Not yet updated for 2008

38th General Assembly Opens Nov. 8

The 38th General Assembly will convene at 1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007, in the House Chamber of the State Capitol with Gov. Ethan Netherly presiding.

Regional Workshops in East, Middle and West Tennessee in October. will precede the General Assembly.

This year's schedule will provide more time for committee meetings and, by popular demand, for lunch breaks.

"We expect a lot more bills this year, and we're going to give committees more time to review them," said Secretary of State Chris Drew of Austin Peay State University.

A major event will be the reception honoring delegates on Thursday evening at the nearby law offices of Bone McAllester Norton. The law firm and the Nashville Women's Political Caucus are co-sponsors.

The popular question-and-answer session with TISL candidates will be retained as part of a Continental breakfast at the Capitol for delegates on Saturday morning.

Nominations for officers will be on Friday evening with elections on Saturday afternoon and installation during a closing ceremony at mid-day on Sunday.

Other highlights of the schedule include:

• The House and Senate will begin considering legislation on Thursday afternoon.
• Officers will be nominated on Friday evening and elected on Saturday afternoon.

A closing session will begin at noon Sunday to install officers for the 39th General Assembly.

Standing Committees Study, Improve Legislation

Every delegate serves on a standing committee, which will review and vote on bills headed to the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Delegates choose a committee assignment when they arrive at the General Assembly.

Committees are the first stop for every bill introduced at TISL. Each bill is referred to a standing committee by the Secretary of State when the bill is introduced.

For each bill, the committee first hears from the bill's sponsors. When considering legislation, committees can amend it to improve it or to reflect the opinion of the majority of the committee.

The committee reports each bill to the floor with a recommendation for passage, a recommendation for defeat or with no recommendation.

The Governor appoints a Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary for each committee.

Governor Netherly designated Chief of Staff Deedrick Jeffries to coordinate committees for the 38th General Assembly.

How to Apply For Committee Positions

Planning Your Delegation

Not yet updated for 2008

Delegation & Individual Registration Forms
Two-page PDF

Delegation Budget Worksheet
One-page PDF

The first step is to send your Institution Fee to TISL so that you're officially a member.

Other Items to consider for your budget:

• Delegate Fee - $50 per delegate, which includes three meals.
• Additional Meals - About six
• Transportation - From your campus to the Capitol and back again.
• Parking - $10-$15 per night. Fewer cars reduces cost.

Reduce Your Institution Fee
With a Web Link to TISL

Reduce your Institution Fee by $25 if your SGA or your TISL delegation has a website with a link to TISL's website. Please link to:

http://www.TISLonline.org

Organize Your Delegation

Do you have enough delegates? A minimum delegation is three people -- one Senator and two Representatives.

If your college enrollment is more than about 1,500, you'll have additional representatives. The largest colleges might have 15 Representatives.

Places to find people for your delegation:

• Political Science or History department. Suggested contact: Department Chairperson or a professor you already know.
• Student Government Association. Suggested contact: Student Body President.
• Campus political organizations. Suggested contact: Organization President or Dean of Students.

Each delegation should have a Chairman/Chairwoman.

Also pick your delegation's Senator and Alternate Senator. They will be your only delegates who can debate, vote or sponsor bills in the Senate.