Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SB0972 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 972
5	5	By Southerland
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7	7
8	8	SB0972
9	9	002687
10	10	- 1 -
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12	12	AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
13	13	relative to special education.
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 10, Part 1, is amended by
17	17	adding the following as a new section:
18	18	(a)
19	19	(1) An LEA or public charter school shall, at the request of the parent of a
20	20	student enrolled in the LEA or public charter school, install and maintain a video
21	21	camera surveillance system in each special education classroom operated by the
22	22	LEA or public charter school to promote student safety.
23	23	(2) Subject to subsection (b), an LEA or public charter school shall use
24	24	the video camera surveillance system installed in a special education classroom
25	25	to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in the special education
26	26	classroom while special education or related services are being provided to
27	27	students in the special education classroom.
28	28	(b) An LEA or public charter school shall not use a video camera surveillance
29	29	system to continuously monitor students, teachers, and staff in a special education
30	30	classroom unless the parent of each student assigned to receive special education or
31	31	related services in the special education classroom, and who may be monitored using
32	32	the system, consents, in writing, to the parent's student being continuously monitored
33	33	using the system while the parent's student is receiving special education or related
34	34	services in the special education classroom.
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36	36
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39	39	(c) Photographs or video footage collected from a video camera surveillance
40	40	system installed in a special education classroom by an LEA or public charter school
41	41	pursuant to this section must only be viewed by the parent of a student who is featured
42	42	in the photograph or recording and only to the extent that such viewing complies with the
43	43	requirements of § 10-7-504, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20
44	44	U.S.C. § 1232g), or any other relevant or applicable state or federal privacy law.
45	45	(d) Each local board of education and public charter school governing body shall
46	46	adopt a policy to effectuate this section. The policy must establish the duration for which
47	47	an LEA or public charter school must maintain photographs or video footage collected
48	48	from a video camera surveillance system installed in a special education classroom.
49	49	(e) As used in this section:
50	50	(1) "Parent" means the parent, guardian, person who has custody of the
51	51	child, or individual who has caregiving authority under § 49-6-3001;
52	52	(2) "Special education classroom" means a self-contained classroom or
53	53	special education setting in which a majority of the students in regular attendance
54	54	are provided special education and related services for at least fifty percent
55	55	(50%) of the instructional day; and
56	56	(3) "Student" means a student in any of the grades pre-kindergarten
57	57	through twelve (pre-K-12) who receives special education and related services.
58	58	SECTION 2. For purposes of developing and adopting policies, this act takes effect
59	59	upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect
60	60	July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it, and applies to the 2025-2026 school year and each
61	61	school year thereafter.