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SB0404 • 2026

Criminal Offenses

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, relative to unlawful images.

Technology
Active

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

Sponsor
Lamar, Jones J
Last action
2025-02-12
Official status
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific penalties for violations.

Changing Laws About Unlawful Images

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to make it illegal to distribute private images of someone's intimate parts or sexually explicit activities using technology like AI and digital editing tools, even if the person in the image does not suffer emotional distress.

What This Bill Does

  • Removes the need for the person in the image to suffer emotional distress for an offense to be considered unlawful exposure.
  • Adds that creating or modifying an image with technology like AI counts as unlawful exposure if it was meant to cause emotional distress.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who share private images of others using technology like AI and other digital editing tools.
  • Anyone whose private image is shared without their consent.

Terms To Know

Unlawful exposure
Sharing private or intimate photos or videos of someone without their permission, which can cause them emotional harm.
Artificial intelligence application
A computer program that uses AI to perform tasks like image creation or modification.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how much funding will be provided for enforcement.
  • It is unclear what specific penalties will apply under the new law.

Bill History

  1. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee of Judiciary Committee

  2. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025

  3. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2025

  4. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025

  5. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/26/2025

  6. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/19/2025

  7. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/19/2025

  8. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/12/2025

  9. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/12/2025

  10. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/5/2025

  11. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 3/5/25

  12. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/26/2025

  13. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  14. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  15. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 2/19/2025

  16. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  17. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  18. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  19. 2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  20. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  21. 2025-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that a
person c
ommits unlawful exposure who, with the intent to cause emotional distress, distributes an image of the intimate part or parts of another identifiable person or an image of an identifiable person engaged in sexually explicit conduct if
the image was photogr
aphed
or recorded under circumstances where the parties agreed or understood that the image would remain private
and the person depicted in the image suffers emotional distress.

This bill revises the provision above by (i) removing the requirement that
the person depicted in the image suffers emotional distress, and (ii) adding that such a violation can also occur if t
he image of an identifiable person was created or modified by means of a computer software program, artificial intelligence application,
or other digital editing tools.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 433
By Jones J

SENATE BILL 404
By Lamar

SB0404
002047
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to unlawful images.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-318(a)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(1)
(A) The image was photographed or recorded under circumstances
where the parties agreed or understood that the image would remain private; or
(B) The image of an identifiable person was created or modified by
means of a computer software program, artificial intelligence application, or other
digital editing tools; and
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.