HB0311 • 2026

Disabled Persons

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33; Title 37; Title 39 and Title 52, relative to the Autism Spectrum Online Protection Act.

Crime

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Darby, Stevens
Last action: 2025-02-03
Official status: Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details about the tools and resources available for family members or conservators, leaving this information unclear.

Autism Spectrum Online Protection Act

This bill makes it illegal for anyone to use an online platform to groom or exploit autistic young adults who are under a conservatorship and encourages online platforms to prevent such activities.

What This Bill Does

Creates the 'Autism Spectrum Online Protection Act' which makes it illegal for anyone to use an online platform to groom or exploit autistic young adults who are under a conservatorship.
Defines grooming as building a relationship, trust, and emotional connection with intent to commit exploitation, sexual abuse, sextortion, or trafficking.
Makes violations of this act a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 11 months, 29 days in prison or a fine of up to $2,500, or both.
Encourages online platforms to create and enforce policies that prevent and report activities targeting autistic young adults who are under a conservatorship.

Who It Names or Affects

Autistic young adults between eighteen and twenty-five years old who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and are subject to a conservatorship.
Online platforms that allow users to interact and communicate over the internet.
Family members or conservators of autistic young adults.

Terms To Know

Conservatorship: A legal arrangement where someone is appointed to manage the affairs of another person who cannot make decisions for themselves.
Grooming: Building a relationship, trust, and emotional connection with intent to commit exploitation or abuse.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how online platforms will be funded to implement these policies.
It is unclear what specific tools and resources family members or conservators will have access to for monitoring and protection.
There are no details on enforcement mechanisms for the encouragement of online platform compliance.

Bill History

2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to General Subcommittee of Senate Judiciary Committee
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-01-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill creates the
"Autism Spectrum Online Protection Act
,"

which makes i
t an offense for a person to use an online platform to engage in
the
grooming of
another who the person knows or reasonably should know is an autistic young adult subject to a conservatorship.

A violation

is a Class A misdemeanor
, punishable by up to
11 months, 29 days
imprisonment
or a fine
of up to
$2,500, or both
.

This bill urge
s o
nline platforms to implement and enforce policies to prevent and report
these grooming activities
that target the highly vulnerable population of autistic young adults
, including
build
ing
a relationship, trust, and emotional connection with
the
intent t
o commit an act of exploitation, sexual abuse, sextortion, or trafficking
.

This bill provides that f
amily members or conservators of autistic young adults subject to a conservatorship should have access to tools and resources to monitor and protect the o
nline activities of autistic young adults.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 538
By Stevens

HOUSE BILL 311
By Darby

HB0311
000153
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 33;
Title 37; Title 39 and Title 52, relative to the
Autism Spectrum Online Protection Act.

WHEREAS, the purpose of this act is to protect autistic young adults between eighteen
and twenty-five years of age from online predators who use online platforms to groom, sext,
sextort, sexually exploit, traffic, and sexually manipulate individuals who are subject to a
conservatorship; and
WHEREAS, there are estimated to be one million ninety-one thousand people living in
conditions of modern slavery in the United States. This equates to three and three tenths
victims for every one thousand people in the country; and
WHEREAS, a 2022 investigation into violence by the Autism Research Institute found
that seventy-five and four tenths percent of participants out of one hundred ten people reported
sexual harassment, and almost sixty percent reported experiences of sexual violence compared
to fifty-six and four tenths percent and twenty-eight and two tenths percent reported by non-
autistic participants; and
WHEREAS, like the general population, female autistic individuals are at higher risk for
experiencing sexual victimization and violence. An online survey by the Autism Research
Institute found that as many as nine autistic women out of every ten have experienced sexual
violence, where seventy-five percent of the two hundred twenty-five study participants reported
that their first experience occurred during childhood or adolescence; and
WHEREAS, suicide rates in autistic individuals range from eleven percent to sixty-six
percent and significantly more premature deaths are caused by suicide in autistic individuals

- 2 - 000153

than in the general population. Trauma derived from sexual abuse during childhood is a
significant and specific risk factor for suicidal ideation in adulthood; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 52, is amended by adding the following
new chapter:
52-9-101. This chapter is known and may be cited as the "Autism Spectrum
Online Protection Act."
52-9-102. As used in this chapter:
(1) "Autistic young adult" means an individual between eighteen (18) and
twenty-five (25) years of age who has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum
disorder, including, but not limited to, autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative
disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, Asperger's syndrome, low-
functioning autism, or classic autism;
(2) "Conservatorship" means the same as defined in § 34-1-101;
(3) "Exploit" means to abuse a position of vulnerability, differential power,
or trust for unlawful sexual purposes;
(4) "Groom" means to build a relationship, trust, and emotional
connection with another with intent to commit an act of exploitation, sexual
abuse, sextortion, or trafficking against the other;
(5) "Online platform" means a website, application, or digital service that
allows users to interact and communicate with others over the internet;
(6) "Sextortion" is the act of coercing an autistic young adult subject to a
conservatorship to create and send an image or video of the young adult
engaged in simulated sexual activity that is patently offensive or in sexual activity

- 3 - 000153

for the purpose of extorting money from the young adult by threatening to show
the image or video to others if payment is not sent;
(7) "Sexual abuse" means an offense under title 39, chapter 13, part 5;
and
(8) "Trafficking" means the same as "human trafficking offense" is
defined in § 39-13-314.
52-9-103.
(a) It is an offense for a person to use an online platform to engage in grooming
of another who the person knows or reasonably should know is an autistic young adult
that is subject to a conservatorship.
(b) A violation of subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor.
52-9-104.
(a) Online platforms are urged to implement and enforce policies to prevent and
report to local enforcement any activities prohibited by § 52-9-103 that target the highly
vulnerable population of autistic young adults.
(b) Family members or conservators of autistic young adults that are subject to a
conservatorship should have access to tools and resources to monitor and protect the
online activities of autistic young adults.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.