Technology

in committee · Tennessee · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 2522: Children - As introduced, requires certain commercial online platforms, websites, and applications to maintain a content moderation system that allows users to report material harmful to minors that is not properly marked or age-restricted; makes other changes related to platform content and minors. - Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 9 and Title 47, Chapter 18.

HB 2522 requires large commercial online platforms (with 10 million+ monthly U.S. active users) to implement systems letting users report unmarked or improperly age-restricted content harmful to minors. Platforms must acknowledge reports within 48 hours, review them within 7 business days, and take action like removal or age restriction. They must also publish semi-annual transparency reports detailing report volumes and resolutions, and face private lawsuits by parents if they fail to act on repeated reports - potentially resulting in $5,000 per violation. The bill targets platforms that permit harmful content without effective age verification, directly affecting major social media and app companies. The bill is currently in committee review (Commerce Committee) after initial filing.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRegulates large platforms' content moderation for minor safety, imposing transparency and accountability requirements - aligns with consumer protection regulation of tech companies.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Online Safety Social Media

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signed · Tennessee · Senate May 4, 2026

SB 2348: Local Education Agencies - As enacted, requires the state board of education, in consultation with the department of education, to qualify an advanced degree in media and technology as an advanced degree that leads to a library information specialist endorsement; establishes certain staffing requirements for libraries in public schools that serve students in any combination of grades nine through 12 based on current student enrollment; requires a public school that serves any of the grades nine through 12 to employ a full-time library information specialist with an endorsement as a library information specialist if certain criteria are met. - Amends TCA Title 10 and Title 49.

SB 2348 requires Tennessee’s state board of education to recognize an advanced degree in media and technology as qualifying for a library information specialist endorsement. It sets specific staffing rules for public high schools (grades 9-12): schools with 750-1,500 students must employ a full-time specialist, while smaller schools (under 750 students) must have a part-time specialist or designate a teacher as a library coordinator. If the library is open during school hours without a specialist, a teacher or staff member must supervise students. The bill, which amends Tennessee Code Titles 10 and 49, takes effect July 1, 2026, directly affecting high schools and library staffing requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires library staffing standards for high schools, ensuring access to library services and specialist support per student enrollment thresholds.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates recognition of media/tech degree for library specialists, advancing tech education integration in school libraries per TCA amendments.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Libraries Teachers

in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 25, 2026

SB 2395: Privacy, Confidentiality - As introduced, enacts the "Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act"; creates a Class B misdemeanor offense for officers, employees, or contractors of a state agency or local governmental entity that is required by law to be issued a warrant prior to obtaining personal information or sensitive data about an individual to knowingly purchase, license, or otherwise obtain the personal information or sensitive data from a controller in lieu of the warrant requirement. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 5; Title 6; Title 7; Title 8; Title 39 and Title 47.

SB 2395, titled the "Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act," prohibits state and local government employees or contractors from purchasing or licensing personal data instead of obtaining a warrant to access an individual's information. It creates a Class B misdemeanor offense for violations, directly affecting government officials who handle personal data under existing warrant requirements. Key exceptions include emergencies (like life-threatening situations), consent from the individual, or federal law mandates. The law amends multiple Tennessee code sections to enforce this requirement, effective July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits government from bypassing warrants for personal data access, requiring judicial oversight to protect civil rights and enhance law enforcement accountability under Fourth Amendment.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits government from purchasing personal data without warrant, strengthening privacy protections by enforcing Fourth Amendment requirements for data access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Data Privacy

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introduced · Tennessee · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 2586: State Government - As introduced, expands the requirements of the 2026 and 2027 annual reports to be submitted by the artificial intelligence advisory council to the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house of representatives by requiring such reports to include recommendations on strategies to detect and minimize the risk of fraud committed by persons using artificial intelligence. - Amends TCA Title 2; Title 4; Title 8; Title 10; Title 16; Title 29; Title 36; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 45; Title 47; Title 48; Title 49; Title 53; Title 62; Title 63; Title 65; Title 67; Title 68 and Title 71.

HB 2586 expands Tennessee's existing reporting requirements for the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. It mandates that the council's 2026 and subsequent annual reports to the governor, Senate Speaker, and House Speaker must now include specific recommendations on detecting and minimizing AI-facilitated fraud. This bill amends multiple Tennessee Code sections to add this new requirement to the council's reporting obligations, directly affecting the advisory council's work. The change focuses on strengthening oversight of AI risks without altering other aspects of the council's duties.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates AI fraud detection strategies in council reports, enhancing cybersecurity measures against AI misuse per bill's explicit requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 2680: Consumer Protection - As introduced, prohibits electric utilities and high performance computing centers in this state from using transformers, parts, or equipment manufactured or sold by entities owned or controlled by foreign adversaries to support any part of their operations; requires such utilities and centers to report to the comptroller of the treasury; makes related changes. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 7; Title 8; Title 47, Chapter 18; Title 65 and Title 68.

