New Tennessee laws on AI deepfakes, lab-grown meat take effect July 1
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Scores of new laws take effect Tuesday in Tennessee, touching on everything from AI deepfakes to lab-grown meat.
Why it matters: The measures will reshape elements of health care, education and criminal justice in Tennessee, among many other things.
Zoom in: We've compiled a list of some of the July 1 laws that have gotten attention.
🏠 Immigration: Lawmakers approved legislation creating a criminal penalty for people or organizations that provide shelter for undocumented immigrants. People who do so could be charged with "human smuggling."
- The Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and other advocates are suing to block the law in federal court.
- Republicans said the bill was designed to fight human trafficking. But the religious leaders argue the law will penalize churches and landlords for offering services to immigrants.
🤝 Good Samaritan law: A new law expands immunity protections for people who seek medical help for themselves or someone else in the face of a possible alcohol or drug overdose. The law previously applied only to drug overdoses.
- This expansion allows minors to call for help without fear of being punished for underage drinking.
💰 Payday loans: Loan providers can now charge up to 36% interest on loans of more than $100. The previous limit for smaller loans was 30%.
🥩 Lab-grown meat: Makers of lab-grown meat, or "cell-cultured food product," must now get a permit to sell in Tennessee. Those products cannot be labeled as "meat."
🚗 Family travel: The Tennessee Department of Transportation must have roadside signage alerting drivers if an upcoming rest stop has a single-stall family restroom with enough room for people with disabilities or people who need a caregiver to help them.
- TDOT must also list rest stops and welcome centers with those accommodations online.
🍎 Vouchers: Gov. Bill Lee's $447 million plan will expand school vouchers statewide. Under the plan, Tennessee families can apply to use taxpayer dollars to help pay tuition at private schools.
- The state has already received tens of thousands of applications.
🧑🧒 Foster care: Support services for foster children who age out of the system are extended until the age of 23, provided that they are working or enrolled in school.
💻 Deepfakes: People who are targeted by AI deepfakes that depict them in sexual situations can now sue creators for damages in civil court.
- The new law also makes it a felony to disclose or threaten to disclose an intimate AI deepfake of someone that could cause them "physical, emotional, reputational, or economic harm."
- Lawmakers pursued the legislation after hearing from from NewsChannel 5 meteorologist Bree Smith, who was targeted by scammers who used deepfakes to impersonate her and solicit money online.