Tennessee law changes starting July 1 touch on abortion, the death penalty and school safety
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — After Tennessee lawmakers spent months debating a slew of new laws during their legislative session, many of those statutes will go into effect Monday — ranging from abortion travel restrictions for minors, allowing the death penalty for child rape convictions and many more.
The new fiscal year begins July 1 in Tennessee, meaning the latest state spending plan approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature and hundreds of statutes will soon be implemented.
Here’s a look at some of the notable laws going into effect:
Abortion — Tennessee will soon become the second state in the nation to make it illegal for adults to help minors get an abortion without parental consent. Republican state lawmakers backed the idea after similarly GOP-controlled Idaho became the first state to enact the so-called “ abortion trafficking ” law. A federal judge has since temporarily blocked the Idaho version after reproductive rights groups sued to challenge it. A lawsuit was filed in Tennessee challenging the statute just last week.
Death Penalty — Starting July 1, the state will be allowed to pursue capital punishment when an adult is convicted of aggravated rape of a child. Those convicted could be sentenced to death, imprisonment for life without possibility of parole, or imprisonment for life. Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted a similar bill nearly a year ago. While the U.S. Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional to use capital punishment in child sexual battery cases in 2008, supporters are hoping the current conservative-majority makeup of the high court will reverse that decision should the law end up before the justices.
School Threats — The penalty for the offense of threatening to commit an act of mass violence on school property or at a school-related activity will increase from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. The law will not apply to those with intellectual disabilities.
Aitken Bible — The Aitken Bible, along with nine other works, including George Washington’s “Farewell Address” and Alex Haley’s “Roots,” will become Tennessee’s officially-designated state books. The new law outlines nine writings, some with stronger ties to the Volunteer State than the others.
Jillian’s Law — This new law will involuntarily commit certain criminal defendants for inpatient treatment and temporarily remove their gun rights if they are ruled incompetent to stand trial due to intellectual disability or mental illness. The proposal is named for college student Jillian Ludwig, who was killed in November after she was hit by a stray bullet while walking near the Belmont University campus in Nashville.
School Defibrillators — All high schools will be required to keep an automated external defibrillator available during classes, athletic practices and games. According to the statute, any public school with grades nine through 12 must set, review and rehearse an emergency plan to be ready when students have a cardiac arrest or other life-threatening injury. The law also requires school personnel both on and off the field to have training in both CPR and in using AEDs.
School Safety — Public and private schools will be required to determine why a fire alarm went off before evacuating children from classrooms. The statute was inspired by a deadly Nashville elementary school shooting, where a shooter killed six people, including three children, last March. Smoke from the shooter’s weapon triggered the school’s fire alarm, but some students and teachers were unaware what was going on when they heard it. This confusion ultimately led to the death of third-grader William Kinney, who had been designated as line leader for his class that day and was the first to collide with the shooter in a hallway while helping students out of the classroom.
Immigration — This law will require law enforcement agencies to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the the country illegally, and would broadly mandate cooperation in the process of identifying, detaining and deporting them. Immigrant advocates have warned that the bill is broad and confusing and could embolden rogue officers to target immigrant families.
Chemtrails — A new law bans the release of chemicals into the atmosphere with the intention of affecting the temperature, weather or intensity of sunlight.
Budget — As Tennessee enters the new fiscal year, the state will usher in a $52.8 billion spending plan that includes nearly $2 billion in tax breaks and refunds for businesses. The eye-popping total comes after business threatened legal action on claims that Tennessee’s 90-year-old franchise tax is illegal. As a solution, lawmakers agreed to let businesses apply for retroactive refunds for the past three years in exchange for temporarily disclosing the names of businesses that sought a refund and the ranges of refund amounts — a first in Tennessee history.
Eviction Changes — This establishes a new process to remove unlawful occupants of a residence, sometimes known as “squatters,” by allowing property owners to file a complaint with their local sheriffs so law enforcement can serve a notice to the illegal occupants.
AI Protections — This statute is designed to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. The move makes Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, the first state in the U.S. to enact such measures. Supporters say the goal is to ensure that AI tools cannot replicate an artist’s voice without their consent.
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Associated Press writer Jonathan Mattise contributed to this report.
