Image Credit: Jody Barrett for Tennessee / Facebook & Canva
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Upon Governor Bill Lee’s signature on Tuesday, the “Tennessee Anti-Grooming Act” is set to go into effect on July 1st, 2026.
HB2317/SB2566, sponsored by Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson-District 69) and Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16), aims to protect minors from sexual exploitation by criminalizing grooming behavior, now explicitly defined by law, and supplementing existing child protection laws through the creation of a misdemeanor or felony offense for adults who engage in the practice of grooming minors or persons who are “mentally compromised.”
The new law defines “mentally compromised” as a person of any chronological age whose mental capacity is limited or compromised because of a medically diagnosed condition including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, schizophrenia, major depression, debilitating anxiety, intellectual disability, or a traumatic brain injury.
The offense of grooming carries a range of penalties from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class B felony depending on a variety of factors which include the severity of the offense, the position of trust or authority the offender had over a victim, and the ages of both offender and victim.
As Bowling stated on the Senate floor, peer-reviewed scientific literature indicates that between 35-45 percent of all children who have been sexually abused have been subject to “predatory behavioral patterns” aka grooming, prior to the actual sexual contact offense.
With the passing of the law, Tennessee’s track record with educator sexual misconduct may finally improve.
According to a 2018 published national report on the subject which gave Tennessee an F, in which “educator sexual misconduct” was defined as a broad range of inappropriate behaviors involving teachers in schools that serve grades preK-12, grooming behaviors did not equate to criminal acts. The new law changes that.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