SB 2680 prohibits Tennessee electric utilities and high-performance computing (HPC) facilities from using transformers, parts, or equipment manufactured by entities owned or controlled by "foreign adversaries" (nations listed in federal regulations). The bill requires these entities to annually report equipment sources to the comptroller of the treasury, conduct internal audits, and submit findings by March 1. Noncompliant entities face 30-day correction notices, public posting of violations, potential license suspension by local governments, and civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. The law applies broadly to all public electricity providers and large HPC facilities using over 50 MW monthly.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits foreign adversary equipment in utilities/HPC, enhancing cybersecurity by reducing supply chain vulnerabilities.95% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Feb 5, 2026

SB 2321: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, prohibits a person or entity from distributing an electoral deepfake within 90 days of an election that the person or entity knows or should have known is a deceptive and fraudulent depiction of a candidate or political party; creates civil penalties and outlines exceptions. - Amends TCA Title 2 and Title 39, Chapter 17.

SB 2321 prohibits distributing manipulated election-related media (like AI-generated videos or audio) within 90 days of a state or local election if it falsely depicts a candidate or political party. It requires clear disclosures (e.g., "This media was AI-generated") for such content, with specific size/duration rules for visual media and audio. Violators face civil penalties up to $10,000, but the law excludes news broadcasts (with proper disclosure), satire, and publications that explicitly state the content is not authentic. The bill directly affects candidates, political committees, social media platforms, and media distributors during election periods. Exceptions ensure news coverage and parody remain protected.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts AI-generated election content distribution via civil penalties for deceptive deepfakes, limiting technology misuse in elections per bill's core prohibition.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence Social Media

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in committee · Tennessee · House Apr 1, 2026

HB 2410: Local Education Agencies - As introduced, allows an LEA or public charter school to install, maintain, and use, subject to parental approval, a video camera surveillance system in the special education classrooms operated by the LEA or public charter school to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in the classroom while special education or related services are being provided. - Amends TCA Title 10 and Title 49.

HB 2410 (Tennessee) allows public schools and charter schools to install continuous video surveillance in special education classrooms to enhance safety, but only with written consent from parents of a majority of students in those classrooms. The bill requires schools to adopt policies governing footage retention and restricts access to recordings: parents may view footage for their child under privacy laws, and teachers may view it only if evidence of assault is suspected. It specifically applies to self-contained special education settings where 50% or more of students receive special education services during instructional time. The law takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year, with funding intended to come from existing school safety grants.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates parental consent and restricts access to video footage, enforcing privacy protections for data collected in classrooms, aligning with data privacy indicators.85% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · Senate Apr 15, 2026

SB 2171: Safety - As introduced, enacts the "Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act." - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10, Chapter 7; Title 47; Title 58 and Title 68.

SB 2171, the "Artificial Intelligence Public Safety and Child Protection Transparency Act," requires developers of powerful AI systems ("frontier developers") to implement safety protocols for specific AI chatbots. It directly affects companies creating AI models trained with over 10^26 computing operations that power chatbots with at least 1 million monthly users and likely accessed by minors. Key provisions mandate documented "child safety plans" to prevent harm (like generating dangerous content or causing severe emotional distress in minors) and require risk assessments for "catastrophic risks" (e.g., AI enabling weapons or cyberattacks without human oversight). The bill defines terms like "child safety incident" and sets thresholds for applicability, focusing on transparency and risk mitigation for high-impact AI systems.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates safety protocols and child safety plans for AI developers, regulating AI systems to prevent harm and protect minors, aligning with consumer protection regulations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence Online Safety

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introduced · Tennessee · House Feb 5, 2026

HB 2312: Criminal Offenses - As introduced, clarifies that the criminal offense of knowingly accessing a communication or computer system for the purpose of fraud or theft includes accessing a cloud computing service. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 10; Title 35; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 45; Title 47; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 71.

HB 2312 clarifies that Tennessee's criminal law against accessing computer systems for fraud or theft explicitly includes cloud computing services. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated Section 39-14-602(a)(1) to add "cloud computing service" to the list of protected systems, alongside existing terms like computer networks and data. This directly affects individuals attempting to commit fraud or theft by accessing cloud-based accounts or services. The bill makes it a criminal offense to knowingly access such services for illicit purposes, updating existing computer crime statutes to address modern digital infrastructure. The bill is currently pending in committee as a proposed law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeClarifies criminal law to include cloud services for fraud, strengthening legal framework for prosecuting cybercrime under Tennessee's criminal justice system.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyClarifies cloud services as protected under criminal law for fraud/theft, strengthening data security and privacy protections against unauthorized access to cloud systems.95% confidence

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in committee · Tennessee · House Mar 17, 2026

HB 2609: Driver Licenses - As introduced, clarifies that the report made by a participant in the digital driver license system that the participant's electronic device has been lost or stolen must be made to the department of safety for purposes of terminating the person's participation in the system. - Amends TCA Title 55, Chapter 50.

HB 2609 amends Tennessee's digital driver license law to clarify that participants must report lost or stolen electronic devices to the Department of Safety, not to another entity. This change directly affects individuals enrolled in Tennessee's digital driver license system. The bill modifies the existing requirement to specify "to the department" in the reporting process, ensuring clear communication with the responsible agency. (Procedural bill; summary focuses on the specific legal clarification.)

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyClarifies reporting lost/stolen digital devices to Department of Safety, enhancing cybersecurity and data privacy protections for digital driver license system.95% confidence

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