House Bill 1769, known as "The Intercollegiate Student-Athlete Protection Act," aims to address harassment and bullying of student athletes in Tennessee. The bill introduces a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated, defining terms such as "sports-related bullying" and "cyber-bullying," and establishes the offense of student athlete harassment. This offense includes intentionally communicating threats to student athletes related to their performance in intercollegiate sports or engaging in sports-related bullying. The bill categorizes a first violation as a Class A misdemeanor and subsequent violations as Class E felonies.

Additionally, the bill outlines the responsibilities of electronic communications service providers regarding the disclosure of information related to violations of this section. It specifies that a student athlete who is a victim of harassment has the right to take legal action against the offender, with potential awards including statutory damages, actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.