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SB0535 • 2026

Children

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 24; Title 39; Title 40 and Title 47, relative to sexual exploitation of children.

Children Crime
Active

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

Sponsor
Stevens, Martin B
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/05/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance, leaving these aspects uncertain.

Tennessee Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act

This act prohibits internet service providers from notifying account holders or unauthorized persons about search warrants or subpoenas related to child exploitation investigations.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates the 'Tennessee Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act'.
  • Prohibits electronic communications service providers from notifying an account holder or any other person not authorized to be notified when a search warrant or subpoena is issued in relation to an investigation involving sexual exploitation of minors.
  • Allows internet service providers to notify account holders 90 days after providing information requested by law enforcement, but can delay this notification for up to 30 additional days if asked by the police within that period.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Internet service providers
  • Law enforcement agencies conducting investigations related to child exploitation

Terms To Know

Electronic communications service provider
A company that provides internet or email services.
Search warrant
A legal document allowing police to search a place for evidence of a crime.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the provider fails to comply with the notification delay request from law enforcement.
  • It is unclear how this act will be enforced or what penalties providers might face for non-compliance.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB0874

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules about when and how electronic communication providers can notify users if their information is requested by law enforcement in cases involving sexual exploitation of children.

  • Adds a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 10, which restricts electronic communications service providers from notifying account holders or others about search warrants or subpoenas related to investigations under this part unless certain conditions are met.
  • Allows an electronic communication service provider to notify the account holder ninety days after providing requested information to law enforcement, but allows for a thirty-day delay upon request by law enforcement.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how notifications will be handled in specific cases, which may leave some uncertainties.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0535

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules about when and how electronic communication service providers can notify account holders about search warrants or subpoenas related to investigations of sexual exploitation of children.

  • Electronic communications service providers are prohibited from notifying an account holder or unauthorized person about a search warrant or subpoena issued in relation to the investigation of child sexual exploitation, unless specified conditions are met.
  • Providers may notify an account holder ninety days after providing information to law enforcement, but this can be delayed by up to thirty additional days upon request by law enforcement.
  • The amendment does not specify all the details of how notifications will be handled in practice.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/05/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 368

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 368

  4. 2025-05-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  10. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0327)

  11. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  13. 2025-04-16 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  14. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  15. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  16. 2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-04-07 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  18. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  19. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  20. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 27, Nays 0

  21. 2025-04-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0205)

  22. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025

  23. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/9/2025

  24. 2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/3/2025

  25. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/2/2025

  26. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Judiciary Committee to 4/02/2025

  27. 2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  28. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/24/2025

  29. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 3/26/2025

  30. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee

  31. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  32. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  33. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  34. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  35. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

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

  36. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee

  37. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  38. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee

  39. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee

  40. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  41. 2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  42. 2025-01-30 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

This bill enacts the "Tennessee Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act," which prohibits
a provider of an electronic communications service from notifying an account holder, or any other person not authorized to be notified, of the service or the content of a search warrant or subpoena issued to the provider if the search warrant or subpoena

was issued in relation to an investigation of the commission of an offense of sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, or especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor.

ON APRIL 3, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDME
NT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 535, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 adds that, n
otwithstanding
this bill's prohibition against a provider notifying an unauthorized person of a search warrant or subpoena
, an electronic communications service provider may provide n
otification to an account holder 90 days after the production of requested information, records, or data from the electronic communications service provider to a law enforcement officer in compliance with a subpoena issued or a search warrant executed and

returned. However, the
provider is required to delay such
notification 30
additional
days upon request of a law enforcement officer within the initial 90
-
day period.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 874
By Martin B

SENATE BILL 535
By Stevens

SB0535
001759
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 24;
Title 39; Title 40 and Title 47, relative to sexual
exploitation of children.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. This act is known and may be cited as the "Tennessee Protection of
Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act."
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 10, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
A provider of electronic communications service, as defined in § 39-17-308, is
prohibited from notifying an account holder, or any other person not authorized to be
notified, of the service or the content of a search warrant or subpoena issued to the
electronic communications service provider if the search warrant or subpoena was
issued in relation to an investigation of the commission of an offense under this part.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.