The Tennessee House of Representatives has passed legislation expanding restrictions on adult entertainment venues near schools and other facilities frequented by children. House Bill 884, sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd, R-Madison County, and Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, extends existing 1,000-foot buffer zones to include establishments hosting adult cabaret performances.
Current law prohibits selling or providing adult entertainment materials within 1,000 feet of schools, child care facilities, family recreation centers, public parks or places of worship. The amendment requires venues hosting adult cabaret performances to comply with the same distance restrictions.
Todd cited the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson as an example of what he called a “loophole” in existing legislation. The venue, which has hosted drag shows in recent years, sits between Mother Liberty CME Church and Unity Park. Todd said the legislation aims to ensure “public spaces should be family-friendly.”
The amendment builds on the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act, which Todd helped pass in 2023. That law prohibited “adult cabaret” performances from public spaces where minors could view them and took effect May 1, 2025.
The original legislation faced legal challenges from LGBTQ+ groups who argued it violated free speech rights. In February 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case of Friends of George’s v. Mulroy, effectively upholding the law’s constitutionality.
If the Senate approves HB 884, the expanded restrictions will take effect May 1, 2026.
