cases. In addition to legal clinics and community education events, it is anticipated that there will be a great need to refer individual cases for representation. LAS recently launched its Pro Bono Matters website, which allows attorneys to look through a list of brief case descriptions and get more information or volunteer for individual cases. WPLN has a list of upcoming clinics and more.

Among the groups partnering to respond to the disaster are the Tennessee Bar Association, Nashville and Napier-Looby Bar Associations, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS), Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands (LAS), Tennessee Fair Housing Counsel, American Bar Association and others.

In the wake of devastating damage from tornadoes that moved through Middle Tennessee early Tuesday morning, the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is warning consumers to be aware of scams and other opportunists who take advantage of crisis situations. The office has released a brochure that details consumer disaster recovery tips. It also reports that consumers can check the legitimacy of any charity soliciting donations using the "Search for Registered Professional Solicitors" tool on its website.

The Tennessee legal community is already responding to the devastation brought about by the tornadoes that swept through Middle Tennessee early Tuesday morning. This involves both plans to provide free legal assistance to those affected by the storms, as well as support for attorneys whose practices were damaged or disrupted. The Tennessee Bar Association is working with the Nashville Bar Association, Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, the ABA and other local and specialty bar associations to provide these resources. Watch for more information in coming days on what is being done and how you can help.