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HB 302

Traffic Safety - As enacted, creates the offense of an occupant of a vehicle parking, leaving standing, or stopping the vehicle on a street or highway and blocking or impeding the normal movement of traffic for the purpose of soliciting, negotiating, or consummating an employment transaction with a person standing on or in proximity to the street or highway. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17; Title 54 and Title 55.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Greg Martin

Tennessee criminalizes blocking traffic while hiring day laborers on streets, impacting informal employment practices and street-based hiring markets.

Comp. became Pub. Ch. 158
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Bill Summary · HB 302

Legislative bill overview

HB 302 creates a new traffic offense in Tennessee that prohibits parking, standing, or stopping vehicles on streets or highways in ways that block traffic when the driver is soliciting, negotiating, or finalizing employment transactions with pedestrians. The bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee Code Annotated to establish this offense and define penalties.

Why is this important

This legislation targets informal day-labor hiring practices commonly conducted on roadsides and street corners, where workers and employers negotiate jobs in ways that can create traffic congestion and safety hazards. The law attempts to address public safety and traffic flow concerns while directly impacting how and where informal labor markets operate.

Potential points of contention

  • Enforcement disparities: Critics may argue the law could be applied inconsistently or discriminatorily, as it specifically targets street-based hiring practices that disproportionately affect immigrant workers and lower-income labor markets
  • Criminalization of informal labor: The offense converts what is essentially an economic activity into a criminal matter, potentially limiting job opportunities for individuals relying on informal employment networks
  • Definitional ambiguity: Terms like "in proximity to" and "soliciting" may be interpreted broadly, creating unclear standards for what constitutes a violation and potentially ensnaring drivers for legitimate parking

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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