HB 1109 - SB 1180
FISCAL NOTE
Fiscal Review Committee
Tennessee General Assembly
March 12, 2025
Fiscal Analyst: Alan Hampton | Email: alan.hampton@capitol.tn.gov | Phone: 615-741-2564
HB 1109 - SB 1180
SUMMARY OF BILL: Requires private schools that enroll recipients of an Education
Freedom Scholarship (EFS) or students participating in the Individualized Education Account
program (IEA) or Education Savings Account (ESA) program to conduct criminal history records
checks prior to employing a teacher or person who will have direct contact with school children or
access to school grounds when children are present.
FISCAL IMPACT:
NOT SIGNIFICANT
Assumptions:
• The proposed legislation requires, that prior to employing a teacher or a person with direct
contact with children or who has access to school grounds while children are present, a
private school that enrolls recipients of an EFS or ESA or participant in the IEA program is
required to:
o Conduct a criminal history records check that is fingerprint based or Social Security
number based and that includes a check of the state and national sex offender
registries and the Department of Health's abuse registry; and
o Search the state's educator licensure database to determine if an applicant for a
teaching position or any other position requiring proximity to school children has
ever had an educator license suspended or revoked for misconduct in this state.
• It is assumed that the required criminal history checks on teachers and employees will be
performed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and that costs will be at the
expense of the respective private school or applicant.
• Fees charged to private schools or applicants will offset any costs borne by TBI to conduct
the criminal history checks.
• No impact to state or local government. No impact to the EFS, ESA, or the IEA program.
CERTIFICATION:
The information contained herein is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Bojan Savic, Executive Director