NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — There are a lot of laws that officially take effect on July 1.
Don't know anything about them? Here's a list of the ones we think you'll most want to know about, and what they mean. Topics include mental health / healthcare, law enforcement, child care, education and more.
EDUCATION
SB1688: If a parent or guardian of a student in grades K through 12 thinks that holding them back a year will benefit them, the parent/guardian can do this.
HB0843: This amendment makes the following materials inappropriate for schools:
- Any material that contains nudity or descriptions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence, or sadomasochistic abuse for the age or maturity level of a student in any of the grades K-12
- Any material that is patently offensive, or "appeals to the prurient interest for the age or maturity level of a student in any of the grades K-12 and must not be maintained in a school's library collection" — meaning any material that encourages interest in sexual matters
HB1828: New state books —
"Farewell Address to the American People" by George Washington; "The Papers of Andrew Jackson"; "Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville; "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren; "A Death in the Family" by James Agee; "Roots" by Alex Haley; "The Civil War: A Narrative" by Shelby Foote; "American Lion" by Jon Meacham; "Coat of Many Colors" by Dolly Parton; and "Aitken Bible"
SB1943: Charter schools and public schools have to pay their employees their full salary and benefits if they are physically assaulted and unable to work as a result of this.
HB1191: Makes sure public charter schools have the same facilities as other schools, requiring school districts to offer a list of underused or unused properties and make them available to charter schools.
HB2177: If a student or the student's parents request a hard copy version of a textbook instead of digital, it must be made available to them.
HB2851: All audits of higher education institutions by the Tennessee Comptroller must make sure none of those institutions are using race as an admissions factor.
HB2590: This makes bullying and cyber-bullying offenses subject to the same penalties as harassment — and makes it so that officers have to make a report of bullying and notify a parent or guardian if the victim is a minor.
JUVENILE CRIME
HB1600: If a juvenile commits one of the following crimes and is found guilty by a judge in a juvenile court of law, the court has to prohibit them from purchasing or possessing a firearm until they are 25:
- Aggravated assault
- Criminal homicide
- Robbery, aggravated robbery, especially aggravated robbery, or carjacking;
- Burglary, aggravated burglary, especially aggravated burglary
- Cruelty to animals
- Aggravated cruelty to animals;
- A threat of mass violence
- A criminal offense involving the use or display of a firearm
HB2126: Kids who are 15 or older can be tried as an adult in criminal court for the offense of organized retail crime, firearm theft, or any attempts to commit such offense.
HB1930: The "Parent Accountability Act" makes it so that judges, at their own discretion, can fine parents or guardians instead of children for their child's delinquent actions after their first offense.
HB0619: This improves communication between DCS and juvenile courts by making it necessary for DCS to notify the juvenile judge of the committing court when a child in DCS custody is scheduled to be discharged.
IMMIGRATION
HB2124: Makes it required instead of authorized for law enforcement agencies to tell appropriate federal officials regarding the immigration status of any individual — meaning, if they have knowledge of an immigrant who is unlawfully in the U.S. they must report it
SB0757: When someone is arrested, law enforcement has to make sure they are a citizen of the United States and report the status of those who are not in the U.S. lawfully to the distric attorney general's office.
SB2158: Makes it so the District Attorney General has to collect data on the cost to taxpayers of illegal immigrants in state custody for criminal offenses... and data from law enforcement agencies on numbers of people not lawfully in the United States.
SB1866: If someone is in the process of getting their documentation, to work in the country legally, the employer must consider the immigrant's legal status at the time he/she is seeking employment.
SCHOOL SAFETY
HB2198: The penalty for threatening to commit an act of mass violence on a school property or at a school-related activity from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony
SB1664: If a child in juvenile court has been found guilty of making threats to commit mass violence on school property or at school-related activities, they cannot drive or obtain a license to drive for at least one year.
HB2251 "Smart Heart Act": This makes it so that all public and nonpublic elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools have authority complete cardiac arrest education programs approved by the department of health. It also requires that automated external defibrillators are present in all schools grades 9 through 12. We did several reports on this act if you want to know more.
HB2528: This establishes a school safety alert grant pilot program — It provides $60,000 annually to help local school districts and public charter schools install rapid response devices to locate emergencies quickly and notify law enforcement on their own.
