NASHVILLE, Tenn. — More than 30 new state laws take effect today, July 1, pertaining to such issues as immigration enforcement, self-defense, drink-spiking, kratom and hemp products, school policy, and others.
The measures were passed during this year’s session of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly, which considered more than 250 pieces of legislation before adjourning in late April. Gov. Bill Lee has signed the bills into law.
Immigration enforcement
Several of the most closely watched new laws deal with immigration.
One requires every sheriff’s office in the state to enter into a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by Jan. 1, 2027, or risk having state funding withheld. More than 70 agencies statewide already had such agreements in place. According to ICE records found online, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has no formal 287(g) in place with the agency.
A separate law makes it a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500) for a person to remain in Tennessee more than 90 days after receiving a final federal removal order, or to reenter the state after being deported. The ACLU has sued to block that measure.
Other new provisions require U.S. citizenship or lawful presence to obtain many professional licenses and permits, bar driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants (lawful permanent residents can still get a marked license), and stop Tennessee from recognizing other states’ licenses issued to undocumented immigrants.
Personal information about officers involved in immigration enforcement is now shielded from public records requests, and releasing details about planned immigration operations is now a Class E felony for government officials.
Self-defense and property
A new law lowers the bar for using deadly force to protect property, permitting it when a person “reasonably believes” the property cannot otherwise be protected, or when it is “immediately necessary” to prevent arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or aggravated cruelty to animals. Supporters say it protects homeowners and livestock owners; critics raised concerns during debate about how far the standard extends to trespassing cases.
A related law bars landlords from prohibiting tenants, in new or renewed leases, from keeping legally owned firearms in their residence or in a vehicle parked on the property.
Kratom and hemp
Tennessee now bans kratom outright, becoming the eighth state to do so. The law, known as Matthew Davenport’s Law, prohibits all forms of the substance — including powdered leaf, capsules, teas and concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) extracts — with no grace period for retailers. Possession is a Class A misdemeanor.
The state’s hemp industry also faces a major shake-up, as products containing 0.3% or more THCA, which converts to Delta-9 THC when heated, can no longer be sold, effectively pulling many smokable hemp flowers, pre-rolls and vapes from shelves. Oversight of hemp sales shifts from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and hemp sales are now limited to in-person transactions with a buyer 21 or older.
Public safety and criminal penalties
Spiking or drugging someone’s drink is now a Class D felony, punishable by up to 12 years in prison and a $5,000 fine, and businesses licensed to serve alcohol must keep drink-testing devices on hand.
A new “coercive suicide” law, named for Grace Anne Sparks, makes it a Class D felony to intentionally encourage or advise someone to attempt suicide within an imminent period of time, when the offender knows the person has expressed intent to do so.
Other new criminal provisions include a Class E felony for recklessly threatening mass violence against a school, child care agency, preschool or religious institution; a requirement that medical examiners test the remains of a suspected mass shooter for drugs after a shooting that kills four or more people; and consecutive-sentencing requirements for defendants convicted of crimes against multiple minor victims.
Tennessee also now maintains a statewide domestic violence offender registry, separate from the sex offender registry, with offenders remaining listed for periods of up to 20 years depending on the number of convictions. The registry is named for Robertson County Deputy Savanna Puckett, who was killed by her partner.
Schools and other changes
Tennessee students in kindergarten through fifth grade now face new restrictions on classroom technology, including limits on student device use, teacher use of digital instruction tools, and electronic testing.
Penalties for sexual relationships between teachers and students have also been expanded, and the state’s Education Freedom Scholarship voucher program is being expanded.
The “Riley Gaines Women’s Safety and Protection Act” defines “sex,” “male” and “female” based on biology at birth and requires restrooms, correctional facilities, college dorms and domestic violence shelters to restrict access accordingly; it allows lawsuits over violations.
Airport authority boards statewide are being restructured under a separate law being challenged in court by Nashville’s Metro government and the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.
Additional, narrower changes taking effect include new penalties for underage purchases of tobacco, vapor and hemp products; permit requirements for off-highway vehicles in the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area; and a study on equipping state correctional officers with body cameras.
