Tennessee State Laws
✅ Law #1: Restricting Student Use of Phones & Smart Devices in Class (Schools Policy)
Statute / Bill: New law passed in 2025 – part of Tennessee bills that take effect July 1. School boards & public charter schools must adopt policies about cell phones, tablets, smartwatches. (https://www.wsmv.com)
Effective: July 1, 2025 (https://www.wsmv.com)
📝 What it does
Public school boards and charter schools must make rules that prevent students from using phones/smart devices during instructional periods (class time). (https://www.wsmv.com)
Some exceptions: students with disabilities may use devices if needed, or when device used for classroom presentations. (https://www.wsmv.com)
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
Pretty minimal for the state government.
Schools will incur costs/training to implement policies; maybe signage; teacher/staff compliance/training.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: Teachers and students by reducing distractions in class; students who struggle with focus or disruptions.
Affects: Students who use devices in class; parents who may have relied on devices for communication; schools must enforce new rules.
🧑⚖️ Who sponsored / who opposed
Passed by Tennessee legislature in regular session; signalled in news summaries. (https://www.wsmv.com)
Likely supported by education groups; possibly opposition from those who believe devices have educational or emergency utility.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
✅ Pros:
Classrooms more focused; fewer distractions.
Encourages learning environment with fewer interruptions.
❌ Cons:
Some students may find restrictions too strict.
Enforcement might be difficult / inconsistent across schools.
Device use for learning or emergencies might get caught in the restrictions.
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
From July 1, 2025, Tennessee schools must limit student use of phones/smart devices during instructional time—aiming for better focus in classrooms, with extra effort needed by schools to enforce fairly.
✅ Law #2: New Laws on Deepfakes, Lab-Grown Meat, Overdose Immunity & More (Multiple Areas)
Statute / Laws: Multiple bills taking effect July 1, 2025. (Axios)
Effective: July 1, 2025 for many of them. (https://www.wsmv.com)
📝 What it does
Some of the key highlights:
Criminal penalties if someone shelters undocumented immigrants (charged under “human smuggling”). (Axios)
Expanded “Good Samaritan” protections: people calling for help for someone overdosing (alcohol or drugs) get immunity. (Axios)
Payday lenders allowed to charge up to 36% interest on loans over $100. (Axios)
Lab-grown meat must have permits; can’t be labeled as “meat.” (Axios)
Foster care extended to age 23 for youth who are working or in school. (Axios)
Civil lawsuits now allowed for people harmed by sexually explicit AI-deepfakes. (Axios)
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
Admin & enforcement costs for new permit/licensing systems (lab-grown meat etc.).
Possible legal cost for defending or adjudicating lawsuits (deepfakes).
Some increased burden on regulatory agencies.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: Overdose victims or those helping them (via immunity); foster youth; consumers demanding transparency; those victimized by deepfake harms.
Affects: Lenders (payday), lab-grown meat companies, people providing shelter to undocumented folks, people making or distributing deepfake content.
🧑⚖️ Who sponsored / who opposed
Various sponsors for each law—legislature approved them. News reports mention Gov. Bill Lee signed many. (Axios)
Opposition likely from interest groups: payday lender critics, immigrant rights groups, free speech concerns for deepfake rules.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
✅ Pros:
Broad protection & regulation in new technological, social, and health areas.
More safety and clear rules (deepfakes, lab meat, overdose help).
Support for vulnerable populations (foster youth).
❌ Cons:
Some laws may impose heavy compliance/regulation costs.
Pay-day lender law potentially burdensome interest to borrowers.
Enforcement and clarity issues (how deepfake law works, permitting etc.).
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
On July 1, 2025, Tennessee rolled out several new laws covering deepfakes, lab-grown meat, overdose protections, loans, foster care age, and more—big step across tech, health, finance; with both protection gains and regulatory cost trade-offs.
✅ Law #3: Municipal Sales Tax & Local Revenue / Revenue Department Changes (Tax Law Changes)
Statute / Laws: From Tennessee’s 2025 Department of Revenue legislative summaries. (Tennessee State Government)
Effective: Various dates; many July 1, 2025; some Jan 1, 2026. (Tennessee State Government)
📝 What it does
Some specific tax changes include:
Withholding up to 15% of annual sales tax revenue allocated to municipalities with two or more outstanding late annual audits. (Tennessee State Government)
Exemption of certain sales for wine consumed at wineries from “liquor by the drink” tax when on winery premises. (Tennessee State Government)
Changes in how local occupancy tax applies (first 30 days stay in short-term rentals / hotels subject to occupancy tax on certain rental agreements). (Tennessee State Government)
New wholesale tax on vapor products (10%) and licensing requirements for retailers/distributors. (Tennessee State Government)
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
Municipalities with audit issues lose some revenue until audits are cleared.
Wine/farm producers benefit; tax revenue for liquor/tourism may shift.
Tax on vapor products adds cost to consumers, new collection for state.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: State revenue; municipalities that are compliant; wine producers and wineries on premises; public health advocates via vapor regulation.
Affects: Municipalities with audit issues; consumers of vapor products; retailers of such products; businesses in hospitality/short term rentals.
🧑⚖️ Who sponsored / who opposed
These are administrative or revenue department bills, part of broader budgeting and tax code reforms. (Tennessee State Government)
Opposition likely from business/tourism interests (on occupancy tax), discount vapor/lower end users, municipalities which might lose revenue.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
✅ Pros:
Clamps down on audit delays; encourages financial accountability in municipalities.
Clarifies tax obligations, captures revenue from vapor product sales.
Benefits wineries and tourist sectors on winery premises.
❌ Cons:
Consumers lose (vape costs up, occupancy rentals cost more).
Some local governments may suffer revenue losses or have to clean up audit issues at cost.
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
Tennessee’s 2025 tax & revenue changes (effective many July 1) include stricter audit accountability for cities, new taxes on vapor products, occupancy taxes on rentals, and exemptions for winery wine sales — rebalancing revenue and compliance, with costs for consumers and municipalities trailing behind.
✅ Law #4: Accreditation Stipend Increase for Counties Housing Felons (SB 0186)
📝 What it does
Counties that house convicted felons (i.e. county jails etc.) get a higher stipend (a type of state payment) for accreditation/standards for those facilities under certain conditions. (LegiScan)
💰 Cost to taxpayers / state budget
Increased payment from state budget to counties. The total depends on how many felons / how many counties qualify.
👥 Who it helps / affects
Helps: County governments, county jail facilities—funding for maintaining accreditation standards.
Affects: State budget; maybe taxpayers indirectly via state budget; counties that do not house many felons see less benefit.
🧑⚖️ Who sponsored / who opposed
Passed in 2025 legislature; becoming law. (LegiScan)
Likely support from counties and local officials; opposition limited (some concerns about cost).
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
✅ Pros:
Better funding for county jails to meet accreditation standards (which may improve safety, standards, oversight).
Counties better able to maintain required accreditation benchmarks.
❌ Cons:
Higher expenditure for state; could squeeze other budget items.
Counties that are failing accreditation or with fewer inmates may gain less benefit.
🗳️ The Ballot Beacon Takeaway
SB 0186 took effect May 9, 2025: Tennessee will pay counties more per convicted felon housed to help fund accreditation of local jails — boosting standards, with bigger price tag for the state.