Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) signed a bill into law Thursday that criminalizes drag show performances in certain public places or anywhere they could be viewed by children.

The drag ban, known as Senate Bill 3, bans "adult cabaret performances" within 1,000 feet of schools, houses of worship, or public parks. The decision came shortly after Lee signed a bill prohibiting minors from accessing gender transition surgeries and hormone therapy.

When SB 3 goes into effect on July 1, first-time violators may be charged with a Class A misdemeanor that is punishable by a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail. Any future offenses will constitute a Class E felony and carry a maximum six-year prison sentence.

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The Tennessee measure was passed with the help of Republican supermajorities in both the state House and the Senate. It comes as nearly a dozen other similar bills are presently working their way through GOP-led state legislatures.

Republican proponents of such measures say that without them, children can be exposed to sexual themes and images.

“For clarification, this bill is not targeting any group of people. It does not ban drag shows in public. It simply puts age restrictions in place to ensure that children are not present at sexually explicit performances,” Republican state Sen. Jack Johnson, who sponsored the Tennessee legislation, told CNN in response to allegations the law is meant to target members of the LGBT or, more specifically, transgender people.

Meanwhile, civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, have already threatened litigation and said the drag law is "a direct contradiction of our First Amendment right to express ourselves on and off the stage."

"If the state uses this law to punish a drag performer or shut down a family-friendly LGBTQ event, they will see us in court," the ACLU tweeted Thursday, arguing that drag performances are still legal in the state because the law "bans obscene performances, and drag is not inherently obscene."

Lee's signing of the bill comes just days after a purported photo of him emerged online, appearing to show a younger version of him dressed as a woman. Lee was asked about that photo at a press conference Monday, saying, "What a ridiculous, ridiculous question that is."

“Conflating something like that to sexualized entertainment in front of children … which is a very serious subject," Lee added.

At least 26 bills have been introduced in 14 states by Republican legislators attempting to target drag events and force them to take place in more adult-oriented venues.

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Some proponents of drag restrictions have suggested the laws might face First Amendment legal challenges, according to Jerry Cox, president of Arkansas-based Family Council, who suggested the first round of bills passed could serve as trial balloons for future legislation.

“A bunch of these bills will fail in court,” Cox said, adding, "We will learn which ones will stand, and future bills will be modeled after them."