Criminal Offenses

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on enforcement mechanisms or potential defenses, leaving these aspects unclear.

Amending Tennessee's Laws on Assisted Suicide

This bill amends Tennessee's laws by adding advising or encouraging someone to commit suicide within an imminent period of time as a form of assisted suicide and increasing penalties if the victim is a minor.

What This Bill Does

• Adds that through any form of communication, intentionally advising or encouraging another person to commit suicide for the purpose of inciting, persuading, or aiding them to commit or attempt to commit suicide within an imminent period of time is considered assisted suicide if the advisor knows the other person has communicated their intent to commit suicide.
• Changes the penalty for assisted suicide involving a minor from a Class D felony to a more severe Class C felony.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who advise, encourage, provide means, or participate in acts leading to someone else's suicide.
• Law enforcement and courts dealing with cases of assisted suicide.

Terms To Know

Class D felony

A serious crime that can result in a prison sentence of two to twelve years and a fine up to $5,000.

Class C felony

An even more severe type of felony than Class D, with penalties including three to fifteen years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the new law will be enforced or what resources will be provided for enforcement.
• It is unclear if there are any exceptions or defenses that might apply under this new legislation.

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that a
person commits the offense of assisted suicide who
p
rovides the means or participates in the physical act with
(i) a
ctual knowledge that the other person intends to bring about
their
own death and
(ii) t
he clear intent that the other person bring about such person's own death.
In addition to the above, a
person
who
commits the offense of assisted suicide
must also do either of the following:



Intentionally provide another person with the means by which such person directly and intentionally brings about such person's own death
.



Intentionally participate in a physical act by which another person directly and intentionally brings about such person's own death
.

This bill adds that a person also
commits the offense of assisted suicide who
(i) t
hrough any form of communication, intentionally advises or encourages another person to commit suicide for the purpose of inciting, persuading, or aiding the other person to commit or attempt to commit suicide within an imminent period of time and
(ii) k
nows that the other person has communicated an intent to commit suicide.

PENALTY

Present law provides that assisted suicide is a Class D felony, which has an
authorized term of imprisonment
of two to 12 years
and a fine
up to $
5,000
. However, this bill provides that i
f the victim of the offense is a minor, then assisted suicide is a Class C felony
. A Class C felony has an authorized term of imprisonment of three to 15 years and a fine up to $10,000.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1812
By Russell

SENATE BILL 1573
By Lowe
SB1573
010559
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39,
relative to criminal offenses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-216(a), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(a)
(1) A person commits the offense of assisted suicide who:
(A) Intentionally provides another person with the means by
which such person directly and intentionally brings about such person's
own death; or
(B) Intentionally participates in a physical act by which another
person directly and intentionally brings about such person's own death;
and
(C) Provides the means or participates in the physical act with:
(i) Actual knowledge that the other person intends to bring
about such person's own death; and
(ii) The clear intent that the other person bring about such
person's own death.
(2) A person commits the offense of assisted suicide who:
(A) Through any form of communication, intentionally advises or
encourages another person to commit suicide for the purpose of inciting,
persuading, or aiding the other person to commit or attempt to commit
suicide within an imminent period of time; and

- 2 - 010559

(B) Knows that the other person has communicated an intent to
commit suicide.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-216(g), is amended by
deleting the subsection and substituting:
(g)
(1) Except as provided in subdivision (g)(2), assisted suicide is a Class D
felony.
(2) If the victim of the offense is a minor, then assisted suicide is a Class
C felony.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to acts committed on or after that date.