Rep. Mary Littleton

Maddy summaryHB 768 requires public charter schools in Tennessee to adopt internet acceptable use policies identical to those mandated for traditional school districts. It prohibits all schools (including charter schools) from tracking or monitoring students' use of personal electronic devices on school property, except when devices are used during tests. The bill amends Tennessee law to ensure consistent rules for both school districts and public charter schools regarding device monitoring. It directly affects all public K-12 schools in Tennessee by standardizing device policy requirements and limiting monitoring practices. The law would take effect July 1, 2025, if passed.

Maddy summaryThis Tennessee bill establishes a new annual privilege tax for motor vehicles owned by residents of Cheatham County that are driven on county roads and highways, excluding state-maintained roads. The tax applies to various vehicle types, such as motorcycles, passenger cars, and trucks of different classes, with fees ranging from $17 to $75, while exempting farm equipment, disabled veterans, wheelchair users, and certain government or military vehicles. Collected by the county clerk alongside state registration fees, the revenue is allocated to fund local schools, education debt service, and highway maintenance. The legislation also repeals previous private acts that had authorized similar taxes in the county.

Maddy summaryThis law increases the criminal penalty for adults who negligently endanger young children. Specifically, it raises the punishment from a Class D felony to a Class B felony for anyone who carelessly acts or fails to act in a way that puts a child eight years old or younger at immediate risk of death, serious injury, or harm to their physical or mental health. The change applies to offenses committed on or after July 1, 2024, and is intended to provide stricter consequences for cases of gross negligence involving the safety of very young children.

Maddy summaryThis Tennessee bill creates a new circuit court division, designated as Division IV, within the 23rd judicial district to become effective on September 1, 2024. The law requires the governor to appoint a judge to lead this new division who will serve until September 1, 2026, or until a successor is elected. Following that initial appointment, qualified voters in the 23rd judicial district will elect a judge for an eight-year term starting in August 2026. The legislation amends state statutes to establish this additional court structure and outlines the specific timeline for both the appointment and election processes.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on specific types of commercial passenger buses in Tennessee. To qualify, a bus must be at least forty-five feet long, have a separate galley area, and transport an attendant who holds a valid server permit. The law prohibits sales while the bus is stopped in areas that have not approved such sales or when traveling on routes shorter than one hundred miles. Additionally, the bill updates related state codes to include these buses in regulations governing alcohol licenses and fees.

Maddy summaryThis Tennessee law updates the state's child sexual exploitation statutes to include computer-generated images made with artificial intelligence as illegal material. The bill explicitly defines artificial intelligence as machine-based systems that can learn, make decisions, or perform tasks like human perception, and it specifically includes generative AI capable of creating new text, images, audio, or video. By amending the Tennessee Code Annotated, the legislation ensures that law enforcement and courts can prosecute the creation, adaptation, or modification of such AI-generated content under existing child exploitation laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Children's Services, county medical examiners, and autopsy facilities to create policies that prioritize completing final autopsy reports for specific child fatalities. It amends state laws to allow these final reports to be submitted electronically rather than only in paper form. The change applies to officials handling child death investigations and aims to streamline the reporting process.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes tampering with or disabling certain monitoring devices as a Class B misdemeanor for individuals on bond, parole, or probation. The law specifically targets those required to wear transdermal or global positioning monitors as a condition of their release or supervision. It creates a reporting requirement where monitoring companies must immediately inform the court, parole board, or probation officer if a device is interfered with or if a violation occurs. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that such violations can lead to bail revocation or grounds for surrender.