WHB/3/8
Sponsored by Camden Rivers, Jacob Bern, Destiney Burch of John Overton High School
This legislation was filed in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section (1): Terms in this act will be defined as follows |
| 4 | A) Transgender youth: Children or adolescents who do not identify with the sex they were |
| 5 | assigned at birth. |
| 6 | B) Violence: Behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or |
| 7 | something. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Section 2: This bill will safeguard transgender youth in Tennessee from violence by implementing |
| 10 | comprehensive measures aimed at prevention, education, and support. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Section 3: Education and Awareness Programs: The Department of Education shall develop and |
| 13 | implement age-appropriate education and awareness programs in Tennessee schools to promote |
| 14 | understanding, acceptance, and respect for transgender youth. |
| 15 | A) Training for Law Enforcement: The Office of Criminal Justice Programs shall provide training |
| 16 | programs to law enforcement officers on how to effectively address and respond to incidents of |
| 17 | violence against transgender youth. |
| 18 | B) Support Services: Allocate funding to establish and maintain support services, including |
| 19 | counseling and advocacy programs, specifically tailored to meet the needs of transgender youth |
| 20 | who have experienced violence. |
| 21 | C) Reporting Mechanisms: Establish confidential reporting mechanisms for incidents of violence |
| 22 | against transgender youth, ensuring their safety and privacy are prioritized throughout the |
| 23 | reporting process. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Section 4: Any individual found guilty of perpetrating violence against transgender youth shall be |
| 26 | subject to the full extent of legal penalties as outlined in existing state laws governing assault, |
| 27 | harassment, and hate crimes. |
| 28 | |
| 29 | Section 5: |
| 30 | A) The Department of Education and The Office of Criminal Justice Programs shall jointly allocate a |
| 31 | total of $2,000,000 annually for the implementation and maintenance of the provisions outlined in |
| 32 | this bill. |
| 33 | B) Funds shall be utilized for the development and dissemination of education materials, training |
| 34 | programs, support services, and administrative expenses necessary to carry out the objectives of |
| 35 | this act. |
| 36 | C) This bill will repeal any bills that conflict. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | Section 6: This act shall take effect immediately upon its passing into law. |
| 39 |