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HB 825

Education, Curriculum - As enacted, enacts the "Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Act." - Amends TCA Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Aron Maberry

Tennessee law requires schools to establish teen social media and internet safety programs, taking effect July 2025, creating new education standards for digital citizenship and online security.

Pub. Ch. 195
#curriculum #education
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Bill Summary · HB 825

Legislative bill overview

HB 825 enacts Tennessee's "Teen Social Media and Internet Safety Act," amending education code (TCA Title 49) to establish requirements around social media and internet safety in schools. The bill creates standards and potentially mandates for how schools must address digital citizenship and online safety in their curricula and operations.

Why is this important

As social media use among teens increases, legislators are responding to concerns about cyberbullying, mental health impacts, predatory behavior, and misinformation. This law establishes a statewide framework for how Tennessee schools must approach internet safety education, potentially affecting curriculum requirements, parent notification policies, and school responsibilities in the digital space.

Potential points of contention

  • Curriculum mandates vs. local control: The extent to which schools lose flexibility in designing their own digital safety programs versus following state requirements
  • Age-appropriate content debates: Disagreement over what internet dangers should be taught at different grade levels and how explicitly
  • Parental rights intersection: Questions about school authority to restrict student social media use, monitor accounts, or discipline off-campus online behavior versus parental rights
  • Resource burden: Implementation costs for teacher training, monitoring systems, or new programs without clear state funding mechanisms
  • First Amendment concerns: Potential free speech implications if restrictions on student online expression extend beyond school-sponsored platforms

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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