Tennessee Senate Bill SB2351

Tennessee 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/30/24

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 7, relative to the antidiscrimination practices of institutions of higher education.

Impact

The bill mandates the creation of a complaint system that will allow individuals with knowledge of violations of the law to report such instances. This system is designed to protect complainants from any retaliatory actions by the institutions they are reporting on, ensuring that investigations into alleged violations are fair and thorough. By requiring compliance from higher education institutions, SB2351 aims to foster a standardized approach to handling discrimination complaints while simultaneously outlining the obligations of educational institutions in this process.

Summary

Senate Bill 2351, known as the 'State Primacy in Designating Protected Classes in Higher Education Act,' aims to amend the Tennessee Code Annotated, particularly Title 49, Chapter 7, concerning the antidiscrimination practices of higher education institutions. The bill establishes that both public and private institutions that receive state funding cannot define or recognize discriminatory practices in a manner that deviates from the definitions established by state law. This centralization of definitions is intended to provide consistency across educational institutions in Tennessee.

Contention

Notably, there are concerns surrounding the bill's implications on local policies related to discrimination, as critics argue that it could limit institutions' autonomy in addressing unique challenges faced by their student populations. Detractors of the bill may contend that the imposition of statewide definitions could overlook nuanced issues of discrimination, thus failing to address the specific needs of various communities. The ability of institutions to adapt their antidiscrimination policies to better reflect their demographic contexts may be hindered, leading to potential conflicts between state mandates and local realities.