KHA provides you up to date information for all the new Tennessee laws. Below are the newest ones of which you should be aware:
SB0868 – Penalties for text and telephone solicitations This law provides that text messages from solicitors may not be made between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.. They also cannot knowingly utilize any method to block or otherwise circumvent a residential subscriber’s use of caller ID. They cannot contact those on the Do Not Call Register. They must pay $500 annually to defray regulatory and enforcement expenses. A violation of this law has a penalty up to $2,000 per violation. The previous law only applied to telephone calls. This law now applies to both telephone calls and text messages.
SB0450 – Prohibits sale of tattoo or piercing materials for minors Parents may like this one. It prohibits the sale or distribution of tattoo and body piercing paraphernalia to minors. Violation of this new law is a Class A misdemeanor. It also requires a person engaged in the sale or distribution of tattoo and body piercing paraphernalia to require proof of age from a purchaser or obtain proof of age if the sale occurs through the mail. If a minor buys the materials, they will be subject to a $50 fine.
Jabari Bailey Highway Safety Act This law increases the penalties for those who fail to move out of the way of stopped law enforcement vehicles on the side of the road. The law is now changed to include any “stationary vehicle,”. Before this law was passed, it only applied to emergency vehicles. Now, drivers are required by law to move over or slow down when passing any stationary vehicle that has its flashing hazard lights activated, including civilian, maintenance, emergency, or law enforcement vehicles.
Garrison-Jordan Survivor Benefits Act This law increases the death benefit in workers compensation claims and makes other changes to the current law.
Dillard’s Law This law permits the surviving parent or guardian of a child whose parent was a victim of homicide involving a vehicle to convert a restitution order for child maintenance payments to a civil judgment at any time.
Booting Consumer Protection Act This law prohibits a person from knowingly installing a boot on a vehicle parked on private property. A violation of this law is a Class B misdemeanor. The law also requires any business that places boots on cars to accept debit and credit cards as a method of payment for the boot removal. This law also prohibits someone in the business of installing boots from contracting the work of installing or removal of boots or compensating employees by commission.
Silas Gable Flatt Law This law makes it an offense for someone to knowingly provide a vehicle to someone under the influence of any intoxicating beverage or substance or whose driver’s license has been suspended or revoked. Violation of this law is Class A misdemeanor.
SB0256 – Immunity from prosecution from drug overdose This law gives discretion to a responding law enforcement officer or the district attorney general’s office to grant immunity from arrest, charging and prosecution on a person’s first and subsequent overdoses.
Tennessee Higher Education Freedom of Expression and Transparency Act This law prohibits higher education institutions from showing favoritism for or against student groups peacefully protesting guest speakers points of view or a student group who requests a guest speaker to come to that institution. The institution is also prohibited from requiring students to pay fees or security deposits that are not charged to all other student groups or deny any student group access to school property if that property is typically used for similar purposes. Universities are also prohibited from requiring applicants for employment or admission to submit a personal diversity statement or to agree with an institutional diversity statement as part of the application or admissions process. The university also is prohibited from using state funds, fees, dues or other money for meetings, membership or activities of any organization if participation in such organization requires an individual or an individual’s employer, to endorse or promote a divisive concept.
If you have any questions you can contact Kelli directly at (615) 567-7300 or by email at kelli@khalawgroup.com. Take care and stay well.
