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TennesseeSB 1469114th General Assembly (2025-2026)SenateWALLET

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 29; Title 39; Title 47 and Title 50, relative to minors appearing in online content.

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

Child Labor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.

Minors protected from profitable sexualized images

Beginning July 1, 2026, the law bans knowingly making or publicly sharing a minor’s visual depiction for both sexual gratification and financial gain. This includes intent to cause a sexual response in a viewer or another person. The depicted minor can sue for actual damages, punitive damages, and reasonable legal costs, including attorney’s fees. Exceptions cover specified government investigations, good-faith reporting or lawful duties, and documents used in legal proceedings. A limited platform exception covers creator-posted content when the platform does not intentionally solicit or predominantly distribute such content. Other state-law rights and remedies remain available.

Teens gain enforceable video removal rights

Beginning July 1, 2026, minors age 14 or older can request removal of videos containing their likeness. Adults can also request removal when their likeness was used before they turned 18. The person who shared the video or controls its account must remove it within a reasonable time, no more than 30 days. Failure to act allows a lawsuit seeking removal, actual and punitive damages, and reasonable legal costs, including attorney’s fees. Minors can also sue creators to enforce these protections and obtain court orders or other fair relief, without losing other remedies. Contracts, waivers, and choice-of-law terms cannot take away or limit these protections.

Teen creators keep all video proceeds

Beginning July 1, 2026, Tennessee teens ages 14–17 can make and publish their own video content. They must receive 100% of the proceeds from those videos. The law’s definition of a minor excludes emancipated teens.

Protected child earnings, new creator duties

Beginning July 1, 2026, adult creators must reserve part of qualifying video earnings for Tennessee minors who are not emancipated. Covered content is paid video content filmed in Tennessee, including content made by parents or under a minor’s identity. All three tests apply: the creator earned at least $15,000 from videos in the prior 12 months; the minor accounts for at least 30% of paid content produced within a 30-day period during those 12 months; and the segment meets the platform’s payment threshold or earns at least $0.10 per view. The content share is measured by time featuring the minor, including an oral story about them; incidental appearances do not qualify. At least half of the segment’s gross earnings share attributable to the minor must go into a trust. When multiple qualifying minors appear, the required allocation is divided equally among them. The trust must follow Tennessee’s Uniform Transfers to Minors Act and be held by a bank, savings and loan association, credit union, or trust company. The minor gets access at 18 or upon emancipation. For violations, the minor can sue for unpaid compensation, other actual damages, punitive damages, and legal costs, including attorney’s fees.

Teen earnings records require creator upkeep

Beginning July 1, 2026, covered creators must keep earnings and content records for qualifying Tennessee teens ages 14–17 until they turn 21. The rule requires at least $15,000 in creator video earnings during the prior 12 months. During those 12 months, the teen must account for at least 30% of paid content produced within a 30-day period, measured by appearance or oral-story time. The segment must also meet the platform’s payment threshold or earn at least $0.10 per view. Records must show the teen’s name and age, paid content amount, total minutes, minutes featuring the teen, compensation, and trust deposits. Creators must tell the teen these records exist and make them easy to review.

Platforms face new child safety duties

Beginning July 1, 2026, social media platforms must document and implement a risk-based plan addressing paid content that intentionally sexualizes known minors. They must review the plan regularly, but choose listed safeguards at their discretion when commercially reasonable. Options include content and payment policies, limits on comments or gifts, automated enforcement, recommendation safeguards, and quality checks and transparency measures. Platforms must also publish guidance that adults and minors can understand, based on research and outside expertise. It must explain policies, settings, best practices, creators’ legal duties, exploitation risks, and ways to protect minors.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

  • Janice Bowling

    Republican • Senate

  • Tom Hatcher

    Republican • Senate

  • Adam Lowe

    Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 129 • No: 3

House vote • 4/2/2026

FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 4/2/2026

Yes: 92 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/19/2026

FLOOR VOTE: as Amended Third Consideration 3/19/2026

Yes: 29 • No: 2

Senate vote • 3/3/2026

SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Yes: 8 • No: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Effective date(s) 07/01/2026

    4/27/2026

  2. Pub. Ch. 687

    4/27/2026

  3. Signed by Governor.

    4/16/2026Senate

  4. Transmitted to Governor for action.

    4/7/2026Senate

  5. Signed by H. Speaker

    4/6/2026House

  6. Signed by Senate Speaker

    4/6/2026Senate

  7. Enrolled and ready for signatures

    4/2/2026Senate

  8. Passed H., Ayes 92, Nays 0, PNV 1

    4/2/2026House

  9. Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0858)

    4/2/2026House

  10. Subst. for comp. HB.

    4/2/2026House

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

    3/23/2026House

  12. Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

    3/19/2026Senate

  13. Sponsor(s) Added.

    3/19/2026Senate

  14. Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 29, Nays 2, PNV 2

    3/19/2026Senate

  15. Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0566)

    3/19/2026Senate

  16. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/19/2026

    3/17/2026Senate

  17. Senate Reset on calendar for 3/19/2026

    3/9/2026Senate

  18. Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/9/2026

    3/6/2026Senate

  19. Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 1 PNV 0

    3/3/2026Senate

  20. Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/3/2026

    2/25/2026Senate

  21. Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 3/3/2026

    2/17/2026Senate

  22. Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 2/17/2026

    2/11/2026Senate

  23. Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

    1/14/2026Senate

  24. Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

    1/13/2026Senate

  25. Filed for introduction

    10/30/2025Senate

Bill Text

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