Tenn. Lawmaker Intros Age Verification Bill With Felony Charge

NASHVILLE—Tennessee state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, pre-filed a bill for the 2024 legislative session that establishes an age verification requirement for adult websites. Referred to as the Protect Tennessee Minors Act, the bill is a “copycat” of age verification bills introduced throughout much of conservative America and adopted by several state legislatures.  Rep. Hazlewood’s bill introduces criminal charges for adult website operators who do not comply with the age verification requirement. According to local reports, Hazlewood’s bill—coded as House Bill (HB) 1614—adopts a Class C felony charge publishable with prison time. The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, the chief law enforcement agency for the state, will be responsible for enforcing the law and promulgating regulations related to it. In a statement to a local ABC affiliate, Hazlewood said she received input from constituents in her legislative jurisdiction, House District 27. There is no indication she has or will receive input from technology sectors like the age verification software industry or the online adult industry. “Exposing children to pornography is a form of child sexual abuse and exploitation that can severely damage a child’s intellectual development and emotional well-being,” said Hazlewood. “This legislation will apply the same safeguards and restrictions to the online world that we already have in place in the physical world. ... The standard should be the same,” she said. Rep. Hazlewood’s idea isn’t original. Lawmakers in other Republican-controlled state legislatures, namely Ohio and Indiana, also want to attach severe penalties on age verification proposals. The bill would require users to submit a government identification issued in the United States. Official bill language has yet to be released since HB 1614 is a pre-file for the 2024 session.