The bill to hold churches and nonprofits is to take responsibility for immigrants who continue to commit crimes head to Gov. Bill Lee for his signature.

Bills that retain churches and charities are responsible for providing housing aid to immigrants without legal status — and then committing crimes — are now at the governor’s desk.

The Tennessee Senate voted 70-23 on Wednesday to support legislation (SB227/HB11) Both Republicans by Sen. Brent Taylor of Memphis and Rep. Rusty Grill of Newvane.

A Republican majority in the House approved the measure earlier this month.

The Tennessee Sen. Oaks bill holds charities responsible for supporting immigrants who later committed crimes.

A spokesman for Gov. Bill Lee did not answer questions sent Wednesday about whether he plans to sign the law.

Grill called the scale “a public safety bill with the Trump administration putting a new focus on illegal immigration.”

“What we are doing in this bill is that anyone who is a victim of a crime committed by an illegal alien has a private right to conduct against NGOs (non-governmental organizations) who have supported illegal alien housing in their communities.”

The law will open the door to civil litigation against charities that provide various long-term housing assistance to individuals, regardless of their immigration status, such as helping to sign leases or secure apartments.

The bill exempts “temporary overnight housing, as provided by homeless shelters,” but does not include specific exemptions for other short-term housing, such as domestic violence shelters that can accommodate victims and their children for several months at a time.

Legislation targeting non-immigrant nonprofit organizations

The charity is subject to lawsuits if “the conduct of providing a home constitutes negligence, gross negligence, or intentional misconduct.” The language of the bill does not include definitions of these terms in the context for the provision of physical housing, introduction to housing, or assisting with apartment lease signatures.

The measure has gathered pushbacks from Tennessee faith leaders as a violation of religious freedom to engage in charity to those in need.

On the Senator’s floor earlier this month, the bill elicited controversial debate, with Democrat Sen. Jeff Yabro of Nashville criticizing the measure as being in charge of “charity.”Crime committed by someone they saved during Taylor – Bill sponsor – It was called a “misplaced mission” to serve immigrants without legal status.

House Republicans will soon move to vote for Wednesday’s vote, even if Democrats protest the manipulation, preventing debate on the floor.