NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On July 1, a slate of new laws will go into effect in Tennessee. The laws were passed during the past legislative session that put the state in the national spotlight for bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community, bills that loosened gun restrictions after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, as well the stories that followed surrounding the Tennessee Three.
You can find a list of some of the laws that will go into effect on July 1 below.
A bill that made its way through the Tennessee legislature aims to strengthen rules passed last year that can change how schools approach teaching many kinds of lessons in social justice, racial inequity, political science, social work, psychology and many other fields.
In 2022, lawmakers passed rules that allow state leaders to withhold funding for schools that teach about social, cultural and legal issues related to race and racism. Most of those concepts focus on how the impact of racism affects people today.
The bill, HB 1376, was introduced by Representative John Ragan (R - Oak Ridge). He previously said that the new bill was meant to strengthen the law passed in 2022 by "promoting freedom of expression," and keep "colleges about advancing knowledge, not about advancing political or social agendas."
The bill restricts universities from using state funds for meetings or activities of an organization that "endorses or promotes a divisive concept." It also requires employees who support diversity initiatives to "increase intellectual diversity" and support students through mentoring, career readiness and workforce development initiatives.
It also allows students and employees who believe that the school violated last year's law a chance to file a report with the school. The school would then need to annually report violations to the comptroller of the treasury, redacting them as needed to stay in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
A law, HB 0239, risked around $1.3 billion in Title IX funding as well as an additional $750 million from the federal government. It creates a legal term for "sex" for use in statutes and in the state code. That definition excludes considerations of gender expression or gender identity. The exact definition the bill uses is below.
As used in this code, unless the context otherwise requires, "sex" means a person's immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth and evidence of a person's biological sex. As used in this subsection (c), "evidence of a person's biological sex" includes, but is not limited to, a government-issued identification document that accurately reflects a person's sex listed on the person's original birth certificate.
By requiring that definition be used on all government-issued documentation, anyone whose gender identity does not align with their gender assigned at birth may not be able to change their driver's licenses and birth certificates.
The law's fiscal note warns that the language could result in increases in state and local expenses because it could result in the state not complying with federal requirements for grants, programs and other awards.
It also says that $750 million in federal grants to the Department of Health would be at risk should the bill become law. It said that Title X grants and many others have a different definition of "sex" than what the bill proposes.
SB 0001 was signed on March 2, which bans forms of gender-affirming care for minors. These forms of care — which can include at least puberty blockers or hormone therapy — could be used to help adolescents with gender dysphoria. The law's language does not limit the ban to gender-affirming surgeries or drug prescriptions.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the state over the law, saying the lawsuit was meant to prevent it from going into effect. However, a judge has not issued an injunction against it as of June 23.
Under the new law, transgender youth already receiving gender-affirming health care as of July 1, 2023, will be forced to lose access to such care after March 31, 2024, in Tennessee. Youth not receiving medical care by July 1, 2023, will be unable to begin receiving care in Tennessee, according to the ACLU.
The lawsuit said that going through puberty can be extremely distressing for transgender adolescents, and in some cases, puberty-delaying medication can minimize the effects of gender dysphoria. It also said that going through puberty can be extremely distressing for transgender adolescents, and in some cases, puberty-delaying medication can minimize the effects of gender dysphoria.
Currently, providers who consider providing gender-affirming care need to follow strict guidelines when deciding if a transgender adolescent is eligible for gender-affirming hormone therapy, or other kinds of treatment.
A law passed by the Tennessee legislature would require that people who were sentenced to death be executed within 30 business days after any appeal, and the "the exhaustion of all available methods of post-conviction relief."
It also gives juries the choice to decide whether a convicted person's death sentence should be expedited. The jury would need to unanimously decide to speed up the execution process. Expedited death sentences would only be available for people convicted of first-degree murder.
There would need to be at least three victims involved and the defendant will have needed to use at least one deadly weapon. Juries can also expedite the process if a person used a deadly weapon on school grounds, or if they killed a first responder such as a police officer.
Expedited sentences also require video or DNA evidence of a person's guilt to be presented during trial.
Students who violate a new law starting July 1 could face a mandatory year's expulsion from school, barring intervention from some school leaders.
The law would apply to students who bring a gun to school, who assault educators, who are found with illegal drugs or who threaten mass violence against the school. According to lawmakers, students would be required to be expelled. However, it allows directors of schools to make case-by-case changes in cases involving students who violate "zero tolerance" policies.
A law that passed with overwhelming support in the House and Senate would implement a fine for drivers who do not move over or slow down for cars stopped with their hazard lights on. It is named the "Jabari Bailey Highway Safety Act," getting its namesake from a Memphis athlete who lost his leg after a driver who failed to move over hit him as he was helping a former teammate jump-start his car.
Drivers who do not pull over or slow down could face a fine between $250 and $500 for their first offense, as well as imprisonment of up to 30 days. For subsequent violations, they could face fines of up to $2,500.