SB 121
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
January 17, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Alan Hampton | Email: alan.hampton@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
SB 121
SUMMARY OF BILL: Requires public charter schools to adopt an internet acceptable use
policy in the same manner required for local education agencies (LEAs). Prohibits an LEA or public
charter school from tracking or monitoring a person's use of the internet via a personal electronic
device on school property, except for instances in which a student uses a personal electronic device
during a test.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-1-221(a), LEAs are required to adopt an internet
acceptable use policy which, at a minimum, must contain certain provisions that seek to
prevent employees and students from accessing inappropriate or harmful materials online
and select technology for the LEA’s computers that filter, block, or prevent access to
pornography or obscenity.
• Additionally, providers of digital or online resources that contract with an LEA or state
agency for the provision of materials created and marketed for students must: (1) verify that
the digital or online materials do not violate obscenity laws and that the provider’s
technology prevents a user from accessing and viewing materials that are harmful to minors;
and (2) remove, upon request from an LEA or state agency, access to digital or online
materials that have been deemed inappropriate.
• An LEA or state agency that contracts for the provision of digital or online materials must
adopt a policy that allows a person to file a complaint related to the digital or online
materials and establish a review process to determine if action is necessary.
• The proposed legislation requires public charter schools, in addition to LEAs, to adopt an
internet acceptable use policy and a complaint policy regarding digital or online materials.
• It is unknown if any public charter schools have already adopted either policy.
• In the event that a public charter school must take additional steps to comply with the
provisions outlined in Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-1-221, a public charter school will be able to
implement any required changes within existing resources. Any fiscal impact is estimated to
be not significant.
• Prohibiting an LEA or public charter school from tracking or monitoring a person's use of
the internet via a personal electronic device on school property, except for certain instances
will have no significant fiscal impact on local government.
SB 121 2
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director