TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 22, 2026

Tennessee lawmakers have passed legislation (SB591/HB1273) to amend the state’s controversial threats of mass violence law, which has resulted in children being charged with felonies over jokes and misunderstandings, according to WPLN. The change comes after investigative reporting by ProPublica and WPLN, which found that many of the children charged had disabilities and were students of color. One of the youngest children charged with a felony last year was six years old according to the reporting. Gov. Bill Lee is expected to sign the bill, which will require that school officials only report student threats to police if a threat is “credible,” meaning it is reasonably expected to be carried out.