Criminal Offenses - As enacted, creates the Class C misdemeanor offense of knowingly using an unmanned aircraft over the grounds of a school. - Amends TCA Title 39 and Title 49. Companion bill has been assigned Public Ch, the official text

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      State f/JettfU!-Osee

                             PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 868

                                                    SENATE BILL NO. 2434

                                                              By Crowe

                                            Substituted for: House Bill No. 2147

                            By Renea Jones, Towns, Alexander, Bricken, Davis, Howell

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39 and Title 49, relative to unmanned aircraft
          over schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

          SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-903(a)(6), is amended by deleting
"subdivision (a)(6)" in subdivisions (a)(6)(B) and (a)(6)(C) and substituting "subdivision (a)(7)".

          SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-903(a), is amended by adding the
following as a new subdivision (5) and renumbering the subsequent subdivisions:

                    (5) Knowingly uses an unmanned aircraft over the grounds of a public school that
          serves students in any of the grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12) with the intent to
          conduct surveillance of the school grounds without permission of a school administrator, the
          director of schools, or the director's designee. This subdivision (a)(5) does not apply to:

                              (A) A law enforcement officer acting within the scope of the law enforcement
                    officer's lawful duties; or

                              (B) The operator of an unmanned aircraft that is being used for a commercial
                    purpose if the operator is authorized by the federal aviation administration to conduct
                    operations in that airspace;

          SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-903, is amended by deleting
subsection (b) and substituting:

                    (b)(1) An offense under subdivisions (a)(1 )-(6) is a Class C misdemeanor.

                              (2) An offense under subdivision (a)(7) is a Class E felony.

          SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-13-902, is amended by deleting
subdivision (a)(14) and substituting:

                    (14) Of public real property or a person on that property, except as prohibited by§ 39-
          13-903(a)(5).

          SECTION 5. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it.
         SENATE BILL NO. 2434

PASSED:  April 13, 2026

                                                         RANDY McN"-LY
                                            SPEAKER OF THE SENATE

                         CAMERON ScXTON, SPEAKER
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

/Apo APPROVED this :};"] f:tl.i day of  'I  2026

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                        BILL LEE, GOVERNOR