New Laws Sponsored by Sen. Page Walley Take Effect July 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two bills sponsored by Sen. Page Walley (R-Bolivar) will take effect July 1, strengthening protections for Tennessee children and expanding support for early childhood mental health.
Protecting children featured in monetized online content
“Children deserve the same protections online that we expect in every other workplace,” Walley said. “This legislation helps ensure young people who appear in monetized online content are protected, fairly compensated and given greater control over their digital footprint.”
The new law establishes safeguards for minors who appear in monetized online content, including family vlogs and other social media platforms. Among its provisions, the law:
● Prohibits children under age 14 from participating in qualifying compensated content creation.
● Requires a portion of earnings for minors ages 14 to 17 to be placed into a protected trust account.
● Ensures minors who independently create content receive 100% of their earnings.
● Allows minors age 14 and older to request removal of online content featuring their likeness.
● Requires record keeping and establishes legal remedies when required financial protections are violated.
Expanding support for early childhood mental health
Another new law sponsored by Walley and set to go into effect authorizes the Tennessee Department of Health to establish an early childhood mental health home visiting program serving children from birth through age five and their families.
“The first few years of a child’s life are critical to healthy development,” Walley said. “By connecting families with evidence-based support early, we can strengthen mental health, improve long-term outcomes and help more Tennessee children thrive.”
The program uses an evidence-based home visiting model to support healthy child development, strengthen family stability and promote positive mental health outcomes during a child’s earliest years.
These measures are among new laws approved by the Tennessee General Assembly during the 2026 legislative session that take effect July 1, 2026.
“Since the close of the 2026 legislative session, I have been out across the District daily, and will continue to do so in the coming months,” Walley added. “Thank you for allowing me to serve as our Senator. Please reach out to me if I can be of any assistance to you.”
Senator Walley can be reached at 615-741-2368 or sen.page.walley@capitol.tn.gov.
Read more local news by clicking here.
Stay informed on what’s happening in Hardeman County by subscribing to Hatchie Press e-mail updates.
Do you have community news you’d like to share? E-mail us at news@hatchiepress.com.
