Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
After potentially being thought non-viable for the session, the “Tennessee Anti-Grooming Act” which seeks to create the criminal offense of grooming to preempt the sexual abuse of children was pulled out from behind the budget and unanimously passed on the House floor Wednesday evening.
HB2317 by Rep. Jody Barrett is intended to protect minors from sexual exploitation by criminalizing grooming behavior, which is explicitly defined in the legislation, and supplementing existing child protection laws through the creation of a misdemeanor or felony offense for any adult who engages in the practice of grooming.
Per the bill’s amendment, the offense of grooming will range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class B felony depending on factors including the severity of the offense, the position of trust or authority the offender has over the victim, and the ages of the offender and victim.
“This bill will provide a much-needed tool for law enforcement and District Attorneys across the state to be able to protect our children with hopes of preventing those that would do harm to our children and catching them in the act of grooming before they actually attack the children of this state,” Barrett said on the House floor Wednesday.
“I want to thank the Speaker for working with me to get this bill out from behind the budget, along with the budget team, the finance team, thank you all for making this possible today,” he added.
The “Tennessee Anti-Grooming Act” has seen strong bipartisan backing through its entire legislative journey, passing each committee unanimously in both the House and Senate. Wednesday’s 92-0 House vote in favor of the bill continued that pattern and speaks to a strong bipartisan agreement with the necessity of protecting Tennessee children, at least from this newly defined grooming conduct.
Senate companion bill SB2566, carried by Sen. Janice Bowling, is on the Senate floor calendar for today, Thursday, April 23. With such strong support from both sides of the aisle, the bill is likely to pass and officially become Tennessee law after being sent on to Gov. Lee for his signature.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
