HB 545 requires Tennessee teachers in grades 6-12 to complete at least one free, department-approved professional development course on using artificial intelligence in classrooms by August 1, 2027, or within two years of their teaching license, whichever comes later. The Tennessee Department of Education must provide at least one self-paced, asynchronous course on AI in teaching, created by STEM-experienced entities, available at no cost to eligible teachers. Schools must approve the course for professional development credit under existing licensure rules. This bill directly affects over 20,000 K-12 teachers in Tennessee through mandatory training on AI integration in education.
HB 1382 requires health insurance companies, HMOs, and programs like TennCare to follow specific rules when using artificial intelligence or algorithms to review treatment requests (utilization management). It mandates that AI tools must base decisions on individual patient medical history and provider recommendations - not group data - and cannot override licensed doctors' evaluations of medical necessity. Insurers must disclose AI use in their policies, regularly review AI performance for accuracy, and ensure tools don’t discriminate or harm patients. This bill directly affects all Tennessee health insurance issuers using AI for treatment reviews, including major programs like TennCare and pharmacy benefits managers.
SB 102 extends the operating authority of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation (TTDC) until June 30, 2027, preventing its automatic termination. This bill directly affects the TTDC, which supports technology-related economic development in Tennessee. The legislation makes technical corrections to Tennessee Code (Title 4, Chapters 14 and 29) by removing outdated references and clarifying the corporation's legal status. The change ensures the TTDC can continue its existing programs without interruption.
SB 1346, the "Preventing Deepfake Images Act," creates a civil legal remedy for individuals whose intimate digital images or videos (including deepfakes) are shared without consent. It directly affects people who have had non-consensual intimate depictions - such as images showing genitals, sexual fluids, or explicit acts - disclosed online or otherwise. The law allows victims to sue for $150,000 in liquidated damages, actual damages, or punitive damages, and seek court orders to stop further disclosure. It defines key terms like "deepfakes" and clarifies that consent for creating the image does not cover its sharing, while allowing exceptions for law enforcement or good-faith disclosures. The law took effect on July 1, 2025.
SB 1296 creates two new criminal offenses in Tennessee: (1) threatening to commit "mass violence" (defined as an act likely to cause serious injury or death to four or more people), and (2) posting someone’s home address or phone number online with intent to cause harm. The bill directly affects individuals whose personal information is shared online for malicious purposes and targets threats made in places like schools, government buildings, or events. Violations of the first offense range from a Class E felony (standard) to Class D felony if the threat involves schools, events, or weapons preparation. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and excludes public officials acting within legal duties.
HB 1299, the "Preventing Deepfake Images Act," creates a civil legal remedy for individuals whose non-consensual intimate digital images or videos - whether AI-generated deepfakes or manipulated real likenesses - are shared without their consent. It directly affects victims of such disclosures and those who distribute them, requiring explicit written consent for disclosure (not just creation) and defining "intimate digital depictions" to include explicit images of identifiable people. Key provisions allow victims to sue for up to $150,000 in liquidated damages, actual damages for emotional harm, or recovery of the defendant’s profits, plus attorney fees. Exceptions cover disclosures made in good faith to law enforcement or during legal proceedings, while courts may grant anonymity to plaintiffs.
HB 457, now law as Public Chapter 371, amends Tennessee election procedures to enhance security and transparency. It requires county election commissions to publish the location of provisional counting boards and prohibits them from tabulating marked ballots submitted online or using internet-connected voting machines. The bill also adds a provision allowing commissions to notify petitioners of defects in their documentation. These changes directly affect county election commissions and impact how voting is processed and secured in Tennessee elections. The law focuses on preventing internet-related vulnerabilities in the voting process.
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Elections
SB 626 amends Tennessee's election laws to require county election commissions to publish locations of provisional counting boards and prohibit tabulating marked ballots submitted online. It also bans voting machines from connecting to the internet, directly affecting how counties manage ballot processing and voting technology. The bill makes these specific procedural changes to election administration without altering voter eligibility or ballot access. Signed by the governor on May 5, 2025, it became effective May 13, 2025.
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Elections
HB 321 requires all Tennessee state executive branch agencies to accept electronic document submissions instead of fax transmissions. It defines "electronic transmission" as digital communication that can be printed (e.g., email, online portals) and removes all references to "fax," "facsimile," or "email" from over 30 sections of state law. This change affects state agencies handling paperwork and individuals or businesses submitting documents to them, streamlining processes by standardizing digital submissions. The law takes effect January 1, 2026.
SB 538, the "Autism Spectrum Online Protection Act," creates new protections for autistic young adults (ages 18-25) under court-appointed conservatorship. It makes it a Class A misdemeanor to use online platforms to groom, sextort, or sexually exploit this group - defined as building trust to commit abuse. The law requires online platforms to implement policies preventing such exploitation and gives conservators/families tools to monitor online safety. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.
