A group of Tennessee laws passed during the most recent General Assembly session takes effect July 1, and the Tennessee new laws on July 1 touch immigration cooperation, mental competency proceedings, schools, firearms, driving, and healthcare consent for minors. July 1 is the standard start date because it lines up with the state’s fiscal year, and the Tennessee Constitution otherwise allows a general law to take effect 40 days after passage unless the legislature declares the public welfare requires an earlier date.
Immigration Cooperation Becomes Mandatory
HB 2124 and SB 2576 change local law enforcement’s role from permitted cooperation to required cooperation. Agencies and officials must now communicate with the appropriate federal official about the immigration status of anyone in their custody, including reporting knowledge that a person is not lawfully present in the United States.1Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee Code Annotated – HB2124
The duty runs beyond reporting. Agencies must also cooperate in identifying, apprehending, detaining, or removing people who are not lawfully present, under the authority of 8 U.S.C. § 1357(g)(10).2Tennessee General Assembly. HB 2124 In practice, county jail booking now routinely includes immigration-status checks and federal notification, regardless of the original charge.
Jillian’s Law: Competency and Commitment
HB 1640 and SB 2734, known as Jillian’s Law, addresses defendants found incompetent to stand trial. Under the new law, a person who has been judicially committed remains committed until competency is restored.3Tennessee General Assembly. HB 1640
If competency cannot be restored, release from inpatient care requires the criminal court with jurisdiction over the original charges to approve a mandatory outpatient treatment plan that accounts for community safety.4Tennessee General Assembly. Public Chapter 784 The court keeps jurisdiction throughout, so these cases stay under judicial supervision rather than cycling through short evaluation periods and ending in release. The measure passed with bipartisan support and carries funding for the treatment infrastructure it creates.
School Resource Officers in Every School
HB 1664 and SB 1715 target campuses without a school resource officer. If a local school board has not entered into a memorandum of understanding with a law enforcement agency to assign an SRO, a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction is now authorized to assign at least one officer to that school during regular hours and school-sponsored events.5Tennessee General Assembly. Public Chapter 729 The law covers sworn law enforcement officers, not private security guards. Districts can still negotiate their own agreements; the statute makes sure a school does not go uncovered because no agreement was reached at the board level.
What Flags Public Schools May Display
HB 1605 and SB 1722 limit school flag displays to a defined list. Permitted flags include:
- The United States flag and the official Tennessee state flag
- Armed forces flags, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps flags, and the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag
- Historical flags recognized under state law, flags of a local government or political subdivision, and flags of a foreign country
- Flags representing a college or university, flags displayed temporarily as part of a curriculum, and official school or school-organization flags
- Flags representing a federally recognized Indian tribe
Any flag outside those categories is prohibited.6Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Memorandum HB 1605 – SB 1722 The prohibition reaches the school itself and also bars employees and agents from displaying unauthorized flags.7Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-2005 – Flags Displayed in Schools Compliance sits with the local school board across classrooms and administrative buildings.
The Baby Olivia Act in Family Life Curriculum
SB 2767, the Baby Olivia Act, requires any family life curriculum that addresses human growth, development, or sexuality to include a computer-generated animation or high-definition ultrasound of at least three minutes showing fetal brain, heart, and vital organ development.8Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee Code 49 – Instruction The video referenced in public discussion is “Baby Olivia,” and the statute permits comparable animations that meet the same standards. The presentation supplements existing science or health instruction rather than replacing current content.
Red Flag Law Preemption
SB 2763 and HB 2035 block every level of local government in Tennessee from adopting extreme risk protection orders, commonly called red flag laws. No county, city, town, municipality, or metropolitan government may pass an ordinance, rule, or resolution allowing temporary seizure of firearms from someone deemed a risk to themselves or others.9Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee Code Annotated – SB 2763
The statute reaches further. Political subdivisions cannot accept grants or other funding to implement any order that would function as an ERPO. Federal ERPOs are declared null, void, and unenforceable against Tennessee residents. Attempting to enforce a federally issued ERPO in Tennessee is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,500, or both. That penalty applies to law enforcement officers and private individuals alike.
Street Racing Reclassified as a Felony
Tennessee has expanded its definition of drag racing to include motor vehicle drifting stunts and reckless driving performed for spectators, reclassifying these activities under “street drag racing.” Reckless endangerment committed during street drag racing is a Class E felony, carrying one to six years in prison.10Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Note HB 1449 – SB 1474 A felony conviction carries lasting consequences for employment, housing, and firearm ownership. Insurance costs move too: industry data shows a street racing conviction raises auto insurance premiums by roughly 93% on average.
Everyday Driving Rules to Watch
Left Lane Restrictions
Tennessee’s “slow poke” rule requires any vehicle moving slower than the normal speed of traffic to stay in the right-hand lane on interstates and multilane divided highways, except when overtaking another vehicle or preparing for a left turn.11Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-8-115 – Driving on Right Side of Roadway Officers can cite drivers who sit in the left lane even at or near the posted speed limit.
Window Tint
All side and rear windows on sedans, SUVs, and vans must allow more than 35% of visible light through the tint film. The standard is uniform across those window positions. On the windshield, only the top strip may be tinted, and it cannot extend below the AS-1 line. Non-compliant tint draws citations at traffic stops and will need to come off before inspection.
Vaccinations, Minors, and Foster Parents
Parental Consent Required for Minor Vaccinations
The Mature Minor Doctrine Clarification Act, enacted as HB 1380 and SB 1111, resolves how the mature minor exception recognized in the 1987 Tennessee Supreme Court decision Cardwell v. Bechtol applies to vaccines. It doesn’t. A healthcare provider cannot vaccinate a minor without first obtaining written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian.12Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee Code Annotated – HB 1380 / SB 1111
“Vaccination” is defined broadly to include any process, procedure, medication, or substance intended to prevent or reduce the risk of illness or stimulate an immune response.13Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee General Assembly – Amendment No. 1 to HB1380 Emergency medical treatment remains an exception where providers may act without parental consent. Otherwise, routine vaccinations at pharmacies, clinics, and school-based health centers require documented parental approval, and providers must keep proof of consent in the minor’s medical record.
Foster Parent Vaccine Exemption
SB 2359 prevents the Department of Children’s Services from requiring a prospective foster parent or a household member to be vaccinated as a condition of overseeing a foster child, when that person objects to the immunization on religious or moral grounds.14Tennessee General Assembly. Tennessee Senate Bill 2359 The exemption requires a written objection. It does not remove immunization requirements for the foster children themselves.
Tracking Future July 1 Changes
The Tennessee General Assembly publishes a Public Chapters Effective Report each session that lists every new law grouped by its effective date.15Tennessee General Assembly. Legislative Publications Some bills carry an earlier effective date when the legislature declares the public welfare requires it, so checking the report each spring catches laws that take effect before the usual July 1 batch. Full bill text, fiscal notes, and amendment history are searchable through the General Assembly’s website.