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TennesseeSB 1346114th General Assembly (2025-2026)Senate

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 28 and Title 39, Chapter 17, relative to the unauthorized use of deepfake or actual likeness.

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

Criminal Offenses

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Intimate image victims gain lawsuit rights

Beginning July 1, 2025, Tennessee law gives victims a right to sue over realistic, digitally created or altered intimate depictions. You must be identifiable, and someone must intentionally share the depiction without consent, knowing or recklessly ignoring that consent was absent. You can seek actual damages, including emotional distress, or $150,000 in fixed damages instead. You can also seek the defendant's gains, punitive damages, reasonable legal costs, and attorney's fees. Courts can stop display or sharing, protect your name, and hold private proceedings. Consent to creation is not consent to sharing. Sharing consent requires a knowingly and voluntarily signed, plain-language agreement describing the depiction and any visual work incorporating it. Eligible representatives can act for someone under 18, incompetent, incapacitated, or deceased. Exceptions cover good-faith disclosures to or by law enforcement to report or investigate unlawful activity or unwanted conduct. Disclosures in legal proceedings and good-faith disclosures reasonably intended to help the depicted person are also excluded. A disclaimer saying the depiction is unauthorized does not defeat a claim.

Intimate image abuse brings felony penalties

Beginning July 1, 2025, Tennessee law makes harmful sharing, threats to share, or requests for sharing intimate digital depictions crimes. The rule covers intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm, or cause substantial financial or reputational harm. It also covers knowing or recklessly ignoring that the conduct will cause physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm. The offense is generally a Class E felony. It becomes a Class C felony when creation, copying, or distribution could reasonably affect government proceedings, including elections, or facilitate violence. A disclaimer saying the depiction is unauthorized is not a defense, and prosecution under other laws remains available.

Online providers gain intimate image protections

Beginning July 1, 2025, Tennessee law limits liability for covered online, information, and telecommunications service providers. They are protected for good-faith steps to block intimate digital depictions and for providing tools that help others block them. They are also protected from liability for content another person provides in violation of this law. These protections apply to this law's civil and criminal provisions, not to all possible legal claims. They do not give households a payment or a right to service.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

  • Raumesh Akbari

    Democrat • Senate

  • Paul Bailey

    Republican • Senate

  • Janice Bowling

    Republican • Senate

  • Heidi Campbell

    Democrat • Senate

  • Ferrell Haile

    Republican • Senate

  • Reeves

    Affiliation unavailable

  • Paul Rose

    Republican • Senate

  • White

    Affiliation unavailable

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 134 • No: 0

House vote • 4/21/2025

FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/21/2025

Yes: 94 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/15/2025

FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 4/15/2025

Yes: 32 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/2/2025

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Yes: 8 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date(s) 07/01/2025

    5/15/2025

  2. Pub. Ch. 466

    5/15/2025

  3. Signed by Governor.

    5/9/2025Senate

  4. Transmitted to Governor for action.

    5/1/2025Senate

  5. Signed by H. Speaker

    4/30/2025House

  6. Signed by Senate Speaker

    4/29/2025Senate

  7. Enrolled and ready for signatures

    4/28/2025Senate

  8. Passed H., Ayes 94, Nays 0, PNV 0

    4/21/2025House

  9. Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0336)

    4/21/2025House

  10. Subst. for comp. HB.

    4/21/2025House

  11. Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

    4/16/2025House

  12. Sponsor(s) Added.

    4/15/2025Senate

  13. Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

    4/15/2025Senate

  14. Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0

    4/15/2025Senate

  15. Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0349)

    4/15/2025Senate

  16. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

    4/14/2025Senate

  17. Sponsor(s) Added.

    4/14/2025Senate

  18. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/15/2025

    4/11/2025Senate

  19. Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0

    4/2/2025Senate

  20. Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025

    4/1/2025Senate

  21. Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025

    4/1/2025Senate

  22. Sponsor(s) Added.

    4/1/2025Senate

  23. Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025

    3/31/2025Senate

  24. Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025

    3/31/2025Senate

  25. Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025

    3/26/2025Senate

Bill Text

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