SB 290 - HB 764
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 22, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Alan Hampton | Email: alan.hampton@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
SB 290 - HB 764
SUMMARY OF BILL: Specifies that certain physical searches of students, lockers, vehicles,
or other property on school grounds must be conducted by a school resource officer (SRO).
Requires a principal to notify the parent or legal guardian of a student under 18 years of age of the
need to conduct a physical search of the student and to receive consent prior to conducting a search.
Clarifies that current law does not authorize a physical search that violates the United States
Constitution or the Constitution of Tennessee.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 49-6-4204(a) and 49-6-2405(a), a principal of a school is
authorized to order the search of students, lockers, vehicles, and other property on school
grounds while in presence of the principal or principal’s staff, if circumstances deem the
search necessary.
• The proposed legislation requires any such search to only be conducted by an SRO who is
acting as a school official for the purposes of the search.
• There are approximately 1,894 schools in this state and based on a survey conducted by the
Department of Education in October 2023, there are 1,302 schools with existing SROs.
• Schools that employ an SRO will be able to comply with the proposed physical search
requirements within existing resources such that any fiscal impact is estimated to be not
significant.
• Schools that do not employ an SRO will be unable to conduct physical searches pursuant to
Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 49-6-4204 and 49-6-4205.
• It is assumed such school may utilize an SRO from another school or request assistance
from a local law enforcement agency. A search conducted by a visiting SRO or other local
law enforcement officer will be performed utilizing existing personnel and resources; any
fiscal impact is estimated to be not significant.
• However, it is unknown if a physical search conducted on school grounds by an SRO from
another school or local law enforcement officer would be in compliance with the proposed
legislation.
• Clarifying that current law does not authorize a search that violates the United States
Constitution or the Tennessee Constitution will have no impact on state or local
government.
SB 290 - HB 764 2
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director