SB 814 - HB 933
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
February 16, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Alan Hampton | Email: alan.hampton@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
SB 814 - HB 933
SUMMARY OF BILL: Requires the Department of Education (DOE) to establish and
administer a three-year artificial intelligence (A.I.) weapons detection system grant pilot program to
award grants to eligible local education agencies (LEAs) for the purchase of A.I. weapons detection
systems for each school managed and controlled by the eligible LEA's local board of education that
does not have an A.I. weapons detection system. Establishes that the pilot program begins with the
2025-26 school year. Requires the DOE to determine the amount of each grant awarded and to
disburse 100 percent of the funds appropriated to eligible LEAs each year of the pilot program.
Requires the DOE to disburse any remaining grant funds to eligible LEAs for other school security
measures approved by the DOE if, in any year of the pilot program, all public schools managed and
controlled by the local board of education for each eligible LEA have an A.I. weapons detection
system. Requires the DOE to submit a report pursuant to the pilot program to the General
Assembly by July 31, 2026, and by each July 31 thereafter until the pilot program terminates.
Repeals this act on July 31, 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
STATE GOVERNMENT
EXPENDITURES General Fund
FY25-26 >$5,697,000
FY26-27 >$4,267,000
FY27-28 >$4,267,000
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
REVENUE Permissive
FY25-26 >$5,680,000
FY26-27 >$4,260,000
FY27-28 >$4,260,000
EXPENDITURES Permissive
FY25-26 >$5,680,000
FY26-27 >$4,260,000
FY27-28 >$4,260,000
SB 814 - HB 933 2
Assumptions:
• The proposed legislation requires the DOE to establish and administer a three-year A.I.
weapons detection system grant pilot program to award grants to eligible LEAs.
• Each A.I. weapons detection system purchased must be capable of identifying weapons,
including knives and firearms, on school grounds and immediately notifying law
enforcement and school administration of the presence of a weapon on school grounds
upon its detection by the system.
• The proposed legislation defines “eligible LEA,” excluding the Achievement School
District, with 10 or more schools:
o Identified as priority schools in 2015, 2018, and 2021;
o Among the bottom ten percent of schools, as identified by the DOE in 2017; and
o That experienced a loss of student life in the 2024-25 school year due to gun
violence occurring on the grounds of a school managed and controlled by the
LEA's local board of education.
• Based on the eligibility criteria, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is the only LEA
that currently may participate in the A.I. weapons detection system grant pilot program.
• The cost of installing and maintaining an A.I. weapons detection system will depend on
multiple factors, including: vendor, size of the school, the number of cameras and detectors
purchased, upgrades to the network infrastructure, training staff, selection of hardware and
software, and economy of scale pricing.
• The MNPS school board recently approved the implementation of the A.I.-powered Evolv
system in all MNPS high schools at an annual cost of $1,250,000. There are 18 high schools
in MNPS, which breaks down to $69,444 ($1,250,000/18) per school.
• For the purpose of this analysis, it is assumed that MNPS high schools will have A.I.
weapons detection systems installed prior to the start of the grant program in 2025-26
school year; therefore, there will be 142 (160 -18) remaining schools eligible to receive the
grant.
• If MNPS were to contract with a vendor to install and maintain A.I. weapons detection
systems in all 142 remaining schools, it can be reasonably assumed that a discount based on
a bulk purchase may be applied.
• For the purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that at a minimum, each school will require
$10,000 for the initial purchase of equipment and $30,000 in annual costs for subscription
fees for A.I. scanning.
• The one-time cost is estimated to be $1,420,000 (142 x $10,000) and the recurring costs are
estimated to be $4,260,000 (142 x $30,000).
• If the DOE were to allocate grants to all 142 MNPS schools in an amount sufficient to
install and maintain the detection system, it is estimated to result in an increase in state
expenditures from the General Fund in excess of $5,680,000 ($1,420,000 + $4,260,000) in
FY25-26 and in excess of $4,260,000 in each FY26-27 and FY27-28.
• The DOE will be required to set up a new grant in ePlan. The one-time cost is estimated to
be $10,000 and the recurring costs for annual support is estimated to be $7,000.
• The increase in state expenditures is estimated to be $17,000 ($10,000 + $7,000) in FY25-26
and $7,000 in each FY26-27 and FY27-28.
SB 814 - HB 933 3
• The total increase in state expenditures from the General Fund is estimated to be in excess
of $5,697,000 ($5,680,000 + $17,000) in FY25-26 and in excess of $4,267,000 ($4,260,000 +
$7,000) in each FY26-27 and FY27-28.
• The total permissive increase in local revenue and expenditures from the A.I. weapons
detection system grant pilot program is estimated to be in excess of $5,680,000 in FY25-26
and in excess of $4,260,000 in each FY26-27 and FY27-28.
• The DOE will be able to submit a report pursuant to the pilot program to the General
Assembly within existing resources.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director