ON FEBRUARY 24, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 228, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, provide that the "Law Enforcement's Safer Tennessee Electronic Registration (LESTER) Act," enacted by the bill, requires the following:  If a person displays the evidence of financial responsibility in an electronic format, then the evidence must be accepted by law enforcement as proof of registration, unless (i) the image is not clear enough for the officer to determine the information or (ii) the officer believes the image or the information contained in the image is fraudulent or inaccurate. An officer may require additional information to verify the validity of the electronic registration. However, if the officer cannot verify the validity of the electronic registration, then the officer is not required to accept the electronic registration.  Expands the provision in present law that requires proof of registration of a motor-propelled vehicle in the name of a person to be prima facie evidence of ownership of the vehicle by the person in whose name the vehicle is registered and the proof of registration is likewise prima facie evidence that the vehicle was then and there being operated by the owner or by the owner's servant for the owner's use and benefit and within the course and scope of the servant's employment by, instead, applying such provision to a "motor vehicle" rather than a "motor propelled vehicle".

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 55-4-138, 55-10-312(a), 55-10-312
Amended with SA0001 -- 02/24/2025: 55-4-138, 55-10-312(a), 55-10-312