Tennessee House Bill HB2312

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 10; Title 35; Title 37; Title 38; Title 39; Title 40; Title 45; Title 47; Title 65; Title 66; Title 67 and Title 71, relative to consumer protection.

Summary

HB2312 amends Tennessee’s criminal code provisions on unauthorized access to digital and communications systems. The bill revises Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-14-602(a)(1) by replacing the existing language in subdivision (A) with a broader formulation that covers knowingly, directly or indirectly, accessing or attempting to access a telephone system, telecommunications facility, computer software, computer program, data, computer, computer system, computer network, cloud computing service, or any part of those systems, when done for a prohibited purpose. The measure is framed as a consumer protection bill, but its operative effect is to update and expand the statutory language governing computer- and telecommunications-related offenses. By expressly adding cloud computing services and clarifying indirect access and attempts to access, it modernizes the statute to reflect current technology and digital infrastructure. The bill would affect individuals or entities investigated or prosecuted under Tennessee’s computer crime and telecommunications fraud laws, as well as businesses and service providers whose systems are covered by the statute.

Impact

HB2312 would amend Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-14-602, which is part of the state’s criminal provisions addressing unauthorized access to communications and computer systems. The change broadens the scope of protected systems and methods of access, potentially making the statute easier to apply to modern digital environments such as cloud services and networked systems. It would primarily affect criminal enforcement, cybersecurity-related conduct, and parties accused of unauthorized access or attempted access to covered systems.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee debate, recorded votes, or formal opposition, so there is no documented split in sentiment from the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a technical and modernization-oriented update, likely intended to strengthen protections against digital intrusion and align the statute with current technology. The absence of discussion suggests the bill may have been treated as a relatively straightforward consumer-protection and cybercrime update.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or voting history. If concerns were raised, they are not reflected in the available record. Potential areas of debate, based on the text, could include whether the broadened language is sufficiently precise or whether it could expand criminal liability too far, but those issues are not attributed to any particular legislator or stakeholder in the materials provided.