Tennessee Bills

Massage Therapy - As introduced, enacts the "Interstate Massage Compact." - Amends TCA Title 4 and Title 63.

Libraries - As introduced, clarifies that the Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022 does not apply to any materials in the Tennessee Electronic Library. - Amends TCA Title 10, Chapter 1, Part 3 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

School Vouchers - As introduced, requires private schools that participate in the education savings account program or the individualized education account program, or that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship, to publish various items on the school's website; requires such private schools to ensure educators hold a valid license to teach and are evaluated in the same manner as public school teachers; requires students participating in any such program to be administered various assessments; requires the department of education to assign a school letter grade to such private schools. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Firearms and Ammunition - As introduced, enacts the "Reckless Bullet Prevention Act," which creates an offense of recklessly discharging a firearm into the air, ground, a body of water, or an object in close proximity to the person if the firearm is discharged at a place where other people are or may be present; punishes the offense as a Class A misdemeanor; specifies certain exceptions to the offense; requires handgun safety courses for enhanced handgun carry permits to instruct on the offense. - Amends TCA Title 39.

Education - As introduced, prohibits local boards of education and public charter school governing bodies from allowing, through their policies, a material in a library collection to be removed while it is being evaluated by the local board, governing body, or the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission, if applicable, until a determination is made as to whether the material is appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students who may access it, and whether the material is suitable for, and consistent with, the educational mission of the school. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6.

Education - As introduced, requires the state to elect to participate in the federal tax credit established under federal law for individuals who make qualified contributions to scholarship granting organizations. - Amends TCA Title 49.

School Vouchers - As introduced, establishes various audit and reporting requirements for the department of education and private schools that enroll recipients of an education freedom scholarship; limits eligibility for the scholarship program to students who are members of a family with an annual household income that does not exceed 300 percent of the amount required for a student to qualify for free or reduced lunch; requires scholarship recipients to be administered the same TCAP tests administered to public school students enrolled in the same grade level or course subject. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 29; Title 8, Chapter 44; Title 10, Chapter 7 and Title 49, Chapter 6.

Education, Higher - As introduced, allows a public institution of higher education to suspend a faculty member, including tenured faculty members, without pay during the pendency of any investigation or hearings conducted to determine whether adequate cause for the faculty member's termination exists; requires the president or chief executive officer for a public institution of higher education who is selected or appointed by the institution's governing board on or after July 1, 2026, to be confirmed by the senate and house of representatives. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires each local school board to establish a school lunch program and a school breakfast program that provide a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in a school under the board's jurisdiction; requires the state to reimburse each LEA for the cost of providing a free breakfast and lunch to each student enrolled in the LEA after all available federal funds have been applied. - Amends TCA Title 49.

School Vouchers - As introduced, requires the department of education to submit an annual report to the general assembly on information about the education freedom scholarship program. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Sports - As introduced, requires each student who participates in a school youth athletic activity to file with the local education agency (LEA) or public charter school a preparticipation medical evaluation or an exemption; creates the safe stars advisory committee. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 36 and Title 68, Chapter 6.

Local Education Agencies - As introduced, requires the department of education, by July 31 each year, to list on its website each LEA designated as a high performing school district for the upcoming school year and how long the LEA will be designated a high performing school district before having to meet the criteria for re-designation. - Amends TCA Title 49.

Memorials, Recognition - Tennessee Tree Day -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Mike Keeney, University of Memphis Board of Trustees -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Tom Boyd, Middle Tennessee State University Board of Trustees -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Jennifer Hampton, University of Tennessee at Martin Advisory Board -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Doran Johnson, University of Tennessee Southern Advisory Board -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Dr. Elaine Swafford, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Advisory Board -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Garnett Decosimo, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Advisory Board -

General Assembly, Confirmation of Appointment - Tom Marino, Public Charter School Commission -

Memorials, Recognition - National Vending Day -

Memorials, Death - Thomas Cory Myers Gunnels -

Memorials, Recognition - Ken Tarkington, Jr. -

Memorials, Recognition - Joe Northington, U.S. Marine Corps veteran -

Memorials, Death - Tom Greene -

Memorials, Public Service - Representative Johnny Shaw -

Memorials, Recognition - Individuals and organizations addressing adolescent mental health, bullying, and the harmful effects of social media on Tennessee's young people -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Erinn McGee, 2025-2026 MNPS Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Sports - U.S women's hockey team, Olympic gold medalists -

Memorials, Recognition - Sam Houston -

Memorials, Sports - Emry Jones -

Memorials, Sports - Cooper Williams -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Hannah Kennedy, Cannon County Grades Pre-K-4 Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Bobbie Ford, Cannon County Grades 5-8 Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Professional Achievement - Christopher Vance, Cannon County Grades 9-12 Teacher of the Year -

Memorials, Death - Coy Richard Tinsley -

Memorials, Recognition - Nate Bargatze -

Memorials, Personal Occasion - Dr. Hyran E. Barefoot, 98th birthday -

Memorials, Death - Byrd Douglas Cain, Jr. -

Memorials, Recognition - Tennessee's African-American-owned Century Farms -

Memorials, Death - Blake Gary Davis -

Memorials, Death - John Wilkins Haley -

Memorials, Death - Aaron Stokes and Andrew Huskey -

Memorials, Sports - Jeremy Jones and Allen Huggins, 2025 President's Cup champions -

Memorials, Death - Wesley Hazen Rucker -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Tullahoma High School, FBLA national award winners -

Memorials, Sports - Carol Mitchell, NFHS 2025 National Softball Coach of the Year -

Memorials, Recognition - Local Emergency Management Agencies -

Memorials, Recognition - 73rd World's Biggest Fish Fry, Hostess Princess and Court -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Caroline Grace Holden, Valedictorian, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Emily Lilian Saban, Salutatorian, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Megan Faith Allen, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Brett Eastin Astran, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Zianne Mariette Botha, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Kaitlin Marie Heitzman, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Garrett Halton Manners, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Noah Scott Parker, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Evelyn Ramsey Waltman, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Academic Achievement - Lindsey Brooke Warren, Top Ten Senior, Zion Christian Academy -

Memorials, Recognition - United States of America, 250th anniversary -