Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee House Bill HB0825 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	SENATE BILL 811
3	3	By Powers
4	4
5	5	HOUSE BILL 825
6	6	By Maberry
7	7
8	8
9	9	HB0825
10	10	002876
11	11	- 1 -
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13	13	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
14	14	relative to internet safety.
15	15
16	16	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
17	17	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, is amended by adding
18	18	the following as a new part:
19	19	49-6-4601.
20	20	This act is known and may be cited as the "Teen Social Media and Internet
21	21	Safety Act."
22	22	49-6-4602.
23	23	As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:
24	24	(1) "Department" means the department of education;
25	25	(2) "Internet" means the combination of computer facilities and
26	26	electromagnetic transmission media, and related equipment and software,
27	27	comprising the interconnected worldwide network of computer networks that
28	28	employ the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol or any successor
29	29	protocol to transmit information; and
30	30	(3) "Social media" means a form of interactive electronic communication
31	31	through an internet website or application by which a user creates a service-
32	32	specific identifying user profile to connect with other users of the internet website
33	33	or application for the purpose of communicating and sharing information, ideas,
34	34	news, stories, opinions, images, videos, and other content.
35	35	49-6-4603.
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40	40	(a)
41	41	(1) By January 1, 2026, the department shall develop curricula, including
42	42	instructional materials, for the instruction of social media and internet safety for
43	43	students in grades six through twelve (6-12) who are enrolled in a school in an
44	44	LEA or public charter school.
45	45	(2) The department shall update the curricula, including instructional
46	46	materials, developed pursuant to this subsection (a), if necessary to reflect
47	47	changes in social media use, emergent technologies, and new threats to teens
48	48	using social media.
49	49	(3) The curricula developed pursuant to this subsection (a) must be in
50	50	conformance with the requirements established in § 49-6-4604.
51	51	(b) Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, each LEA and public charter school
52	52	that enrolls students in any of the grades six through twelve (6-12) shall instruct students
53	53	in grades six through twelve (6-12) using the curricula, including instructional materials,
54	54	developed pursuant subsection (a).
55	55	(c)
56	56	(1) The department shall publish the instructional materials developed
57	57	pursuant to subsection (a) on the department's website.
58	58	(2) Each LEA and public charter school that enrolls students in any of the
59	59	grades six through twelve (6-12) shall notify parents or guardians of students in
60	60	grades six through twelve (6-12) that the instructional materials developed
61	61	pursuant to subsection (a) are available on the department's website and the
62	62	LEA's or public charter school's website.
63	63	(d) A parent or guardian of a student who wishes to excuse the student from any
64	64	portion of the social media and internet safety instruction shall submit a request, in
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69	69	writing, to the student's instructor or principal. A parent or guardian of a student who
70	70	wishes to excuse the student from all portions of social media and internet safety
71	71	instruction shall submit a request in writing to the student's principal. A student who is
72	72	excused from any or all portions of social media and internet safety instruction shall not
73	73	be penalized for grading purposes if the student satisfactorily performs alternative
74	74	lessons.
75	75	49-6-4604.
76	76	(a) The social media and internet safety curricula developed in § 49-6-4603 must
77	77	include:
78	78	(1) Time management and healthy behaviors on social media;
79	79	(2) The negative effects of social media on mental health, including
80	80	addiction to social media;
81	81	(3) The distribution of information on social media;
82	82	(4) How social media manipulates behavior;
83	83	(5) The permanency of sharing materials online;
84	84	(6) How to use social media safely, including:
85	85	(A) Maintaining personal security;
86	86	(B) Preventing oversharing of personal information;
87	87	(C) Identifying cyberbullying, predatory behavior, and human
88	88	trafficking; and
89	89	(D) Reporting suspicious behavior encountered on social media
90	90	to the appropriate authorities; and
91	91	(7) Emphasizing the importance of evaluating information generated by
92	92	artificial intelligence and understanding potential misinformation when using
93	93	artificial intelligence.
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98	98	(b) The social media and internet safety curricula developed pursuant to § 49-6-
99	99	4603 may include the benefits of social media use; provided, that the curricula of the
100	100	benefits of social media are limited to:
101	101	(1) Career and resume building for future academic or employment
102	102	opportunities;
103	103	(2) Sharing information with family and friends; and
104	104	(3) Safely connecting with other users with similar interests.
105	105	49-6-4605.
106	106	Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, each LEA and public charter school
107	107	shall prohibit students from accessing social media through the use of internet access
108	108	provided by the LEA or public charter school, except when expressly authorized by a
109	109	teacher and solely for educational purposes.
110	110	SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-1-221(a)(1), is amended by
111	111	adding the following as new subdivisions:
112	112	(G) Limit students' internet access to only age-appropriate subject matter and
113	113	materials;
114	114	(H) Protect the safety and security of students when using email, chat rooms,
115	115	and other forms of direct, electronic communications; and
116	116	(I) Prevent students' internet access to websites, web applications, or software
117	117	that does not protect against the disclosure, use, or dissemination of students' personal
118	118	information.
119	119	SECTION 3. Section 2 takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it. All other
120	120	sections take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.