A list of new laws is set to take effect in Tennessee at midnight on January 1, 2025, after being passed earlier this year by lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly.
One of the most anticipated laws set to take effect in the new year is the Protecting Children from Social Media Act, which requires social media companies to “verify the age of an individual who attempts to become an account holder, at the time the individual attempts to become an account holder.”
Another law set to take effect in the new year that aims to protect minors on the internet is the Protect Tennessee Minors Act, which requires websites that contain a “substantial portion of material harmful to minors” to perform “reasonable age-verification methods to verify the age of individuals attempting to access the material.”
Violations of the law are classified as Class C felonies in Tennessee, which carry a maximum penalty of 3-15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Another law set to take effect changes Tennessee’s present law regarding juvenile offenders.
The new law allows a juvenile court to “impose a blended sentence on a child 16 years of age or older for a juvenile offense that would be a Class A, B, or C felony if committed by an adult.”
Under current law, juvenile criminals have their records expunged at age 19, even if they have committed violent felonies. As of January 1, the new law allows judges to impose sentences that would last well beyond age 19 but no older than age 25.
Another notable law that will take effect on January 1 increases the access to birth control for TennCare customers.
The law requires TennCare to “provide coverage for a 12-month refill of contraceptives obtained at one time by an insured person, unless the insured requests a smaller supply or the prescribing healthcare provider instructs that the insured must receive a smaller supply.”
For a full list of laws set to take effect and renew on January 1, 2025, visit https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Archives/Joint/publications/PublicChapters/2024/PublicChapters_202401.pdf.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Tennessee State Capitol” by Ken Lund. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Is there anyone alive that know all the laws that have been passed to regulate society???
I find it strange that man will search for all the hidden things to solves problems while rejecting the most obvious solutions plainly seen.
If man obey the 10 laws God wrote 99.9% of man’s law would be un-necessary.
The principles on which this country and our laws are based came from the “Doctrine of Christianity”,
but man only enforces the parts they like and claims the rest is a violation of the “Intent and Purpose” of the Constitution,
and violating the intent and purpose of a law is a violation of law.
And what most don’t consider is that for every law written for good it will have a bad interpretation that can, and most often do, led to a worse situation.
G.Washington in his farewell address, warned against “Good intention” law.
“If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional
powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which
the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this,
…… in one instance, may be the instrument of good, …..
it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.
— George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796
This law may have good intentions but having to ID everyone is in my opinion a violation of Article 14, which can be used in an unlawful manner.
why not just restrict all the Trash sites?
OH, I forgot that one of the principle of interpretation they don’t like.