TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Mar 3, 2023

Gov. Bill Lee yesterday signed two controversial pieces of legislation, the Tennessean reports. Lee signed SB3/HB9, which bans "adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors," as defined in Tennessee's obscenity law, from public places and venues where children are present. He also signed SB1/HB1, which bans transgender or nonbinary minors from seeking medical treatment for gender transitioning or dysphoria. The American Civil Liberties Union, which had previously warned they would sue if the bill became law, reiterated its plans to defend "the rights of families and the lives of transgender youth in Tennessee." The law, which was fast-tracked by the legislature's Republican supermajority, takes effect this summer, with a March 31, 2024, deadline for minors to end any existing treatment.