New laws to take effect in Tennessee July 1

SUMMER / ALCOHOL SAFETY/ JULY 4

Online boating license tests (Eldridge/HB530) 

• • Allows citizens to take the boating safety exam online by eliminating the monitoring requirement.
    • Previously, citizens were required to take the exam in-person, usually at a local library, under the supervision of a proctor.
  • Online testing expands access for rural Tennesseans and provides a flexible solution for those who work during standard business hours
  • Tennessee law requires anyone operating a personal watercraft or motorboat born after Jan. 1, 1989, to have a TWRA-issued Boating Safety Education Certificate or a NASBLA-approved boating safety certificate if they are visiting from another state.

Good Samaritan Law Expansion (Rudder/HB995) 

• • Extends immunity protections to individuals who seek medical care for themselves or others in the event of a suspected alcohol overdose. Expanding the current Good Samaritan Law for drug overdoses.
    • Extends immunity protections for alcohol-related misdemeanors like public intoxication, and those involving individuals under the age of 21, such as providing or purchasing alcohol for minors and selling alcohol or beer to minors.
    • The bill was brought to Rudder by a University of Tennessee alumna who lost her 18-year-old brother after an alcohol overdose at a party. His friends were afraid they would get in trouble if they called for help since they were underage drinking.

With an estimated 2,200 alcohol overdose deaths annually in the U.S., the law aims to improve emergency response and save lives, especially for teens and underage adults, by removing legal deterrents.

Increased accountability for impaired drivers (House Bill 190 by Gant):

• This new law lowers the minimum alcohol concentration (BAC) in a person’s blood to be considered aggravated vehicular homicide or assault from 0.20 percent to 0.15 percent.
• Aggravated vehicular assault constitutes a Class C felony in Tennessee, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
• Aggravated vehicular homicide is a Class A felony, punishable by up to 60 years in prison.
• One in three fatal crashes in Tennessee involves a person driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, costing the lives of 441 people in 2023.
• Rep. Gant, the sponsor of the bill, was critically injured in a crash caused by a drunk driver in 2022

Honoring America’s Founding Principles: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

• In recognition of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the General Assembly passed a resolution designating three commemorative months to celebrate the nation’s core founding principles. This begins in 2025 and it will be a permanent designation
• These observances are designed to inspire reflection, civic pride, and renewed appreciation for the values that shaped our country:
  • June – “Celebration of Life” Month
  • July – “Celebration of Liberty” Month
  • August – “Pursuit of Happiness” Month
• These designations serve as a meaningful tribute to our shared American heritage and a reminder of the principles that continue to guide our state and nation.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Protecting children from hemp-derived products (House Bill 72 by Howell): Protects children from hemp-derived cannabinoid products by creating a minimum sentence of 48 consecutive hours in a county jail or workhouse and a fine of not less than $500 for people convicted of selling or distributing the products, including THC gummies, to people under 21.More than 250 kids were treated for cannabis poisoning at the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital between July 2023 and June 2024.

Increased penalty for exposing children to fentanyl / House Bill 751 by Faison
(Enhances penalties for knowingly placing a child in danger by possessing fentanyl in the presence of a child.

• The legislation establishes a Class E felony for anyone who exposes a child to fentanyl
• This elevates to a Class B felony if the child is under 8-years-old

Poison centers in the United States managed 539 cases of children under 6 years old being exposed to fentanyl in 2023, an increase from 10 cases in 2016, according to America’s Poison Centers

Targeting Human Smuggling (House Bill 322 by Todd)

• The General Assembly passed a new law to strongly penalize and deter traffickers who smuggle illegal immigrants into our country.
• It establishes three new offenses to target human smuggling of illegal immigrants:
  • Class E felony offense of human smuggling, targeting traffickers who:
  • Knowingly transport and conceal an illegal immigrant from law enforcement for financial gain; or
  • Encourage or influence someone to enter or remain in the country illegally while shielding them from detection
  • Class A felony for aggravated human smuggling when the victim is under the age of 13
  • Class A misdemeanor to knowingly harbor or assist in harboring undocumented individuals in Tennessee, punishable by $1,000 fine per person harbored

• Expands human trafficking laws by adding promotion of minor prostitution as a trafficking offense.
• Human smuggling is a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise that violates the rule of law, endangers communities and threatens the lives of victims, especially children. 

Threats of mass violence: House Bill 1314 by Cochran: The new law will make knowingly threatening mass violence by any means of communication a Class E felony offense. Another person must reasonably deem it a legitimate threat that could lead to the death or injury of four or more people. It also creates a Class B misdemeanor offense for posting on a public website the phone number or home address of another person with ill intent, a practice commonly referred to as “doxing.”

