Tennessee Bills

This bill, known as the Protecting Children from Social Media Act, requires social media companies to verify the age of users and obtain express parental consent before minors under 18 can create or maintain accounts. It mandates that parents have specific tools to supervise their children's online activity, including the ability to view privacy settings, set daily time limits, and enforce breaks from the platform. Additionally, the law prohibits companies from keeping personal data used for age verification and forbids users from waiving their rights under these new protections. Enforcement of these rules falls to the state attorney general, who can investigate violations and seek penalties if a social media company fails to comply.

This bill amends Tennessee state laws to require that public nursing programs provide a minimum of 1,296 clock hours or equivalent credit hours for practical nursing training. It also updates reporting requirements so that an annual report on these programs must be sent to the governor, the legislative librarian, and other designated officials. The changes apply specifically to practical nursing programs offered by public institutions of higher education within the state.

This bill requires Tennessee local education agencies and public charter schools to offer high school seniors the chance to take nationally recognized career readiness assessments starting in the 2023-2024 school year and continuing in all future years. The law mandates that these assessments must meet specific criteria set by the state to ensure they are valid and reliable measures of student readiness for work or further education. By removing the previous one-year limit, the legislation ensures that every graduating senior has access to these standardized evaluations as part of their graduation requirements.

This bill requires the state to cover the costs of mental health evaluations and treatment for criminal defendants charged with misdemeanors who are deemed incompetent to stand trial or whose mental capacity is in question. While the state assumes financial responsibility, courts retain the authority to order defendants who can afford it to pay all or part of these expenses. Additionally, the legislation mandates that any inpatient evaluations for these misdemeanor defendants be completed within thirty days of admission to the facility. The law amends existing state codes and became effective on July 1, 2024.

This bill amends the rules for the Reelfoot Lake Regional Utility and Planning District by adjusting compensation for its board members. It increases their monthly stipend from $200 to $400 and grants them access to the same medical and life insurance benefits available to district employees. The legislation also allows board members to receive reimbursement for their own insurance premiums, up to the cost of the coverage the district provides to its staff. These changes directly affect the individuals serving on the district's board of directors.

This bill expands the definition of a "qualified data center" in Tennessee to include facilities that have been transferred to an affiliate company through a specific type of corporate reorganization. Under the new rules, a data center that previously met the state's investment and job creation requirements will retain its qualified status even after being sold to a related entity, provided the transfer follows Internal Revenue Code guidelines. The change directly affects large technology companies and their corporate structures by ensuring they continue to receive sales and use tax exemptions for their data center operations after such internal transfers. By updating the Tennessee Code Annotated, the legislation clarifies that these tax benefits persist when a qualifying facility is moved within a corporate family rather than being sold to an unrelated third party.

This bill amends the Local Tourism Development Zone Business Tax Act to clarify how counties must select representatives for tax-related decisions. Specifically, it requires that these representatives be broadly representative of all areas within the county, explicitly including both incorporated and unincorporated regions. The change ensures that unincorporated areas have a defined role in the selection process alongside towns and cities. This adjustment applies to Tennessee Code Annotated sections covering local government operations and taxation.

This bill clarifies that autopsy reports and medical examiner findings for minor victims of violent crimes are not public documents, protecting their privacy. It allows these reports to be shared only if the minor's parent or guardian consents, provided they are not suspects in the case, or if a court orders the release for a specific reason. The law also explicitly states that medical records, police investigation files, and photos of deceased individuals remain private. By amending several state codes, the legislation ensures that sensitive information about child homicide victims is kept confidential unless specific conditions are met.

This bill allows parents to submit requests for child support information electronically when the system is available. It amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated to update administrative procedures for handling child support cases. The change applies to parents interacting with the state's child support system and streamlines how they can access necessary records online.

This bill allows county trustees, municipal tax collectors, and other taxing entities in Tennessee to accept partial payments for overdue property taxes, including electronic transfers and bank payments. To implement this, officials must file a detailed plan with the state comptroller at least 30 days before starting, which must describe their accounting methods and confirm that partial payments will reduce the principal tax, interest, fees, and court costs on a pro-rata basis. The law also requires these entities to maintain internal controls to ensure all payments are recorded correctly and specifies that partial payments do not remove the tax lien on the property. While the bill does not change the due date for taxes, it clarifies that interest will only accrue on the remaining unpaid balance after a partial payment is applied.

This bill allows Tennessee counties and incorporated cities to choose whether to levy a lower sales tax rate on food and food ingredients or to exempt them entirely from the standard local sales tax. Local governments must pass a resolution or ordinance to activate this option, giving them direct control over how food taxes are applied within their jurisdictions. The legislation updates state tax codes to formally authorize these reduced rates or exemptions while ensuring that any changes are clearly recorded in local tax records.

This bill increases the penalty for threatening to commit mass violence on school property or during school-related activities in Tennessee. Under the new law, such threats are classified as a Class E felony rather than a Class A misdemeanor. The change applies only to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2024.