Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateTennesseeIntroduced
HB 1951: Criminal Offenses - As enacted, enacts the "Grace Anne Sparks Coercive Suicide Prevention Law of 2026." - Amends TCA Title 39.
Ryan Williams
HB 1951 status: Introduced — Comp. became Pub. Ch. 1098 (updated May 27, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
73OUT OF 100
Score:73/100 civic fit
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 60/100
Constitutionality75%
Bipartisan80%
Public opinion85%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill establishes a new criminal offense for pressuring, bullying, or manipulating an individual into committing suicide.
Who is affected
Individuals who engage in coercive behavior toward others, and potential victims of such behavior.
Requirements and enforcement
Behavioral standards that prohibit specific types of interpersonal pressure linked to self-harm.
Costs and funding
Not stated in the available source.
When it takes effect
The bill has been enacted as Public Chapter 1098.
Potential benefits
Provides a legal mechanism to punish and deter individuals who coerce others into suicide.
Risks and tradeoffs
Ambiguity in criminalizing behavioral terms like 'manipulation' and potential for free speech concerns.
What is still unknown
The specific statutory definitions of the conduct being criminalized and the evidentiary standards for conviction.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Society
Positive outlook
75%
Benefits
- Provides a specific legal deterrent against coercive behavior.
- Increases protections for individuals vulnerable to manipulation.
- Formalizes the social stigmatization of pressuring others toward self-harm.
Risks
- Potential for broad or vague definitions of 'manipulation' or 'bullying'.
- Risk of prosecutorial overreach in complex personal disputes.
- Difficult evidentiary burdens regarding 'coercion' in private interactions.
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- Directly addresses the prevention of suicide caused by external pressure.
- Provides law enforcement with tools to investigate coercive patterns.
- Validates the seriousness of coercive mental health stressors.
Risks
- Does not directly address underlying mental health support needs.
- High threshold for criminal conviction may limit real-world efficacy.
- Risk of secondary trauma to victims during the legal process.
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source provided is a summary and does not contain the full statutory text.
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedCurrent
- CommitteeUpcoming
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
How it affects your district
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06
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