HB2682: This is specifically meant to encourage more school safety — it allows retired law enforcement officers to be reemployed as full-time School Resource Officers at a Tennessee public school without losing their retirement benefits.
SB2771: Anyone who directs traffic for a school must be properly trained and wear the ocrrect gear / equipment.
CRIME
SB1834: Officially authorizes the death penalty for all child rape charges.
SB1971: This creates the criminal offense of abortion trafficking of a minor. It protects parental rights and stops adults who attempt to circumvent the state's current abortion law by helping facilitate an abortion for a minor without parental consent.
HB1642: When considering bail of any kind, the first consideration is the safety of the community.
HB1881 "Back the Blue Act": Increases the penalty for assaulting a law enforcement officer from Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony with mandatory minimum 60-day sentence and a $10,000 fine.
HB2814: Makes drag racing a Class E felony instead of Class A. This allows law enforcement to charge an individual with either reckless driving or drag racing.
HB2395: Makes it unlawful for someone who knows that they are lying to make up a report of a past, present or impending active shooter and hostage situation.
HB0587: If your blood alcohol content is .15 or higher, jail time is seven days instead of two for drunk driving.
SB1795: If someone's land has a squatter, this establishes a clear process for law enforcement to restore possession — expediting removal of illegal occupants of homes in as little as 72 hours.
HEALTH
SB2782: Anyone who helps an unemancipated minor leave the state for a prohibited medical procedure — regardless of where the procedure takes place — will be held civilly liable by the parents / legal guardian.
SB2011: This makes sure there is equal coverage for non-opioid pain medications that are FDA approved on the Prescription Drug List, so that more kinds of treatment options are available for people who are in pain.
HB1628 "Dr. Benjamin Mauck Act": It is Class A misdemeanor and aggravated assault if someone is punished for assaulting someone else in a healthcare facility.
HB2808: The state has to pay for HIV medication for inmates who were previously receiving the prescription before being committed to a county jail or workhouse.
HB2903: Tenncare is...
- authorized to amend a state preferred drug list without rulemaking.
- providing reimbursement to a healthcare provider and the hospital who pays for non-opioid treament for someone in the medical assistance program
Ben Kredich Act: First responders who administer Narcan to someone who experiences a drug overdose must provide information to them on the risk behind driving within a 24-hour period afterwards, while the drugs would still be in their system.
MENTAL HEALTH
HB1643: This requires the state to pay for court-ordered mental health evaluation and treatment for any criminal defendants who have been charged with a misdemeanor and are believed to be incompetent to stand trial — or for whom there is any question about their mental capacity at the time the crime is committed.
HB1640 (Jillian's Law): Requires that a person who is tried in court and deemed mentally incompetent must remain committed until the their competency is restored or they are provided with an outpatient treatment plan that will account for their safety and the safety of the community. We have done several stories on Jillian's law — you can read more about it in our previous coverage.
SB2004: Adds licensed professional counselors, marital and famiily therapists, and clinical pastoral therapists to the list of medical practitioners in code — meaning these mental health specialists can serve more people in Tennessee
SB1583: This requires anyone who commits a DUI homicide to undergo substance abuse treatment or behavioral counseling to help prevent them from recommitting the same offense.
CHILDCARE / FAMILY
Family Rights and Responsibilities Act: Outlines 12 fundamental rights of parents without interference from a government entity, including making education, healthcare, moral and religious decisions for the child.
SB2006: Every child care agency has to have a carbon monoxide alarm to help detect unhealthy amounts of carbon monoxide. This passed thanks to our reporting on a daycare with unhealthy amounts detected and no monitor — read our article for more information!
SB1762: This allows Tenncare to cover medical expenses for genetic testing that can identify treatments for children with rare diseases — potentially saving lives and streamlining the diagnosis process for families.
SB1738: This enacts the Tennessee Foster and Adoptive Parent Protection Act, which means the department of children services cannot require possible adoptive / foster parent to support government policy around sexual orientation if it's is conflicting with the parent's beliefs.
Journalism is at its best when we can shine a light on an issue that needs more attention. Once again, Hannah McDonald does this beautifully by highlighting the hardships of teens aging out of the foster care system. I learned something new in her reporting and am inspired by the work I AM NEXT is doing to make a difference. I think you will be too!
-Carrie Sharp
