The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced a bill today that would require TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to divest the app or face a U.S. ban, The Hill reports. The “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” advanced out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan support just two days after it was introduced by Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, the top lawmakers on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok has pushed back on allegations that it poses national security risks based on its ownership by a Chinese company.

This week's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Williamson County attorney David R. Grimmett is now available to watch online. The pair talked about the need to increase the hourly rate and cap for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent, and expressed support for the Administrative Office of the Court’s budget request of $26.145 million to raise the hourly rate to $80 per hour. Following their testimony, the committee approved a motion in support of adding $26.145 million to the governor's budget for that purpose. The funds ultimately will be decided through budget negotiations between the administration and the legislature. Watch the TBA's testimony beginning at 17:08.

The TBA Health Law Section on April 29 will host part two of its series on artificial intelligence (AI) governance. While AI can greatly assist with health care concerns such as consumer engagement, patient monitoring, diagnosis, treatment and research, it also leads to numerous questions involving data privacy and security. Join experts Barbara Bennett and Gene Price who will provide a brief overview of AI systems and discuss the privacy and security risks associated with those systems in a health care or health and wellness application. Register now.

The TBA Health Law Section registry is a great place to find colleagues with a similar focus. The directory provides a list of section members and their contact information, as well as a list of any other sections or TBA groups in which they participate. The content provides an avenue to connect with like-minded lawyers and find health law attorneys versed in other practice areas as well. View the section directory here.

The Memphis Police Department will receive $1.9 million in federal funding to purchase new technology, Action News 5 reports. The funds will go toward blue light cameras, officer body-worn cameras and department software updates. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, announced the funding, which the police chief says will be put to use in high-crime areas.

Georgia lawyer Erik Todd Fuqua has been reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee. Fuqua was placed on inactive status more than five years ago, on Oct. 5, 2014. He petitioned for reinstatement and the Board of Professional Responsibility deemed it to be satisfactory. The court issued its order today but made the reinstatement effective as of March 22.

The Nashville Hispanic Bar Association (NHBA) recently named its 2024 board of directors. They are: President Ana L. Escobar, judge on the Davidson County General Sessions Court, Div. 3; Vice President Alé Dalton with Bradley Arant Boult & Cummings; Secretary Ginnette Garza Brown, associate general counsel for Tennessee State University; Treasurer Michael Rivas with Michael Rivas Law; and Immediate Past President David Esquivel with Bass Berry & Sims. The NHBA began in 2019 and was officially incorporated in 2022. The group’s Eviction Right to Counsel Program provides free legal services and education to low-income residents in the immigrant community who are facing eviction. Read more in a news release from the group. For more information contact the association at hispanicattorneystn@gmail.com.

A lawsuit against Vanderbilt University Medical Center over the release of medical records of some patients of its transgender health clinic will move forward but with a narrower scope, a judge ruled Monday. According to the Tennessean, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal dismissed four of the plaintiffs' 10 claims, narrowing the issues down mostly to the plaintiffs' accusations of negligence against the medical center. Vanderbilt said it was pleased several claims were dismissed and that it looks “forward to the opportunity to prove that all sensitive information was handled appropriately and in accordance with state and federal law.” The issue centers on whether Vanderbilt erred when it turned records over to the state attorney general’s office, which said it needed the information for an investigation into possible medical billing fraud.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold its 6th Annual Breakfast of Champions on April 17 at 8 a.m. CDT in Nashville. The event, which will take place at the City Winery, 609 Lafayette St., Nashville 37203, brings Middle Tennessee’s legal community and business leaders together to support the organization’s work. Funds raised at the breakfast directly impact low-income and vulnerable communities by providing free community education and legal representation. Learn more and register online or view the invitation.

LARSEN, Circuit Judge. Jason Schwebke sued his employer, United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), alleging disability discrimination under state and federal law. For seven months, UWM participated in extensive discovery—producing tens of thousands of pages of documents, taking and defending depositions, and issuing third-party subpoenas—without ever mentioning arbitration. Then, with discovery nearly complete, UWM moved to compel arbitration. The district court denied that motion because UWM implicitly waived its arbitration right. We AFFIRM.