Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SB0814 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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2	2	<BillNo> <Sponsor>
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4	4	SENATE BILL 814
5	5	By Gardenhire
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7	7
8	8	SB0814
9	9	002585
10	10	- 1 -
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12	12	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
13	13	relative to school safety.
14	14
15	15	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
16	16	SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by
17	17	adding the following as a new section:
18	18	(a) As used in this section, "eligible LEA" means an LEA, excluding the
19	19	achievement school district (ASD):
20	20	(1) With ten (10) or more schools:
21	21	(A) Identified as priority schools in 2015, as defined by the state's
22	22	accountability system pursuant to § 49-1-602;
23	23	(B) Among the bottom ten percent (10%) of schools, as identified
24	24	by the department in 2017 in accordance with § 49-1-602(b)(3);
25	25	(C) Identified as priority schools in 2018, as defined by the state's
26	26	accountability system pursuant to § 49-1-602; and
27	27	(D) Identified as priority schools in 2021, as defined by the state's
28	28	accountability system pursuant to § 49-1-602; and
29	29	(2) That experienced a loss of student life in the 2024-2025 school year
30	30	due to gun violence occurring on the grounds of a school managed and
31	31	controlled by the LEA's local board of education.
32	32	(b) The department of education shall establish and administer a three-year
33	33	artificial intelligence weapons detection system grant pilot program to award grants to
34	34	eligible LEAs for the purchase of artificial intelligence weapons detection systems for
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36	36
37	37	- 2 - 002585
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39	39	each school managed and controlled by the eligible LEA's local board of education that
40	40	does not have an artificial intelligence weapons detection system.
41	41	(c) Each artificial intelligence weapons detection system purchased for purposes
42	42	of this section must be capable of identifying weapons, including knives and firearms, on
43	43	school grounds and immediately notifying law enforcement and school administration of
44	44	the presence of a weapon on school grounds upon its detection by the system.
45	45	(d) Subject to appropriations, the department shall allocate and disburse grants
46	46	to eligible LEAs each year of the pilot program. If, in any year of the pilot program, all
47	47	public schools managed and controlled by the local board of education for each eligible
48	48	LEA have an artificial intelligence weapons detection system, then the department shall
49	49	disburse any remaining grant funds to eligible LEAs for other school security purchases,
50	50	projects, or measures approved by the department.
51	51	(e) The department shall determine the amount of each grant awarded pursuant
52	52	to this section, but the department shall disburse one hundred percent (100%) of the
53	53	funds appropriated for the pilot program each year in grants to all eligible LEAs.
54	54	(f) The pilot program begins with the 2025-2026 school year.
55	55	(g) By July 31, 2026, and by each July 31 thereafter until the pilot program
56	56	terminates, the department shall submit a report to the general assembly identifying the
57	57	number of schools managed and controlled by each eligible LEA's local board of
58	58	education that received a grant in the immediately preceding school year, the number of
59	59	artificial intelligence weapons detection systems purchased, and the number of schools
60	60	in the eligible LEA that do not have an artificial intelligence weapons detection system.
61	61	(h) This section is repealed on July 31, 2028.
62	62	SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.