Combating hate crimes: House Bill 55 by Lamberth: The PEACE Act makes key changes to state law to address hate littering and trespassing, police procedure, obstruction and road safety. This mirrors ordinances passed by Metro Nashville Council in 2024 following Nazi protests in Nashville.

Fighting against AI-generated deepfakes: House Bill 1299 by Lamberth: The new law creates a legal framework for victims to sue and recover financial damages from a person who posts pictures of intimate digital depictions without consent. It creates a Class E felony offense “to disclose or threaten to disclose intimate digital depictions with the intent to harass, annoy, alarm or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual.”

Unlawful Photography: House Bill 99 by Bulso: The new law enhances the penalty for unlawful photography from a Class A misdemeanor offense to a Class E felony. The penalty would increase further to a Class D felony or Class C felony in certain cases if the victim was younger than 13. Anyone convicted of unlawful photography would also be required to register as a sex offender.

BUSINESS/ CONSUMERS

Unfair billing: House Bill 141, sponsored by State Rep. Michael Hale, R-Smithville, protects consumers from excessive charges when canceling service contracts for cable, internet or phone plans. The newly signed law prohibits service providers from billing customers for an extra billing period if the contract is canceled during the first half of a cycle. If a customer cancels in the second half of a service period, providers can still charge for the remaining days and one additional full billing term. Companies that fail to follow the new rules may face penalties as outlined in the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977.

Squatting- commercial property (House Bill 216 by Rudd): The new law allows for the immediate removal of squatters on commercial property if certain conditions are met, building on a previous law Rudd passed creating an expedited eviction process for lawful Tennessee homeowners.

Lab-grown meat: House Bill 804, sponsored by State Rep. Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, sets clear rules for how lab-grown or “cell-cultured,” food products can be marketed and sold in the state. These are foods made by growing animal, poultry or seafood cells in a lab without traditional slaughter. Any product made this way cannot be labeled as “meat” or a “meat food product”. While labels can still describe the species, the cells came from or note that the product is a meat substitute, falsely labeling lab-grown products as meat will be considered misbranding and can result in fines of $2,000 per violation. The law also requires manufacturers to obtain a state permit to sell these products, including paying a $1,000 annual fee. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture will oversee the permitting process, which must align with federal safety standards and be implemented using existing state resources.

VAPE Products: House Bill 968, sponsored by State Rep. David Hawk R-Greeneville, sets strict rules for selling vapor products. It requires manufacturers to register with the state and list their products in an official directory. Retailers, distributors and wholesalers can only sell products from that list.

TRAFFIC /TRANSPORTATION

Bullying /Juvenile DL suspension for one year HB1025 (Russell):

Suspends a juvenile’s driving privileges for one year if they are found adjudicated delinquent for harassment, bullying or cyberbullying.
This legislation expands on a law, championed by Russell, formally defining bullying, cyberbullying and harassment in state code.
This bill does contain an option for a first-time offender to receive a restricted license to use only to commute to school, work and church.

Increasing penalties for blocking traffic  (House Bill 302 by Martin)

• Creates a Class C misdemeanor for parking, stopping, or leaving a vehicle that impedes traffic.
• The penalty increases to a Class B misdemeanor if the action contributes to an accident.

Improving the process to regain a driver’s license (House Bill 816) by Travis

• Removes the burdensome 8-point penalty for driving on a suspended license.
• This change prevents excessive penalties that can make it nearly impossible for individuals to regain their driving privileges.
• The law still holds drivers accountable for the offense, but does so without creating long-term barriers to having their license reinstated.
• It’s a balanced approach that supports accountability while helping Tennesseans get back on the road legally.

Making Highway travel more accessible more family-friendly

House Bill 60, sponsored by State Rep. Kevin Raper, R-Cleveland, makes highway travel more accessible and family-friendly by requiring signs for family restrooms at rest areas and welcome centers. A family restroom is a private, single-occupancy facility that locks and accommodates individuals who may need assistance, including parents with young children, elderly travelers, people with disabilities or anyone needing help from a caregiver. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will add signage on highways to indicate where these restrooms are located, following national traffic sign standards. The department will also publish a list of family restroom locations on its website.

Targeting rideshare driver impersonation to enhance passenger safety (House Bill 786) by Howell

• A new law addresses the growing concern of rideshare impersonation.
• The bill makes it a criminal offense for one to falsely present themselves as a rideshare driver.
• Individuals that are caught impersonating a rideshare driver will face a Class B misdemeanor charge.
• If impersonation occurs with another felony, the charge can be upgraded to a Class E felony.