Image Credit: Gino Bulso TN State Representative / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On January 14, the first day of the 2025 legislative session, Representative Gino Bulso’s (R-Dist. 61- Brentwood) highly anticipated TRUMP Act was officially filed for consideration.
The bill’s clever acronym stands for the Tennessee Reduction of Unlawful Migrant Placement Act (TRUMP Act) and has been numbered HB0145, which Bulso says is, “fitting given that Trump was the 45th President.”
While the TRUMP Act has undergone some modifications from the initial plan Bulso shared with The Tennessee Conservative a few months ago, the core of the bill remains the same, that is, an unprecedented multi-pronged approach actively combating the illegal immigration crisis in Tennessee.
Should it become law, The TRUMP Act would create new safeguards and attempt to demagnetize Tennessee to illegal aliens in three separate arenas: definitions of certain terms, certain financial transactions, and money for public schools.
1) Definitions: The Act would amend TCA Section 1-3-105(a) and add a subsection ensuring the terms “resident of this/the state,” and “citizen of this/the state” can only mean “citizens of the United States and aliens lawfully present in this state.”
It further clarifies that “alien lawfully present” means the person must be able to provide two forms of government identification, such as documentation of identity and immigration status.
2) Financial transactions outside the United States: The second prong would require financial institutions in the state to verify the immigration status of a person sending funds electronically outside the U.S. or its territories.
This section specifies a “financial institution” as a “bank, savings bank, savings and loan association, or a subsidiary of those entities, industrial loan and thrift company, credit union, mortgage broker, mortgage banker, or leasing company accepting deposits, making or arranging loans, and making or arranging leases.”
It requires that the sender provide a valid form of government identification, including a TN driver’s license, an official birth certificate, a U.S. passport, valid social security number, or certificate of naturalization or citizenship.
It further stipulates the financial institution must retain a copy of the ID for two years and that these records can be reviewed at any time or presented in an annual report. The attorney general would have the authority to enforce this section, and should an institution violate it, they could be subject to a civil penalty paid to the state.
On a related note, Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Dist. 63- Culleoka) filed HB0011 in November of last year which would require the state to redesign licenses, IDs, and permits so they will be easily distinguishable between U.S. citizens and those who are not. This bill could nicely complement the TRUMP Act and potentially help alleviate concerns about illegal aliens still being able to obtain TN drivers licenses or other permits.
3) Charging tuition for illegal students in public schools: The final prong of the Act reiterates that public schools are free to those “lawfully residing” in the state, meaning they can provide the proper identification as a citizen or legal alien. It would therefore require that parents, legal guardians, or custodians of pupils enrolled in public schools who are unlawful residents, “must be charged tuition and fees in the same manner as tuition and fees are charged to pupils who do not reside in the county.”
The law already provides that tuition and fees may be charged to students who attend a school outside their county of residence, and this pillar of the TRUMP Act simply seeks to apply the same standard of law to illegals who are currently burdening taxpayers forced to pay for their education.
The bill has not yet been placed on a committee calendar, but The Tennessee Conservative will continue to monitor and report on its progress.
Though the General Assembly has not been particularly commendable in its handling of illegal immigration in the state, perhaps this session will see a change of attitude, especially as Governor Lee has expressed his intentions to fully cooperate with President Trump’s planned mass deportations.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
