Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

Tennessee Senate Bill SB1180 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	HOUSE BILL 1109
3	3	By Salinas
4	4
5	5	SENATE BILL 1180
6	6	By Akbari
7	7
8	8
9	9	SB1180
10	10	003231
11	11	- 1 -
12	12
13	13	AN ACT to amend Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025
14	14	(1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and
15	15	Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 10,
16	16	Part 14 and Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 26, relative to
17	17	background checks.
18	18
19	19	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
20	20	SECTION 1. Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB
21	21	6004), is amended by adding the following at the end of Section 2:
22	22	49-6-3513. Background checks for persons holding positions requiring proximity
23	23	to recipients in private schools.
24	24	(a) A private school that enrolls a recipient shall conduct a criminal history
25	25	records check:
26	26	(1) Prior to employment for any person applying for or holding a position
27	27	as a teacher or any other position requiring proximity to school children; and
28	28	(2) Prior to permitting any person or an employee of the person,
29	29	corporation, or any other entity under contract with the private school and who
30	30	will have direct contact with school children or access to the grounds of the
31	31	school when children are present.
32	32	(b) The criminal history records check must be fingerprint based or social
33	33	security number based and include a check of the state and national sex offender
34	34	registries and the department of health's abuse registry.
35	35	(c) A private school that enrolls a recipient shall search the state's educator
36	36	licensure database to determine if an applicant for a teaching position or any other
37	37
38	38
39	39	- 2 - 003231
40	40
41	41	position requiring proximity to school children has ever had an educator license
42	42	suspended or revoked for misconduct in this state.
43	43	SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-2607(e), is amended by
44	44	deleting subdivisions (4) and (5) and substituting:
45	45	(4) Conduct a criminal history records check that is fingerprint based or social
46	46	security number based and that includes a check of the state and national sex offender
47	47	registries and the department of health's abuse registry:
48	48	(A) Prior to employment for any person applying for or holding a position
49	49	as a teacher or any other position requiring proximity to school children; and
50	50	(B) Prior to permitting any person or an employee of the person,
51	51	corporation, or other entity under contract with a participating school and who will
52	52	have direct contact with school children or access to the grounds of the school
53	53	when children are present;
54	54	(5) Search the state's educator licensure database to determine if an applicant
55	55	for a teaching position or any other position requiring proximity to school children has
56	56	ever had an educator license suspended or revoked for misconduct in this state; and
57	57	(6) Exclude from employment:
58	58	(A) Any person who is not permitted by state law to work in a nonpublic
59	59	school; and
60	60	(B) Any person who might reasonably pose a threat to the safety of
61	61	students.
62	62	SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-10-1404(b), is amended by
63	63	deleting subdivision (3) and substituting:
64	64
65	65
66	66	- 3 - 003231
67	67
68	68	(3) Conduct a criminal history records check that is fingerprint based or social
69	69	security number based and that includes a check of the state and national sex offender
70	70	registries and the department of health's abuse registry:
71	71	(A) Prior to employment for any person applying for or holding a position
72	72	as a teacher or any other position requiring proximity to school children; and
73	73	(B) Prior to permitting any person or an employee of the person,
74	74	corporation, or other entity under contract with a participating school and who will
75	75	have direct contact with school children or access to the grounds of the school
76	76	when children are present;
77	77	(4) Search the state's educator licensure database to determine if an applicant
78	78	for a teaching position or any other position requiring proximity to school children has
79	79	ever had an educator license suspended or revoked for misconduct in this state; and
80	80	(5) Exclude from employment:
81	81	(A) Any person who is not permitted by state law to work in a nonpublic
82	82	school; and
83	83	(B) Any person who might reasonably pose a threat to the safety of
84	84	students.
85	85	SECTION 4. The heading in this act is for reference purposes only and does not
86	86	constitute a part of the law enacted by this act. However, the Tennessee Code Commission is
87	87	requested to include the heading in any compilation or publication containing this act.
88	88	SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.