With the start of a new year there will also be several new state laws taking effect on January 1, 2025, including the Tennessee’s “Protecting Children from Social Media Act.” The law, signed by Governor Bill Lee last May, will require social media companies to verify a user’s age and allow for parental consent.
The law will require social media companies such as X, Bluesky, and Instagram, that have sexual content, to confirm, in some way that a viewer is 18 or older.
“This bill simply puts the cyber community in concert with what we do in the physical world,” Rep. Patsy Hazlewood told the Assembly in April 2024. “We do not allow minors to go into adult establishments, we do allow minors access to written materials that are inappropriate.”
Governor Lee said the law will “empower” parents to protect their kids while online, but the legislation, is facing a federal legal challenge from the Free Speech Coalition, who filed a lawsuit claiming first amendment violations.
In addition, another law will take effect January 1, aimed at preventing sexual assaults where alcohol is served. All alcohol servers in Tennessee must now be trained on how drugs and alcohol are used in sexual assault. This training must be completed every two years.
Another law to be enacted will increase birth control access for TennCare customers. This bill would protect the right to use or refuse contraceptives, and require healthcare providers to provide access to contraceptive services. It would also require health insurance companies and public health agencies to provide full coverage of contraceptives.
A law will also be enacted that provides some protections for tenants. Now, landlords must provide all tenants with contact information, including a phone number, for emergency maintenance needs.
The rigidity of prohibited actions for landlords in Tennessee is particularly evident when it comes to evictions. Landlords cannot bypass the established legal procedure regardless of the circumstances. Any form of unlawful, forceful eviction without due process, such as changing locks or disconnecting utilities, is strictly off-limits, making such self-help measures a direct contravention of established rules.
Landlords are bound by legal restrictions for landlords in Tennessee, which include an adherence to health and safety codes and an obligation to carry out necessary repairs within a stipulated timeframe, ensuring rental properties remain habitable. These regulations are part of the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and are meticulously laid out to balance the scales in the landlord-tenant relationship.
Fundamental utilities that are essential to habitability must not be dangled as leverage in a tenancy agreement. Withholding services such as heating, plumbing, and electricity—a clear violation of the landlord tenant laws in Tennessee—can lead to severe penalties. Ensuring that tenants have access to these basic needs reflects respect for tenant rights in Tennessee and adherence to a landlord's moral and legal responsibilities.
