House Bill 368 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-1304(a), by adding a new requirement for student instruction in grades nine through twelve. The bill mandates that students be educated on the protections provided under the state's safe haven law, which allows a mother to voluntarily surrender an unharmed infant without facing criminal liability. The state board of education, in collaboration with the department of education and the nonprofit organization A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee, Inc., is tasked with developing guidelines and educational materials for this instruction. These guidelines must be distributed to local education agencies (LEAs) and public charter high schools before the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to the 2025-2026 school year and all subsequent school years. This initiative aims to ensure that high school students are informed about the safe haven law and the options available to mothers in crisis situations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-6-1304(a), 49-6-1304