Criminal Offenses - As enacted, increases the penalty from a Class D felony to a Class B felony for a person who negligently, by act or omission, engages in conduct that places a child eight years of age or less in imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment. - Amends TCA Title 39.

This 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.