2024 - 2025 Legislative Wrap-Up
Legislative Report
Education Legislation from the 114th General Assembly
The first year of the 114th General Assembly came to a close on April 22, 2025, as Tennessee lawmakers completed their legislative session. This year, nearly 300 bills related to education were introduced, reflecting the high level of attention given to schools, educators, and students. Several key measures were passed that will shape education policy and practice across the state. Below is a summary of the most impactful education legislation from this session.
Education Freedom Act (SB 0001)
Tennessee lawmakers approved Governor Bill Lee’s statewide private school voucher program, the Education Freedom Act, which will launch in the 2025-26 school year. This new school choice program will be funded with public tax dollars, and students will receive scholarships of $7,075 to aid families toward the cost of tuition for private school. To learn more about the Education Freedom Act, check HERE for an overview of the program from the Tennessee Department of Education.
Teacher Bonus: The new voucher program includes a one-time, state-funded $2,000 bonus for all K-12 public school teachers in the state who taught in the 2024-25 school year. To receive the funds, school systems must pass a resolution to request those funds.
Physical Activity for Elementary School Students (HB 0085)
Starting next school year, all elementary schools will be required to provide students with 40 minutes of recess each day. This represents a significant increase from the current requirement, and will triple the current required recess time. Including travel time, this change will result in a reduction of approximately five hours of instructional time per week for elementary students. Time spent in P.E. class does not count toward the daily recess requirement.
While our advocacy efforts on this legislation did not stop passage, we did gain assurances from the House Education Committee that it would not impact elementary music and visual art.
Cell Phone Ban During Instructional Time (SB 0897)
Tennessee legislators passed a new law requiring all school districts to ban the use of cellphones, smartwatches, and similar devices during instructional time. While many districts already have similar policies, this law now makes it mandatory for each district to create and enforce a policy that limits the use of any wireless communication devices during class.
Revisions to Teacher License Requirements (SB1311)
Under current law, a local school board or public charter school can hire a teacher with a temporary permit who does not have a valid teaching license, but only until the school system is unable to find a qualified, licensed teacher for that specific position.
This bill contains significant changes to previous laws concerning exceptions to certain licensure requirements for educators. To see more detailed information, click HERE then go to Summary.
Update to Student Medical Care Consent (SB 0895)
Last year, a state law was passed to protect parental rights by requiring school staff to get verbal or written consent from parents before giving students any non-emergency medical treatment, even for simple care like Band-Aids and ice packs. As a result, schools had to collect consent forms, which made routine care more complicated.
To address these unintended issues, lawmakers approved an update to the law. School staff can once again provide basic first aid, such as bandages and ice packs, without needing prior parental consent.
Mandated Student Testing Review (SB 0415)
This legislation calls for the establishment of a task force to study mandated testing in an effort to reduce the amount of state-mandated assessments for students in grades 3 through 12.
Teacher Evaluation (SB 0870)
This requires the Department of Education, in consultation with the State Board of Education, to conduct a landscape analysis of teacher evaluation practices in this state and other states. The ultimate goal of this legislation is to revamp the current teacher evaluation system.
Two High-Profile Bills That Did Not Pass
The following bills attracted significant public attention during this legislative session but ultimately did not pass. While they are not currently law, they could be reintroduced in next year’s session, so it’s important to note their current status.
Undocumented Students (SB 0836)
Following intense debate and widespread public concern, Tennessee lawmakers temporarily halted a controversial bill that could have major legal and educational consequences. The proposal would have required all public schools to verify the citizenship or immigration status of new students, allowed schools to charge tuition to those who couldn’t provide proof, and denied enrollment to students unable to pay. Although the Senate passed the bill, the House paused its version amid concerns that the policy could violate federal law.
State Appointed Oversight Board of a School System (HB 0662/SB 1083)
House Amendment 3l would have allowed the state to appoint an oversight board to take control of a local school district under certain conditions. It also made clear that all school systems, except the Achievement School District, could be subject to state intervention.
The Senate version of the bill proposed a different approach. It would have allowed the Commissioner of Education to recommend the removal of local school board members and the superintendent, with their replacements to be appointed by the county commission.