With the bill’s defeat, Tennessee remains one of only three states forcing minors to get parental consent for forensic exams.

What Just Happened in Tennessee

In April 2025, Tennessee lawmakers debated Senate Bill 1382, a proposal that would have allowed rape survivors under 18 to obtain a forensic sexual assault exam—commonly called a “rape kit”—without parental consent or out-of-pocket costs. The bill aimed to remove hurdles that often deter teen survivors from seeking immediate medical care, evidence collection, and counseling. Despite urgent testimony from advocates and survivors, the measure stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee and ultimately failed to advance before the legislative session ended. As a result, Tennessee remains among the few states where minors cannot independently access these critical, time-sensitive exams.

Tennessee’s Outliers—and the Toll on Teens

Tennessee is now one of only three states where minors cannot independently access a forensic sexual assault exam after reporting a rape, joining Wisconsin and Alabama in maintaining parental-consent barriers. That small group stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming majority of states that recognize teens’ need for confidential, timely care.

That matters profoundly because the data show how urgently this protection is needed. According to the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, nearly one in twelve Tennessee high school students report having been forced to have sex in the past year—mirroring the national average but higher than some neighboring states that do guarantee teens access to exams without parental consent. Research consistently finds that when survivors delay or forgo exams, critical evidence is lost and medical complications increase, compounding both health and legal risks for young victims.

By refusing to align with the vast majority of states that treat sexual assault exams as time-sensitive healthcare for all survivors—regardless of age—Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Alabama leave thousands of teenagers vulnerable to lifelong physical and psychological harm.

Why Parental Consent Can Be a Barrier

On paper, requiring parental consent for a rape kit might seem harmless—after all, parents are usually a teen’s first line of support. In reality, that requirement can put survivors in an impossible bind. Many teens fear not being believed or worrying their parents will punish them for “getting into trouble.” In cases of familial abuse or when a parent is the alleged abuser—or is close to the abuser—seeking consent is simply unsafe.

Every hour counts after an assault. Forensic evidence can degrade or disappear within 72 hours, yet teens who dread involving a parent often delay or skip exams altogether. That hesitation doesn’t just weaken legal cases; it deepens trauma. Survivors report feeling isolated and betrayed by the very systems meant to protect them, and the longer they wait, the harder it becomes to access medical care and mental-health support.

By removing parental-consent barriers, states affirm that teens’ safety and autonomy take precedence over politics or stigma. Until Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Alabama follow that lead, young survivors remain trapped between fear and inaction—forced to choose between seeking life-saving care and risking family conflict or community shame. SafeBAE’s peer-driven resources step in to guide, support, and advocate for teens in those critical moments, helping them find a path to care even when policy falls short.

How SafeBAE Stands In

When state policy fails survivors, SafeBAE steps in. We provide peer-led workshops that teach schools how to create confidential support pathways—so teens know where to turn, regardless of legal barriers. Our survivor-created toolkits guide friends, educators, and neighbors through the steps of accompanying someone to an exam, offering belief and practical assistance. And through our Summer Activist Institute, young leaders develop the advocacy skills needed to push for policy change in their own communities.

By combining education, peer support, and advocacy training, SafeBAE ensures that Tennessee teens aren’t left making impossible choices alone. We stand beside them, filling the gaps that legislation leaves open—and empowering a generation to demand the protections they deserve.

Join Our Summer Activist Institute. Spend four days in Portland alongside peers from across the country learning to lead consent education in your school. You’ll leave with the confidence, skills, and network to build lasting change.

Start a SafeBAE Chapter at Your School. We provide exactly what you need—step-by-step guides, training materials, and ongoing mentorship—so you can launch peer-led consent workshops, bystander intervention trainings, and survivor support groups on campus.

Access Our Survivor-Created Toolkits. From lesson plans on healthy relationships to protocols for trauma-informed reporting, our free digital resources equip educators, parents, and students with the tools to believe survivors first and act safely.

Host a SafeBAE Speaker. Bring a SafeBAE expert into your classroom, community meeting, or parent night to share research-backed strategies and spark the conversations that protect young people.

Donate to Sustain Youth-Led Prevention. Your support ensures that Free programming, scholarships, and aftercare partnerships continue—so no survivor ever faces abuse alone, and every student has the chance to learn what consent really means.