The Tennessee General Assembly has briefly met for its first few days of session, before recessing until after the inauguration of Gov.-elect Bill Lee.

But members began filing the first bills even before the 111th legislature convened last week in Nashville.

While these bills likely won't become major pieces of legislation this session, here's a look at what issues lawmakers are trying to tackle so far.

Sports betting

Following a ruling last year by the U.S. Supreme Court lifting a ban on sports gambling, this bill would allow sports betting in cities that approve it through a local election.

It would also impose a 10 percent tax on gaming revenue, which would be distributed between the stat general fund; Tennessee colleges of applied technologies and community colleges for capital projects; and local governments to use for education and infrastructure.

The legislation would establish a Tennessee gaming commission to regulate sports betting and authorizes the commission to work with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to enforce sports betting laws.

Bill: HB001/SB0016

Sponsors: Rep. Rick Staples, D-Knoxville; Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis

Increasing school zone drug offenses

This amendment of existing law would make it an enhanced crime to sell half an ounce or less of marijuana in a drug-free school zone, expanding the current enhanced penalties drug crimes in school zones.

It would also reduce drug-free school zone distances from 1,000 feet to 500 feet in counties with a population of 300,000 or more

Bill: HB 0015

Sponsor: Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka

Change to nomination process of U.S. senators

Under this proposed system, the General Assembly would choose the candidates that appear on the General Election ballot for U.S. Senate.

Legislators from the Republican and Democratic parties in the General Assembly would hold caucus meetings to determine which candidates to nominate

After serving two consecutive terms in the U.S. Senate, a candidate can't be nominated again at the next caucus meeting.

Bill: HB0021/SB0027

Sponsors: Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville; Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Strawberry Plains

Alert system for missing veterans

Similar to Amber Alerts for missing endangered children and Silver Alerts for the elderly, this legislation proposes the creation of a "Green Alert" for missing "at-risk" military veterans.

At-risk veterans would include individuals who have a known physical or mental health condition related to the veteran's service.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation would be required to make an alert to rapidly disseminate information statewide about the missing veteran at risk, including working with the media and consulting with the Department of Transportation to update interstate signs.

Bill: HB0035/SB0001

Sponsors: Rep. Moon, Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown

No vaping in zoos, museums, daycares

Under this proposals, smoking vapor cartridges, electronic cigarettes or similar products would be banned at a number of specified locations.

Those prohibited areas include inside child care centers, healthcare facilities — excluding nursing homes — museums, zoos, public and private schools, and several other locations.

Some would allow for designated outdoor or indoor vaping areas away from children.

Bill: SB0026

Sponsor: Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga

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Self-defense for sex trafficking victims

This legislation inspired by Cyntoia Brown's case, according to House sponsor Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, is designed to protect juveniles from being charged if they commit an act of violence while being the victim of a sex offense.

It would create a presumption that a minor engaged in prostitution had a reasonable belief that using force was necessary to avoid death or serious injury.

Bill: HB007/SB0024

Sponsors: Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis; Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville

Phase-out of professional privilege tax

Under this bill, the state's professional privilege tax, an annual $400 fee required of a number of professionals, would be phased out.

Accountants, chiropractors, attorneys, physicians, dentists, landscape architects, lobbyists, psychologists, real estate principal brokers and others are among those currently required to pay the tax.

The legislation calls for the tax to be gradually reduced each year until it is eliminated in in June 2023.

A second version of the bill proposes the tax be eliminated in June 2019.

Bill: HB0039; HB0040

Sponsor: Micah Van Huss, R-Jonesborough

Extending statute of limitation for child sex crimes

This bill extends statutes of limitation for some sex crimes committed against children, when the crime was not reported to law enforcement within three years of the offense.

It also makes a fix to current law, since crimes committed after July 1, 2014 may not technically qualify for extended statutes of limitations in place for juvenile victims of sex crimes.

Bill: SB0018

Sponsor: Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville

No gun permit expiration on out-of-state military members

This bill would allow U.S. military members stationed out of state to request to have zeros in place of an expiration date on his or her handgun carry permit.

Presumably, that would mean the out-of-state military member's permit would not expire.

Bill: HB0041

Sponsor: Micah Van Huss, R-Jonesborough

Reduction of punishment for illegal gun possession

Van Huss' second gun bill filed this year is a reduction of the penalties for illegally possessing a firearm.

Bill: HB0042

Sponsor: Micah Van Huss, R-Jonesborough

Prohibition on raw milk consumption through herdshares

While current laws allows for those with independent or partial ownership of a cow to consume the animal's milk, this bill takes away language allowing that to take place through herdshares.

The legislation would now only allow an independent owner of a cow to legally drink the presumably unpasteurized milk.

Bill: SB0015

Sponsor: Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville

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Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.